A man has been arrested and three vehicles seized as police targeted rural crime in an operation last week.
Cumbria police’s Operation Checkpoint took place on Wednesday night into Thursday morning last week.
The largest rural crime operation of its kind in the UK, Operation Checkpoint sees several police forces in the North of England working together to prevent and tackle rural acquisitive crime, wildlife, and poaching offences.
In Cumbria, 89 vehicles were stopped as part of the operation – with police carrying out routine checks on anything that roused suspicion.
A 23-year-old Carlisle man was arrested on suspicion of driving a vehicle while being over the drug limit after he was stopped by officers in Brampton. He has been released under investigation.
Officers searched 23 vehicles and 22 people during the operation. Three vehicles were seized as a result and four people received fixed penalty notices.
Chief Inspector Lee Skelton, Cumbria Constabulary’s rural crime lead, said: “We work closely with our bordering forces with this initiative.
“We are committed to targeting travelling rural criminals and are keen to encourage people to report suspicious activity.
“Rural crime offenders will cross county boundaries to commit their crimes in their attempt to evade detection. By sharing information and taking action, we are actively disrupting criminal activity which in turn makes our rural communities a safer place.
“We will continue to take part in such operations to ensure that offenders and identified and brought to justice. Cumbria is no light touch, and any criminality will not be tolerated.”
The work was conducted in line with Operation Lantern – Cumbria Constabulary’s dedicated rural crime operation, which provides a co-ordinated response to thefts from farms in the county, including enhanced response to localised rural crime and support for those affected rural communities.
