People driving round fields at night

uztrac

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
fakenham-norfolk
In light of the above postings we are being driven into forming our own vigilanti patrols at random times on random days equipped with cameras etc etc,indigenous police will not approve I am sure.But our properties/plant & machinery along with livestock belong to us not thieving etc's.
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
In light of the above postings we are being driven into forming our own vigilanti patrols at random times on random days equipped with cameras etc etc,indigenous police will not approve I am sure.But our properties/plant & machinery along with livestock belong to us not thieving etc's.
One similiar group of fedup farmers beat up and locked some poachers in a shipping container for 24hrs, they got the message and poaching stopped.
 

MattR

Member
Could you shoot out there radiators?

Have sometimes wondered what would happen in a situation like this - say a farmer caught thieves in his yard one night and went out and shot out radiators/tyres, guessing it would end up with him losing his firearms licence? How would it be viewed to even go outside in such a situation with a gun over your shoulder? Presumably "possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence" or some such? Any cases anyone knows about?
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
A farmer could reasonably be expected to be outside, at night, with their own firearm, on their own land. So it's needed to prove the intend to the required standards. Is it reasonable, on a farm, to hear a noise, presume it is vermin, and go to shoot it with a firearm that you have specified is for shooting vermin?

But no, it wouldn't end well. They don't need much of a reason to take your guns.

Advice from plod is, and I paraphrase, just let them take your gear. Get crime number. Get insurance.

If I saw an unattended crime vehicle in my yard, it probably wouldn't leave without a cheap gps trackers attached to it....
 

MrNoo

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Cirencester
Any cases anyone knows about?

Know of one locally where an ex police "stinger" was used to take out two tyres on a truck used. He was very pleased with himself, quite a character by accounts. I think the police basically said they had never seen it. But then there is a good whatsapp group and the police seem to be fairly up to speed although they dont seem to crush the trucks/4x4's like Lincs police do.
Seems it's the same trucks/CRV's every time.
.22 is not great at taking out tyres, but a small high velocity centerfire with a decent thermal scope would be ideal.
.50 cal would be best, preferably belt fed mounted on a helicopter.
 
Round here most fields have been ridden round if they can get through the gates
Lincs police apprehended some deer poacher last weekend
confiscated a load of poaching kit
one was carrying a knife for butchering so was had up for carrying a weapon

i now have large lumps of concrete In every gateway right pain having to move them for fertilising and spraying

most roadside hedges have ditches round them

lincs police respond because over the last 20 years many farmers have reported poaching crimes
once the police have high levels of an offence they have to explain why they have not done anything to combat it
resources follow the crime reports
 
I’ve often considered cutting an oil drum in half lengthways, putting a lifting eye on it before filling with concrete for gateway blocking . You could probably put two end to end for tractor access , but would be too high for a poachers vehicle .
 

J 1177

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Durham, UK
Concrete blocks or big stones in the gateways. Trench on the inside of the hedge.
I think they have people on foot looking where is vunrable, I had a gate with a chain round (wooden) so they rammed that so I replaced the gate with an old galv one and put a wire pole stay behind.. this couldn't be seen from the road. It was a bit short for the gap so had a piece of chain on the end. They cut that and got in. But they would have had to look closely to find it. The same lot rammed a gate on another field but it held. Its now got a long sheep trough filled with concrete inside
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Our local police are very good and seem to catch groups most weeks. I think they actually enjoy the chase!. If the police dont bother to respond. Simply use twitter and mention fire arms!. or your local facebook groups. Sadly it seems to work.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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