Five arrests in rural North Yorkshire crime operation

North Yorkshire Police announced that a new Rural Taskforce was being established in February and in its first operational activity, taskforce officers supported other police teams in two days of action as part of the force’s Operation Hawk rural crime clampdown.

The operation saw three men arrested at the Co-operative store in Gargrave near Skipton on Friday evening following initial reports of suspicious activity at a shop 20 miles away in Bentham, near the Lancashire border.

Two of the men were later released without charge, but a third, a 17-year-old teenager from Birmingham, was charged with theft from the Gargrave shop and was released on bail with conditions not to enter North Yorkshire until he appears at court.

On Saturday evening, a 31-year-old man was taken into police custody after he was reported to be acting suspiciously in Spofforth, near Wetherby. When police stopped and searched the man, enquiries revealed a warrant had been issued in West Yorkshire for his arrest for breaching a court order.

A short time later, officers located a vehicle in the Selby area, whose driver had no insurance. The driver was reported for the offence.

A further arrest was made by taskforce officers in the early hours of yesterday following a burglary in Poplar Way, on the outskirts of Harrogate.

The burglar had entered a house, stolen the keys to a Fiat Bravo and drove off. Hours later police arrested a 14-year-old local boy on suspicion of burglary, theft, possession of cannabis and breach of bail conditions.

The stolen Fiat was recovered.

Over the weekend, officers also offered crime prevention advice and security checks at North Yorkshire farms.

Inspector Jon Grainge, of the Rural Taskforce, said: “This weekend’s operation saw the Taskforce start as we mean to go on - keeping our rural areas safe by working with communities and pursuing criminals.

“However, these excellent results are just the beginning, and we will continue to be involved with Operation Hawk days of action, as well as conducting regular operations using Taskforce resources, working with volunteer Watch scheme members and neighbouring forces.”

The Rural Taskforce is staffed by an Inspector, a Sergeant, seven Police Constables and seven Police Community Support Officers, and is supported by co-ordinators and intelligence staff.