Gardaí are advising farmers to remove GPS units from tractors when they are not in use, following a spate of thefts over the summer months, which saw one man arrested and charged.

Farmers should overtly and covertly mark their GPS equipment and lock all vehicles after using them, with the keys secured, gardaí said.

Gardaí also said that farmers should use security locks, alarms, lighting and CCTV on outbuildings or sheds to deter thieves and that farmers should consider placing tracking devices into the housing area of their GPS units.

Finally, gardaí advised farmers to mark all of their equipment with an unique identification code and record it on the Garda Property App.

“While the above is not absolute by adopting these methods it is possible to reduce the occurrence of theft,” a spokesperson for the gardaí told the Irish Farmers Journal.