A SPECIALIST rural crime taskforce has recovered more than £1 million of stolen farming vehicles and equipment as part of a continued crackdown.
Northumbria Police's Rural Policing Team was set up in 2020 with dedicated officers tasked with preventing and tackling rural acquisitive crime, wildlife and poaching offences.
Working under the banner of Operation Hawkeye, the team has had an immediate impact – working alongside partners and volunteers to protect those living in remote areas of Northumbria.
That work has seen officers track down various stolen items including farming vehicles and machinery, and reunite them with their owners.
One of the team's most recent seizures, a number of stolen motor vehicles located in Newcastle, took their tally to over £1 million of stolen goods recovered.
Sergeant Calum Meikle, of Northumbria Police, said: "Tackling rural crime is a priority for the force and the whole team deserve a huge amount of credit."
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