Quad bike recovered
A horsebox and two quad bikes were recovered as part of ongoing work to tackle cross-border rural crime.
Officers from Kent Police’s Rural Task Force have built strong relationships with their counterparts from neighbouring forces to ensure there is no hiding place for offenders who travel between counties.
On Thursday 18 May 2023 they located a quad bike near Stone in Oxney, south of Tenterden, which had previously been reported stolen along with two others from a property in nearby Peasmarsh, East Sussex.
The following Saturday 20 May they were able to track a second bike to woodland near Biddenden, Ashford, where officers from the Roads Policing Unit and Search and Marine Unit helped to winch it up a steep bank in order for it to be returned to its owner.
Horseboxes recovered following alleged theft from a property in Pembury
On Sunday 21 May the Rural Task Force was made aware of further offending, this time relating to the alleged theft of horseboxes from a property in Pembury, near Tunbridge Wells.
One was recovered a short time later in Peters Village, Snodland, and at around 7pm officers stopped a car believed to be linked to the thefts near the Dartford River Crossing.
The vehicle was seized and three men aged 20, 22 and 32 were arrested on suspicion of theft offences. All have since been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Sergeant Darren Walshaw of the Rural Task Force said: ‘Criminals do not think about county borders when they commit offences, and neither do we when it comes to tracking them down or recovering the property they have stolen.
‘We will continue to support our colleagues from neighbouring forces to clamp down on rural crime, just as they support us. Together we can make a real difference to the lives of people who live in rural communities and are disproportionately affected by certain types of crime.’