A fundraiser is seeking to help cover a farmer's legal costs who was found not guilty of two charges after he used his telehandler to remove a car on his driveway.

Paul Abrahams, prosecuting, said properties in rural Teesdale, in County Durham, many of them farm houses, were among those specifically affected, but others were in the Boroughbridge and York area of North Yorkshire, and at Carlton, near Stockton.

A farmer has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from fellow farmers and the public after being cleared of dangerous driving and criminal damage.

Officers were called just before 11am after two men in balaclavas were seen making off on a Honda Four Track quad bike from a farm near Harwood, in Teesdale, after breaking into a secured building.

A prolific offender has been remanded after trying to target our rural community.

Twelve minutes from report to arrest.
Two men have been charged with a number of offences following their arrest during a crackdown on rural crime this week.

Three suspects targeted an address in Mickleton in the early hours and took a quadbike and scrambler bike from an outside shed.

TWO suspected burglars accused of threatening their victim with a screwdriver during a raid at a remote farm were arrested within 12 minutes.

Inspector Ed Turner, of Durham Constabulary, said: “Durham has bucked the trend regionally and one of the main reasons for that is the continued support we get from our rural communities and through partnership working.

The pair started the pursuit after being disturbed trying to take a Polaris ATV vehicle from a farm building in Barnard Castle.

POLICE and council officials have slammed a group of 40 “problematic and noisy” teenagers in a County Durham village after seizing alcohol and breaking up anti-social behaviour.

WATER company workers have been praised after rescuing a foal found stuck in a culvert in County Durham.