Four men have been arrested as Cumbria police continues to crack down on rural crime.
Two men, from the Leeds area, were spotted by police officers in a suspicious vehicle on the A66 east of Brough at around 7.30pm on Sunday.
It was a white pick-up truck with three quadbikes on the back. The men were arrested on suspicion of theft of one of the quads, committed in the North Yorkshire Police area. A force spokesman said work was ongoing to ascertain the provenance of the two other quadbikes.
Yesterday, it was reported that two Gator All-Terrain vehicles were stolen from Staveley and Helsington overnight. Both were recovered and one man was arrested in connection with the thefts. He remains in police custody today.
On April 5, a Gator All-Terrain vehicle was stolen in the Shap area. It was recovered in nearby Reagill and Cumbria Constabulary worked with colleagues from West Yorkshire police, They arrested a 26-year-old man from the Bradford area. He has since been released on police bail while officers continue with their investigation.
Cumbria police is running Operation Lantern to target thefts from farms in the county.
It said: “The operation is co-ordinated by experienced officers and staff who have worked in various areas of rural crime, with many living within rural or farming communities.
Their work includes close working relationships with bordering forces to allow for shared intelligence and partnership work to target those who seek to commit cross-border crime.”
Operation Lantern was also involved after two quadbikes were stolen from a property in Sowerby Row.
Officers said they had recovered the van believed to have been involved and recovered one of the quad bikes. Investigations are continuing.
Cumbria Constabulary’s rural crime lead, Chief Inspector Lee Skelton said: “Our officers are busy every day and night working to prevent rural crime and arrest those who seek to carry it out.
“Thefts such as those we have seen in recent weeks can have a devastating impact, not just through the loss of a high value vehicle but also the loss of vehicles which are vital in assisting farmers in their everyday working lives.
“The recovery of vehicles and arrests made sends out a clear message that Cumbria Constabulary is not a soft touch and that we are committed to making the county the most hostile environment possible for offenders targeting rural communities and businesses.
“I continue to urge people to take their own steps to make their property as difficult as possible to target whilst calling on people living in rural communities to report any suspicious activity so that my officers can respond and take action.”
