The Association has been approached by the National Rural Crime Unit to discuss a proposed Bill to reduce machinery and tool theft within the land-based sector.
Superintendent Andrew Huddlestone gave a presentation at the ARB Show in May which outlined the case for improved security on equipment and tools within the land-based sector, and the need for the Bill.
Whilst the Bill was introduced to prevent ATV (all-terrain vehicle) thefts, the Policy Minister would like to extend the Bill to cover all construction and agriculture machinery as well as professional power tools.
In summary, the Bill would introduce a law that means any newly manufactured piece of self-propelled machinery would need to have an immobiliser and forensic marking. This may cover tracked chippers and power tools over a certain value. This would aid not only identification of stolen tools, but also allow second-hand buyers to check if a tool was stolen or not. The Association understands that two of the main suppliers of woodchippers in the United Kingdom have agreed to forensically mark their equipment prior to sale. If this proves successful, it is hoped that other manufacturers will follow suit.
For more information, visit: www.gov.uk/government/consultations and search for ‘Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill’.
The consultation period on the Bill ran from 18th May to 13th July.
This article was taken from Issue 202 Autumn 2023 of the ARB Magazine, which is available to view free to members by simply logging in to the website and viewing your profile area.