FARMERS in the Darlington area have mounted another night time undercover operation aimed at cracking down on crime in the borough's rural areas.

The operation, run in conjunction with Darlington police, took place in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Farmers and police officers mounted surveillance operations at several locations in countryside around the town as part of an initiative aimed at gathering useful intelligence.

The operation follows a series of break-ins at farms and is part of an effort by Darlington Rural Watch (DRW), a crime prevention group set up to tackle problems including theft from farms, poaching, and drug use on farmland.

DRW chairman Brian Pavey, a Darlington gamekeeper, who co-ordinated the operation, said: "It sends out the message that the farmers are out there in force."

Darlington Community Safety Officer PC Clare Addison, part of the police team, said: "A number of farms in the area have been targeted by thieves over the last two weeks and this operation reinforces the message that we are out there."