A Devon farmer faces huge losses due to rampant sheep theft, with costs over £500,000, threatening his livelihood.
Each sheep is worth about £120. His total losses are over £500,000. This winter, like usual, 400 sheep are missing. Dartmoor is a tough place to protect sheep. It’s now one of the worst areas for sheep rustling.
Devon and Cornwall haven’t prosecuted anyone recently. Mr. Abel says farmers may quit or move their sheep. The constant theft feels like the Wild West. It destroys the business and a farmer’s spirit.
He stopped telling his insurer about thefts. He fears higher insurance costs. His sheep roam the moor for months. They become easy targets for thieves there. Police say Dartmoor’s landscape makes it hard to stop.
Mr. Abel tested trackers on some sheep. Each tracker costs £199 plus a fee. This cost is too much for all his sheep. The company hopes to lower the tracker price. New technology is also in development. Experts hope it will stop sheep theft.
Another farmer, Neil Cole, lost £7,000 this year. He faces other financial struggles, too. He says losing sheep feels awful. It’s like ruining a piece of art.
He expects to lose some lambs each year. Sheep farming on Dartmoor is getting harder. Younger people do not want to farm sheep now. Some farmers are thinking of quitting altogether.
Sheep help the moor’s environment. Sheep theft requires farming knowledge. This theft is creating community tensions.
Martin Beck is the UK’s first livestock theft officer. In 2024, Devon and Cornwall reported over 1,300 stolen sheep. West Dartmoor accounted for most of these cases.
Nationwide in 2024, over 10,000 sheep were reported stolen. This region had over ten percent of the thefts. Stolen sheep are hard to find again. They might end up in illegal meat or other flocks.
Thieves remove ear tags easily. This makes the sheep’s health unknown. People eating the meat may risk harm. Illegal slaughter could also occur.
Mr. Beck wants more rural police training and tech. Police suspect some farmers are involved. To steal sheep well, one needs farming skills. They also need a network to sell them.
PC Julian Fry knows the Dartmoor farming community. Police work with farmers and others. They gather information and use tactics. Police take livestock theft seriously always. They hope to stop this crime for good.