Following recent thefts, the historic Althorp Estate has taken decisive action to protect its valuable assets by investing in CESAR and Datatag forensic security marking. This initiative, led by Sam Williams, the Estate's Rural Surveyor, aims to make the Estate's machinery and equipment far less attractive to thieves while supporting Northamptonshire Police in quickly identifying stolen property, should a theft occur.
The historic Althorp Estate, best known as the ancestral home of the Spencer family and the childhood residence of Diana, Princess of Wales, has recently stepped up its security following a spate of thefts. While rich in history, this large 13,000-acre Estate in West Northamptonshire has faced the all-too-modern problem of rural crime.
In response to these incidents, Sam Williams, the Rural Surveyor for Althorp Estate, joined forces with PC John (Hutch) Hutchings from the Northamptonshire Police Rural Crime Team. Together, they've been working to ensure such thefts are less likely to happen again and to find practical ways to protect the Estate and its valuable farming assets.
A key part of their plan has been the introduction of CESAR and Datatag forensic marking. CESAR, owned by the CEA (Construction Equipment Association), is a leading plant and agricultural asset marking system in the UK, designed to deter thieves and help recover stolen equipment. Each piece of machinery marked with CESAR gets a unique forensic identity, making it easier for police to identify and return should it be stolen. This kind of traceability significantly reduces the appeal of these items to criminals.
Sam Williams highlighted the importance of this step, saying, "Following a recent theft from the Estate, we met with Hutch and the Northants Police rural crime team to see what we could do to make sure that we don't become repeat victims and explore ways that we can target harden our grounds to protect our assets and business. Our investment in CESAR and Datatag forensic marking of our high-value assets is a fundamental part of that work.
These technologies will allow the Northants Police to quickly identify assets belonging to the Estate, making them far less desirable to criminals in the process. Additionally, many of our assets do not carry unique identifiers, so the addition of CESAR and Datatag provides that unique number to help us maintain our own asset inventory across the business."
The decision to use CESAR is just one part of a broader effort to improve security at Althorp. The Estate has also invested in other additional security extending these measures to their Norfolk estate as well. Williams added, "We have also invested heavily in new electric gates, alarm systems, and video surveillance systems, all of which, along with CESAR and Datatag, will be used to protect not only Althorp but also our Norfolk estate, driving home the message that our business is certainly not open to criminals."
PC John Hutchings of Northamptonshire Police spoke about the value of CESAR in preventing rural crime, he said, "Northamptonshire Rural Crime Team and the team from Althorp Estate work and communicate closely. This was particularly important when they suffered the theft of an ATV last year. They immediately asked how they could prevent a repeat occurrence, and one of the simplest and most obvious pieces of advice was to protect their machinery with CESAR. As police, we understand the power of forensic marking and how it can make our job easier. It is also a powerful deterrent. As part of the Estate's broader investment in security, CESAR and Datatag make criminals think twice before they pay another visit to the Estate."
The installation of CESAR and Datatag technologies was undertaken by Robin Edwards from Sharmans Agricultural, the local CESAR dealer. Lastly, bespoke warning signs were installed around the Estate to re-emphasise that the equipment has been protected by CESAR and Datatag, adding an extra layer of deterrence.
This initiative, shows a strong commitment to safeguarding the Althorp Estate, ensuring that this important part of British heritage remains protected from the threat of rural crime. By adopting CESAR and Datatag forensic security technologies, the Estate is taking practical steps to secure the future of its valuable assets and machinery.
