Movement of stolen machinery targeted in rural crime crackdown

Police forces from across the region conducted a day of action targeting rural crime in Somerset.

Officers from Avon and Somerset Police joined forces with colleagues from Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire to target the movement of stolen machinery, vehicles and identify any related rural offences on the A38 Bristol Road, in Brent Knoll, on Wednesday (10 June).

The operation, which was also held alongside partners from Trading Standards and the Environment Agency, gave officers the chance to share expertise and best practice among rural crime colleagues.

Several vehicles were stopped and checked to ensure they’re not involved in criminality, and several arrests were made in connection with suspected offences, including possession of class B drugs, drug driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, as well as other traffic and immigration offences.

The Environment Agency also stopped 20 vehicles which were transporting waste, and five of these were doing so without the correct licensing. Three sites used for the potential illegal disposal of waste have also been identified, and concerns were raised over whether another site is operating Illegally.

Advice and guidance were provided to all those transporting waste, including information on upcoming regulatory changes. Intelligence gathered will be used to develop leads for audits of waste carriers, brokers, and dealers, and enforcement options were considered where appropriate, including fixed penalty notices and vehicle seizures.

Police at the scene of the checkpoint on the A38 (Avon and Somerset Police)

Advice and guidance were provided to all those transporting waste, including information on upcoming regulatory changes (Avon and Somerset Police).

Sergeant Brett Worthington, a member of the rural crime team at Avon and Somerset Police, said: “We and our partners are committed to tackling serious and organised crime throughout the Southwest, which we aim to make a hostile environment to those who commit rural, heritage, and wildlife offences, which are often unreported.

“We want our rural communities to be safe places to live, work, and visit, and it’s operations like these, as well as a planned increase in public engagement events where we can hear peoples’ concerns, which will help us achieve that.

“Residents in our communities must feel empowered, recognised and confident in the police and our partners who are working with them to ensure countryside locations are safe and welcoming. We urge them to continue reporting incidents so we can understand the scale of criminality in these areas.”

Kevin Slocombe, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset Police, said: “This kind of intense operation, tackling rural crime, brings a lot of confidence to the farming and rural communities.  

“It is important we continue to protect rural living and the rural industries, especially farming and cracking down on crime will continue.  We have worked with Avon and Somerset Police to focus on rural and wildlife crimes and in the last year we have seen some excellent results, targeting organised and regular criminals who impact on our countryside. 

“I also spent part of the day with our rural crime team meeting farm owners to hear their experiences, discuss crime reduction approaches, and strengthen collaboration between rural communities and the police.”  

Police and Environment Agency and Trading Standards officials at the checkpoint (Environment Agency).

Lucy Woodland, Environment Agency enforcement team leader, said: “Roadside stops are a key source of intelligence for waste crime and the information we gathered will be shared across regions to build a better picture of crime networks.

“Waste crime undermines legitimate waste businesses and hurts communities and the environment. We don’t hesitate to take enforcement action where appropriate.”

The A38 was chosen as the location for the checkpoints because it is a main arterial route connecting rural Somerset to Bristol, and because a number of rural thefts have been committed in the area recently. It is also close to the M5 which is used to transport heavy machinery across the region.

The operation is an intelligence, evidence and data-led collaboration agreed by the Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables of Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire to robustly tackle crimes.

While the operation sits with the Southwest Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU), information and intelligence is shared, collated and analysed nationally with relevant units in forces across the country.