Warning to dale farmers as sheep rustlers strike again

FARMERS across the dale are being encouraged to keep a close eye on their livestock following a number of sheep rustling incidents.
It has emerged that between April and December last year, 34 sheep were stolen from a farm on Bowes Moor.
Late last month, 14 Swaledale ewes and one tup were also stolen near Tow Law. Someone with farming knowledge is suspected.
Peter Waistell, of NFU’s Barnard Castle branch, said: “It is very disappointing that these incidents are occurring and have reoccurred in the area. They have a devastating affect on the farmer.
“It totally throws out all of their breeding schedule. It can take them four or five years to recover.
“I think it has to be someone who has a farm or is working on a farm who is assisting with this.
“It is not as easy as dropping the tailgate and pushing a herd of sheep in the back. It has got to be someone with some farming expertise. They should know how hard it is for the farmers.”
In January 2016, two Bowes farmers were found guilty of passing thousands of pounds worth of sheep off as their own. Charles Neville Raine, 66, and his nephew, Phillip Albert Raine, 47, were both jailed for three years.
Farmer and Barnard Castle county councillor James Rowlandson was one of the victims. Cllr Rowlandson, who farms in Stainton Village, said: “It is disappointing that this is still going on after it was proved that other people had taken them in the past.
“You would have thought that some example might sway people from it but it
hasn’t. There is someone out there or more than one person out there who thinks they can get away with it.”
Cllr Rowlandson had ten sheep go missing but two were later returned.
He said: “Electronic ear tags are used now but that does not seem to be making a difference. They can take them out and put new ones in. You can count how many are in each field but it’s different when they’re on the moors. Farmers need to be vigilant and keep an eye on them.”
Last June, police officers received specialist training to help them tackle livestock thefts.
Officers were taught about identification and movement regulations, as well as being provided with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively question thieves stopped on the roads.
A NFU spokesperson said: “We have seen some really high-profile cases over the last year which demonstrate just how seriously police take livestock theft.
“That continues to be the case. The NFU has devoted a considerable amount of time and effort in training the police and equipping them with knowledge and equipment to help tackle livestock theft.”
Avon and Somerset Police are investigating the origins of 52 sheep after they were seized from a field near Yeovil on January 31.
The animals are believed to be stolen and include mules, jacobs, Swaledales and a texel ram. Officers say that the tags on the animals within the flock suggest that they have originated from as far afield as Cumbria.
Rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual Tim Price said: “While we only have some early claims data for 2016 to work from, we are concerned that, across the UK, while livestock theft claims costs for the first nine months of last year were lower than in 2015, there are worrying hotspots.
“We are also seeing thieves steal greater numbers of livestock. A decade ago, rustling was typically a local crime involving a couple of lambs or half a dozen geese being taken ‘for the pot.’ Now it’s an organised crime with hundreds of lambs and birds being taken in a single raid.”
To help prevent rustling, the NFU is advising farmers to padlock field gates, graze livestock in fields away from roads, ensure stock is clearly marked, keep records up to date, check stock regularly and vary times for feeding and checks.