Rural crime police op tackles drugs, weapons and badger baiting

MORE than 50 officers and police staff ploughed into villages to tackle rural crime as part of a day of action - seizing vehicles, rifles and drugs. 
An off-road vehicle being stopped and checked in ThurcroftAn off-road vehicle being stopped and checked in Thurcroft
An off-road vehicle being stopped and checked in Thurcroft

In Rotherham, officers stopped and searched three vehicles and four people, breathalysed two others and issued a section 59 police reform act notice last Thursday as part of  Operation Dunlin - a day of action targeting rural crime across the county.

Throughout the day, officers carried out proactive warrants for badger baiting and patrolled rural areas across, targeting theft and disrupting poaching activity. 

Across the county, 21 vehicles and 25 people were stopped and searched, two vehicles were seized for driving offences, two air rifles were seized for destruction, two people were reported on summons in relation to cannabis and ecstasy seized and one knife was recovered. 

In Rotherham, two vehicles were recovered with no insurance, one of which was being driven by a man with no licence who also had equipment, which could be used to syphon diesel.

In Doncaster, officers executed a warrant at an address in Church Street, Stainforth, supported by Doncaster Tasking Team and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. The warrant was granted under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, following posts on Facebook relating to badger baiting. Officers located items, which featured in the posts. They also discovered four cannabis plants in the loft and that the electricity metre had been bypassed.

Other results included a man being reported on summons by the off-road team in Tickhill for possessing a knife and an ecstasy tablet and two loaded rifles being handed over for destruction by two men who were caught carrying out pest control.

Asst Chief Con David Hartley, force lead for local policing and rural crime, said he was “proud” of the operation.

“Crimes such as badger baiting, deer coursing, lamping (using spotlights to transfix wild animals and then shooting, or deploying dogs, to kill them) and theft have a significant impact on rural communities and it is important that we tackle this head on,” he said.

“We hope these results reassure our rural communities and shows our commitment to tackling crime and preventing future crimes.”

Officers will return to rural areas to visit farmers next Wednesday to offer crime prevention advice and share forensic marking equipment to protect their properties.

Farmers are encouraged to register their interest on the SYP Rural Facebook page. Visit www.facebook.com/SYPRural/

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