More than 100 vehicles stopped and arrests made in rural crime crackdown

More than 100 vehicles were stopped and a string of arrests made as part of a region-wide rural crime crackdown.

The latest Operation Checkpoint initiative was staged across the North of England last week with officers, partners and volunteers teaming up to target rural criminals. It's the largest rural crime operation of its kind in the UK and sees a number of police forces working collaboratively to prevent and tackle rural acquisitive crime, wildlife and poaching offences.

Across Northumbria, Durham, Cleveland and Cumbria, more than 100 vehicles were proactively stopped as part of the dedicated week of action – with police carrying out routine checks on anything that roused suspicion.