IT was only a few days after Christmas that I was scrolling through Facebook and happened on a post from yet another forestry contractor who’d been a victim of crime.

This time it was two top-of-the-range chainsaws stolen, along with other equipment, with a combined value of a few grand. Far from the best way to round out the year or enter a new one, especially when you know the odds of your goods being recovered are… well… non-existent.

READ MORE: Forestry: How much of a problem is crime to the sector?

A few days later came the story of a man fleeing from a van towing a suspected stolen woodchipper after it jack-knifed in the road in Bolton.

Nothing more was reported on that story, but at least there’s a chance the chipper in question may be returned to its rightful owner.

These are just two of the most recent stories I’ve come across of forestry workers being targeted by thieves. You may well have heard of others in the last couple of months.

When I was at the APF back in September, theft was a regular subject of conversation.

Practically everyone had a story to tell of machinery or equipment being nicked – some from that very week. And for some, the most painful part of the story to relate – worse than the theft itself – was the experience of dealing with the police.

Hoping to help our readers avoid going through similar pain, we’ve looked into what options are available to make sites and equipment more secure, which you can read about in this month’s Buyer’s Guide*.

It’s an issue that’s sadly not going away and one we’re keen to explore in more detail, so if you’ve got a story to share, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

*The Buyer's Guide will be published online in the coming days. Subscribers can read it now in the digital version of the magazine.