POLICE forces from across the north teamed up to tackle cross border and rural crime in a major operation yesterday (Tuesday, September 9).

The forces shared intelligence and used number plate recognition cameras to catch known criminals who commit crimes across the borders, with an emphasis on organised gangs who target rural areas.

The initiative, dubbed Operation Checkpoint, was led by North Yorkshire police and involved officers from Durham, Cleveland, Cumbria, Northumberland, Police Scotland and the British Transport Police.

It saw dozens of traffic police cars, motorcycle teams and neighbourhood patrols use intelligence shared between the forces to target suspects across the north.

Inspector Kevin Tuck of Durham Constabulary explained: “The bottom line is that if you go back a few decades to the 60s and 70s, crime was very local - not many people were in motor vehicles.

“Nowadays we find that everybody has access to vehicles and we know that criminal gangs will use a single vehicle parked up in a strategic location that three or four people will have access to.

“That car could be parked in one area but used to commit crime elsewhere; we know the footprint of our force area, but criminals don’t respect boundaries.”

Another aim of the operation was to reassure rural residents that the police are working hard to crackdown on countryside crime.

Insp Tuck said: “Rural crime is still rare when you consider the chances of being a victim in an urban area, we don’t want to frighten people and make out like the problem is bigger than it is, but the fear of crime in rural areas can be quite high.

“Things like a lack of CCTV and little or no natural surveillance from witnesses can make people feel isolated and vulnerable but we want them to know that we do take rural crime very seriously.”

Insp Tuck highlighted the Farmwatch and Daleswatch operations organised by Durham and North Yorkshire police that regularly bring together volunteers and officers on overnight patrols across rural areas.

Of course rural crime can take place at any time and Insp Tuck recounted an incident in Frosterley, County Durham, on Monday afternoon where a farmer left his Land Rover’s keys in the ignition and the vehicle was stolen by two men.

They were caught by a group of the farmer’s friends on an organised shoot in nearby Bollihope who held the thieves until the police arrived to arrest them.

Insp Tuck said it was a good example of the police and rural communities working together.

He added: “There is usually an element of planning and organisation where people will target the countryside because they think it is a safe opportunity.

“With operations like this, and in our day to day activity, we have got to make sure that isn’t the case.”