A HUGE Farm Watch operation involving more than 100 police and 140 volunteers was staged on Wednesday night (November 7).
The operation covered about 3,300 square miles and involved officers from Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland and North Yorkshire forces.
A large number of vehicles were stopped and searched, but police say it was generally a quiet night with few crimes reported.
One vehicle was recovered from Neasham, near Darlington, after a number of men were seen to run from it and a Weardale motorist was reported for driving without insurance.
Sergeant Simon Rogers, of Barnard Castle police, said: “The operation was again a great success by sending a strong message out to criminals that rural areas are not an easy target.
“Police and Farm Watch volunteers will continue to work together to keep rural areas safe, sharing information on a day-to-day basis and taking part in future operations.”
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