SOUTH SOMERSET NEWS: Cracking down on rural crime problems

POLICE worked with other agencies in an operation on Friday (March 18, 2016) stopping vehicles on the A303 near Yeovil to help raise awareness of rural crime issues.

Officers from Avon and Somerset Police's rural crime team joined up with Trading Standards, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (AHPA) for the day.

Fifteen vehicles transporting livestock were stopped at the Cartgate services, between 8.30am and 11.30am for officers to check the animal’s tags and paperwork.

Vehicles including horse boxes, livestock carriers and trailers were checked as part of the initiative aimed at raising awareness of livestock theft, safety and welfare issues.

Rural Crime Officer, PC Katy Drabble, said: “We’re well into the start of the lambing season now, which last year saw a rise in livestock theft in Avon and Somerset.

“This operation saw us working with our colleagues from Trading Standards, AHPA and VOSA to help tackle the issue. We’d like to thank the public for their co-operation. We know this sort of check is an inconvenient delay to their journey, but we hope they will understand why it’s necessary.”

PC Drabble added that as well as checking the safety of the vehicles and welfare of the livestock, officers took the opportunity to give crime prevention advice.

She said: “We also stopped a number of Land Rover Defenders in order to make sure they knew that recently these sought-after vehicles have been targeted by thieves, so they can take steps to secure them properly.” 

Police ask people in rural communities to keep an eye out for unfamiliar vehicles loading livestock at unusual times.

Call 999 if a crime is in progress and pass on information through the police website, www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/contact-us, or by calling 101.

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