Two tractor GPS units were robbed from separate farms on the night of Wednesday 13 April, one from a farm in north Co Westmeath and another approximately 35 minutes' drive away near Carlanstown, Co Meath.

Both models robbed were John Deere StarFire 6000 Receivers, with one 4240 display screen also stolen from one of the tractors.

GPS units vary in cost, with a full set-up, including a receiver and display, totalling between €8,000 and €15,000, depending on specifications.

Farmers should be vigilant of GPS thieves and remove units from tractors when machinery is to be left unattended, said Meath Farm Machinery’s managing director Ian Timmons.

Timmons added that lockable covers for the units offer ineffective protection from thieves, as the roof of a tractor can be cut to remove the device from the vehicle, as had been the case with one of his customer’s GPS units in the past.

Gardaí have confirmed that investigations are ongoing into the theft of “farming equipment” from a vehicle in Co Meath, stating that no arrests had yet been made.