A FROXFIELD farmer says he is just happy and relieved his wife wasn’t attacked by thieves stealing a quad bike near where she was helping a ewe give birth to lambs.
The Honda Foreman Quadbike worth up to £8,000 new was parked outside the back door of Vinnells Farm of Broad Way Lane when thieves took it at about 8.20pm on Wednesday, January 24.
Just before the theft, Emma Madgwick went out the farm’s back door to help a ewe give birth, and when she came back the two-year-old quad bike was gone.
Farmer Philip Madgwick, who was indoors asleep on the sofa at the time, said: “My wife had a lucky escape I reckon, she went out and while she was lambing they took the quad parked next to the back door.
“They knew exactly what they were doing, and where it was as it was under a cover, and they must have been very quick, in and out, to miss my wife.
“The yard gate was locked and they broke the lock off, our three dogs were in the yard, and the one that bites they rounded up and put in its cage, and the other two ran off. They then pushed the quad out the gate and away.
“Emma was very lucky, if she had come back while they were there who knows what might have happened, she could have been attacked, it could have been terrible, awful, but thankfully she missed them.”
Philip also praised the police for their quick response to his 999 call, and warned other farmers and people living in the country to leave everything secure after dark.
He said: “Give the police their dues, three cars were here very quickly after I called.
“But the quad is long gone, I won’t see that again, and the insurance won’t fully cover the cost of a new one, I reckon I’ll have to find another £2,000 on top of the insurance pay out to buy a new one.
"Thieves are out there, they are everywhere and they’ve got some cheek to carry on like they are. Everything needs to be locked up and secure, otherwise it’ll go like the quad bike.
“But despite that, the most important thing is that Emma is alright.”