Media Alert: Organised Criminal Gangs Targeting UK Solar Farms in Surge of Spring Thefts

Crime analysts at DeterTech, a trusted security partner to the police, solar projects and other critical infrastructure, are warning of a significant increase in thefts from UK solar farms. There have already been eleven reported incidents throughout March and April, compared to just three in February.

The eleven incidents were recorded across seven separate locations in Dorset, Sussex, Essex, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire. They comprised six thefts, two instances of hostile reconnaissance, two reported suspicious vehicles and one confirmed intrusion.

Of note, vulnerable sites that don’t undergo an immediate and visible security upgrade are highly likely to be repeatedly targeted, with one location suffering three break-ins in the space of a month and the loss of string cable valued at £90k.

Recent incidents have also highlighted organised gangs increasing sophistication in casing out prospective sites and diverting on-site security personnel. For example, in Derbyshire thieves lured mobile patrols to a nearby location as part of a deliberate and co-ordinated distraction operation. This led to the theft of a significant volume of string cable from the original site they had been guarding.

Kelly Barnes, Senior Crime Analyst, DeterTech, says:

“Solar crime comes in waves, and we are very clearly now entering a peak period when additional safeguards are advisable. It is imperative that fence lines are checked regularly, CCTV cameras are functioning correctly, and the associated alarm monitoring centres can deal with the threats posed.

Many solar farms have external tracks running near the fence lines that can be accessed via farm gates owned by the farmers who leased the land for the solar installation. These should also be checked as the removal of padlocks and chains is often a sign that a site is receiving unwanted criminal attention.”

May through to August are the most productive months for solar generation in the UK and therefore also the mostly costly time to incur downtime and disruption. Given current crime trends, solar operators are advised to take additional precautions at this time.

Operators are also reminded to continue reporting all incidents of theft, suspicious vehicle and hostile reconnaissance to DeterTech and Opal, the national police intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime. This can be done by contacting Crime.Intelligence@detertech.com or Opal@Opal.police.uk