Security mark your trailers – that’s the advice from Cambridgeshire police after a steep rise in thefts throughout the county
Owners of horse trailers in Cambridgeshire are being warned to be vigilant as the county has been targeted for a spate of trailer thefts over the past six weeks.
Seven horse trailers have been stolen across the county in the past three months with a total of 53 trailers of all makes disappearing since the beginning of August.
The Huntingdonshire and Fenland region has been particularly hit, suffering over half of these thefts, with more than twice as many horse trailers being taken this year compared to 2001. Police believe the thefts may well be linked and that a team of people could be stealing the trailers to order.
Community safety manager for the Central Division of Cambridgeshire Police Trevor Bracken said “We have had a huge increase in the theft of horse trailers and unfortunately we are not having very much success getting them back. “It’s the old story – they need to be security marked. Marked trailers are very visible to the police helicopter – even when they are stolen, they are still often parked out in the open. Many companies offer a security marking service, usually marking trailers on the roof and than a number of other places, both hidden and visible. This costs from only £150.”
A recent victim of theft Paul Storey of Chatteris, Cambs, agrees “The thieves drove through a metal gate and stole our Land Rover Discovery and 14-month-old Richardson two-horse trailer. We believe they also tried to take the horses as we found the headcollars out in the field. We have now got the Discovery back, but not the trailer.
“We didn’t have the trailer security marked other than noting all of the usual serial numbers. It never even crossed our minds. If we get another one, it will definitely be security marked with a postcode on the roof.
“You don’t realise how disruptive something like this is until it happens – it makes you nervous. We are sitting here with nine acres of our own land but no horses on it. We have moved all five of them into livery as we are worried the thieves may come back. My daughter now has to travel another 15 miles to go and see the horses.”
Cambridge police are urging people buying trailers to ask questions if the vehicle they are looking at has security markings or a vague history.
“Horse trailers are certainly saleable,” says Trevor Bracken. “Unfortunately, people will always look for a bargain and, ironically, it is other horse people who are buying these and keeping the market going.”
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