A POLICING operation which has seen efforts from officers across North Yorkshire Police working together has included drugs raids and tackling rural isolation.

The week-long Operation Target launched on Monday and saw officers from the roads policing group, road crime team and rural taskforce assist teams in Stokesley, Thirsk, Northallerton, Bedale and Easingwold.

The key theme of the operation is vulnerability with a particular focus on rogue traders and bogus callers. This saw officers team up with trading standards colleagues in the Stokesley area where they gathered valuable information about suspects who are targeting vulnerable people.

In Barton near Darlington, officers patrolling the A1 arrested a 30-year-old man wanted on immigration offences in the Northampton area.

In the Thirsk area, officers seized a van containing 53 cannabis plants near Felixkirk. Despite searches in the area, the suspect was not found and an investigation is ongoing to trace him.

Officers also carried out patrols in Easingwold and Leeming Bar where young drivers congregate following concerns from members of the public.

In other areas, officers seized two vehicles, issued five traffic offence reports for various offences, searched four vehicles, signposted a homeless man to support services and took and woman and two children to safety after their car got a flat tyre.

Inspector Jon Grainge said: “Rural communities are used to keeping their problems to themselves.

"The police are often the organisation that gets called out as a last resort, but help at the right time may have been able to avoid problems spiralling out of control. Your help could solve those problems or even save lives.”