Tractors are routinely fitted with GPS systems these days - and criminal gangs know it ENGLAND IS suffering from a surge in thefts of tractor global positioning systems – and Scottish farmers have been warned the criminal trend could be heading their way. Rural insurer NFU Mutual has recorded thefts of expensive GPS kit in East Anglia, the Midlands and North West of England, and is now cautioning all farmers to secure their machinery against what appear to be well-organised gangs of thieves. “We’re seeing a resurgence in GPS theft in some areas and we are concerned it could spread to other parts of the UK,” said Bob Henderson, who leads the Mutual’s Agricultural Engineering Field Team. “Thieves are stealing all makes and models of GPS control units, together with screens and domes. It’s worryingly similar to last year’s unprecedented surge in GPS theft, which saw equipment stolen from farms across the UK.”