• Make sure that all vehicles are immobilised or kept securely in a locked building.
• If vehicles are left in fields, make sure they are not near roads which could provide thieves with a quick and easy escape route.
• Keep farm boundaries in a good state of repair so that fences and gates cannot be moved easily. Use capping hinges on gates to prevent their removal.
• Brand livestock to make sure they are easily identifiable as yours.
• If you can, install CCTV so you can monitor activity both near to your home and in the outlying parts of your farm.
• Use security lighting so that thieves can clearly be seen by neighbours and CCTV cameras.
• Make sure that valuable items are stored in a secure building with a good quality front door, British Standard locks and windows which cannot easily be accessed.

Find out more information about securing your farmhouse.

Security Marking

• Make sure all your property is marked with your postcode and house or farm number/name.
• Consider marking valuable pieces of machinery with SmartWater or with an ultra-violet pen. Other marking methods include engraving and stamping.

Property Identification

• Note down the make, model and serial number of your property.
• Take photographs of your property – it will benefit any investigation if that property is stolen. If items are small, photograph them next to a ruler to indicate scale.
• Register your property for free on the Immobilise website – a free database used by police to help locate stolen property. To register items visit www.immobilise.com.
• Plant can also be registered on the National Plant and Equipment Register at www.ter-europe.org.

Find out more detailed advice about security marking and property identification.