Debt Spurs 'Wild West' Cattle Rustlers

Cattle rustlers apparently spurred on by the recession are mounting more raids across what used to be the Wild West. The number of livestock being stolen by outlaw cowboys has almost tripled in recent years. Rangers in Texas and Oklahoma reported an upswing in thefts from 2,400 in 2007 to 6,400 last year. Those responsible are increasingly being driven by personal money woes, with thieves known to have stolen cattle to help pay off their mortgage or other debts. The crime conjures up images of the Old West of fact and fiction, with tobacco chewing cowboys dusting off their chaps after a good day's rustling. But the effects are very much real and current - some farmers have seen their livestock depleted by hundreds of cattle as a result. Concerns are mounting over the increased rustling and the state of Texas is introducing tougher sentences for those caught. It falls short of the lynch mobs that used to deal with cattle thieves in the olden days, but it does mean that those found guilty of stealing even one cow are likely to end up in jail...SkyNews