Two police forces came together to target rural crime in Crowland recently as they found numerous vehicles breaking the law on the A16.
Operation Chambers saw officers from Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire’s Rural Crime Action Team and Neighbourhood Policing team, examine vehicles over six hours.
Among the actions carried out were two vehicles seized as their drivers had neither licence or insurance, 91 untaxed vehicles, a 35-year-old man detained for immigration offences and four waste carriers issued with advice from the Environment Agency.
Three large goods vehicles pulled over for being overloaded, including one full of tomatoes which was fined £200.
Checks were conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA), His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Environment Agency, Peterborough City Council, and the UK National Rural Crime Unit.
Sergeant Tom Nuttall, from Cambridgeshire’s RCAT and coordinator of the operation, said: “We understand the frustration of those who are victims of crime such as agricultural and machinery theft, and so days such as this are a perfect chance for us to work together to seek stolen property and disrupt criminals.
“This operation highlights the importance of taking a collaborative approach in tackling rural crime and reinforces the commitment of all partners to safeguarding rural communities and holding offenders to account.”
Peter Stark, enforcement team leader from the Environment Agency, said: “Those involved in waste crime can often be associated with other offending and are of interest to other agencies.
“Coming together on these days of action allow us all to maintain strong partnerships and share information while helping to protect the environment, communities, and legitimate businesses.”
