Quad bike-riding thieves steal and sell 100 sheep as criminals ‘weaponise’ cost of living crisis
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A gang of quad thieves stole more than 100 sheep from a farmer in September as criminals try to ‘arm’ the cost of living.
Ed Lovejoy, 40, works on his farm in Woodchurch, Kent, and was shocked to pick up his ewes last month to find that 116 had gone missing.
Initially fearing that they had escaped, Mr. Lovejoy searched the area around his farm, but to no avail.
A witness then told him they had seen a quad driving some of the sheep to a corner of the field only to realize they had been stolen in a malicious theft costing Mr Lovejoy £17,000.
The thieves would have since slaughtered the meat and sold it on the market, either by slaughtering it themselves or by finding a slaughterhouse that wouldn’t ask too many questions.
It comes amid warnings Britain could face a ‘crime crisis’ as gangs criminalize the cost of living crisis and recruit struggling people into their operations.
Mr Lovejoy says raising and caring for his sheep is a job that takes years
Mr. Lovejoy fears the thieves may come back and steal more of his precious animals
More than 100 sheep were stolen in the quad-bike raid, and police have so far been unable to track down the culprits
Mr Lovejoy estimates the stolen cattle were worth £17,000
Mr Lovejoy told Sky News the theft of his Romney sheep, a Kent breed, would have a knock-on effect on his business for two to three years.
‘It takes years and years of breeding these sheep and you look after them all year round,’ said Mr Lovejoy.
“If someone just grabs them and steals them, you feel pretty sick.
“I think they probably butchered them and put them in the food chain somehow.”
Mr Lovejoy reported the theft to the police, but so far the perpetrators have not been found.
He told Sky News that he fears the thieves might come back to steal more, and that he fears it is “not possible” to secure all 700 acres of land from the crime.
Insurance company NFU Mutual has warned of an increase in rustling, the practice of cattle stealing, saying animals worth £2.4 million were stolen last year and animals worth another £1.4 million in the first eight months of this year.
It advises farmers: “Your animals are your income and even if intruders don’t plan on robbing them, they can still startle them and cause problems for you to solve.
‘Keep surrounding fences, gates and hedges in good condition. Make sure gates, sheds, and sheds are locked. Tag all the livestock.
‘Take pictures of all, or your most valuable, animals and make sure their ear tags or brand name are visible.
‘All your livestock files must be up-to-date, which increases recovery in the event of theft.’
dr. Robert Hesketh of John Moores University in Liverpool warns that the UK will face a much bigger crime wave this winter.
He told Sky News: ‘As the cost of living crisis starts to peak, I think there will be an increase (in crime) – I think it’s a good idea.
“In areas like mine – marginalized areas, areas of social exclusion – it’s going up, especially among young people.
Ed Lovejoy, 40, has owned his 700-acre farm in Kent for years but was left ‘sick’ by the heartless theft
Cattle thefts increased last year and are expected to do so again this year amid cost of living crisis
“You’ll get people in organized crime groups to monopolize this because they know people are going to need money.”
dr. Simon Harding, director of the National Center for Gang Research, told the i that he also expects established crime families to make the most of rising costs and people’s deteriorating finances.
“People are having a hard time and these families and gangs have money,” he said. ‘They are going to borrow money, usury and put pressure on companies. It’s old-fashioned stuff, but that’s what happens.’
Just days ago, new data revealed that shoplifting in Scotland is up 40 per cent up to June this year compared to the previous 12 months.
This is a significant increase, as the number of crimes has been declining since 2018.
The Telegraph also reported this week that the number of elderly and vulnerable people who fraudulently pass money through their bank accounts has risen by nearly 30 percent, according to the latest data.
There is a wave of older adults taking up offers to make money by receiving or transferring money through their account, or completely relinquishing control of the account to criminals.
Sometimes those caught by the criminals have no idea they are involved in criminal activity – and those who allow the use of their bank accounts can be sentenced to 14 years in prison for being so-called ‘money mules’.
There are also fears that more young people will become involved in drug gangs in the province to earn much-needed money.
In addition to recruiting others for criminal activity, there has also been an increasing trend in scams in recent months, especially those related to utility bills.
Criminals defraud the public by sending emails purportedly from energy regulator Ofgem telling customers they owe a discount on utility bills.
Detective Chief Inspector Hayley King, of the City of London Police, said: “It is shameful that in a time of financial hardship, criminals are targeting the public by claiming they are entitled to discounts and refunds.”
“If an email is genuine, the company will never force you to hand over your information. Always take a moment to consider whether the request you have received is genuine.”
The government has also expressed concern that fraudsters will criminalize the crisis for their own gain. The Department of Work and Pensions had to issue a warning under its utility bill support scheme earlier this year, telling the public they didn’t have to do anything to get the money.
Scammers had allegedly sent messages to individuals posing as the government telling them to request or claim the money now.