FARMERS are facing increasingly sophisticated rural thieves who took millions of pounds from the region last year.

Rural crime cost the North-East a total of £7.9m in 2015, with thieves targeting quad bikes and tools from farms and businesses.

The figures released as part of NFU Mutual’s annual Rural Crime Report also revealed that the region suffered the biggest claims bill for equine related thefts and tractor thefts.

The North East also saw a 38 per cent rise in the cost of quad bike thefts.

Kate Sowden, NFU Mutual senior agent in the North-East said: “Rural thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated and using computers rather than bolt cutters to steal from farms and country properties.

“Farmers and police have been working hard to adopt high-tech security measures to tackle the problems which now include: cloning tractor identities, advertising non-existent machinery in agricultural publications and stealing the GPS computer systems which are a key part of modern farming.”

In the latest survey of NFU Mutual’s agency network, the theft of garden equipment was cited as the biggest growing trend, along with 4x4s.

The survey also revealed that social media is now the main resource for sharing information about crime in rural communities and is considered a valuable tool.