Farmer offers reward after tractor torched in attack

A FERMANAGH farmer has urged others to step up security after his tractor was set alight in what he described as a ‘shocking act of vandalism’.
Rodney Clarke said he was ‘absolutely devastated’ when he received a call to say his tractor was on fire, while he was working in England at the time.
“The tractor was sitting in the compound. Going by the CCTV, the man went through the fence, smashed the window and lit her. There is nobody who would want to do it to us – it’s a random attack,” Rodney told the ‘Herald.
“I never expected to be attacked at all. I’m out in England for a month working and it’s just a real kick in the teeth. When I got the phone call I was devastated, absolutely devastated.”
Rodney is offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.
He also urged fellow farmers to take security more seriously, pointing to the stronger measures he has witnessed on farms in England, such as lighting, cameras and alarm systems.
“I am out in Cambridge here at the minute and it is totally different over here,” he said.
“You are going up past farms and you can see the lights and security sensors all around the yard.”
In another recent incident, a digger valued at £22,000 was stolen from a site near Tempo.
Its owners – Eamon Teague and Danny Poyntz – described the loss of such expensive equipment as ‘demoralising’.
“It’s always the hardworking taxpayer that gets targeted, and there are no consequences for the thieves,” said Eamon.
“Our insurance is going to skyrocket. After this theft we’ll be paying it off for five years,” he added.
PSNI rural crime lead Superintendent Johnston McDowell said rural crime in Fermanagh and Omagh had fallen from 465 to 315 incidents between June 2024 and June 2025, but warned thefts of tools, machinery, livestock and fuel remain a problem.
Police are urging farmers to remain vigilant as darker evenings set in, and outlined security measures including locking gates and outbuildings, installing CCTV and alarms, marking equipment, keeping detailed records, and joining farm watch groups.