Mid Ulster Farming Community Described as ‘Traumatised’ Following Burglaries

A series of burglaries has reportedly left a farming community in Mid Ulster “traumatised.” Over recent months, multiple farms located in County Tyrone’s Dungannon and Aughnacloy regions have experienced the theft of valuable machinery. Jonathan Potter, a farmer in Aughnacloy, reported the theft of an expensive agricultural vehicle, along with vital tools and animal feed, from his property. He stated, “They arrived in my yard at about 1am when we were asleep and were there for about 45 minutes.” Mr. Potter added, “It’s knowing that they were on my property where my family are, that’s the hard part.” He further explained, “We captured them on CCTV. They came in through the front gate, broke the locks, and pushed it out of the yard while we were asleep.” Multiple farm burglaries were recorded in the Aughnacloy area during the period spanning 26 September to 11 October. Specifically, Mr. Potter’s John Deere Gator vehicle was taken at some point between 21:45 GMT on 10 October and 07:45 on 11 October. He informed BBC News NI that his insurance policy does not provide full coverage for the replacement cost of the machinery. “It’s been hard on my father; he used it every day, and the price to replace it is a sore point,” he commented. He concluded, “The price of machinery has went through the roof, so we can’t replace it. It’s just not fair.” Earlier in the year, BBC News NI had reported on an organized criminal group reportedly targeting agricultural properties in Northern Ireland’s northwest region. In January, a farmer from Clady publicly addressed the theft of 50 lambs from his farm. The National Farmers Union (NFU) Mutual, a rural insurer, estimated the cost of rural crime in Northern Ireland for 2024 to be £2 million. Over the past year, Northern Ireland recorded more than 200 agricultural crimes. These offenses encompass the theft of vehicles, livestock, and fuel, as well as incidents of dogs attacking farm animals, fly-tipping, and illegal waste dumping. Newry, Mourne & Down experienced the highest incidence of agricultural crime, with Mid Ulster ranking second. In response to a recent surge in thefts of farm machinery and tools within Mid Ulster, the local Policing and Community Safety Partnership organized a rural crime information event. SDLP councillor Christine McFlynn, who chairs the partnership, stated: “The event was organised to give the community some information and helpful advice because the people of this area are concerned about rural crime and the recent incidents; they’re traumatised.” She further commented, “This is a rural community, and they’re worried not only about intruders stealing their equipment but that they could be physically attacked.” McFlynn emphasized, “At the end of the day it’s not only about safety, but it’s about people’s livelihoods. We’ve seen thousands of pounds worth of equipment stolen lately, and they need this equipment to do their jobs and keep their farms running.” The PSNI confirmed it is investigating the recent occurrences in Mid Ulster and urged the local community to exercise vigilance in securing their rural properties. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.