A SURGE in demand for top-of-the-range mowers and gardening tools has prompted Surrey’s leading rural insurer to warn homeowners not to make their gardens an easy target for thieves.

According to NFU Mutual claims data, the average claim for stolen mowers rose 44 per cent last year with thieves targeting more expensive models including robotic and ride-on mowers.

Andrew Maclean, senior agent at NFU Mutual in Oxted, said: “It’s important to treat the items in your garden and outbuildings in the same way you treat the items inside your home.

“This means making sure you have adequate security in place, checking your insurance cover and reassessing the value of more expensive items such as mowers and statues on a regular basis.”

NFU Mutual’s tips for protecting your garden include secure fences and gates, prickly plants and noisy gravel, security lighting, alarms and CCTV. It also recommends keeping tools out of sight and securing sheds, garages and outbuildings with padlocks.