Officers from Gloucestershire seize lorries as part of rural crime operation

Dozens of commercial and private vehicles have been stopped and examined by police officers from across the South West as part of an operation to tackle rural crime.

Officers from Gloucestershire, along with their counterparts from Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and Wiltshire, took to the roads yesterday (Wednesday 14 May) to check vehicles travelling in and out of the Stow-on-the-Wold area as part of Operation Ragwort.

During the morning of action, more than 72 vehicles were stopped and examined in a four-hour period.

Two large waste-carrying HGVs were seized as it was suspected they were being driven without insurance, one stolen vehicle, which initially refused to stop, was recovered in Gloucester, and 10 letters of engagement were issued for waste carrier licences.

Police checked insurance and farm machinery, such as tractors and trailers, to ensure that they had not previously been stolen. Officers from the Cotswolds District Council and Environment Agency were also on hand to check waste carrying licences to prevent and deter fly-tipping.

Officers were also looking for dangerous vehicle defects in maintaining livestock comfort in the heat, alongside Trading Standards Animal Welfare team.

Sergeant Sam Swinford, of Gloucestershire Police’s Rural Crime Team, said: “Our overriding mission is to reduce serious and organised crime in our rural areas.

“We want to make our whole region a hostile environment for those taking part in rural crime, wildlife and heritage crime.

“Rural crimes are often under reported, and we want to increase public engagement to deliver safer rural communities, provide reassurance and enhance the trust and confidence in our police forces.

“Our rural communities must feel empowered, recognised and confident in the police who are working with them and with partners to make the countryside safe, making it welcoming for residents and visitors alike.”

The aim of Op Ragwort is to improve inter-agency intelligence sharing and act on that intelligence to prevent rural crime across the South West region.

The operation was being supported by Gloucestershire’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Evans, who joined the operation said: “We want to send a strong message that we will not tolerate rural crime in Gloucestershire and will do everything we can to tackle it.

“Whether it’s fly-tipping on an industrial scale, stealing high value farm equipment or wildlife crime like poaching and hare coursing for financial gain, these are serious offences, often undertaken by organised crime groups as part of a their criminal portfolio, so they need a specialist and high profile response.

“That’s why the South West’s Police and Crime Commissioners are fully supporting Operation Ragwort, that is specifically aimed at making our rural communities safer. It was great to see so many different enforcement agencies and police officers from around the region in Stow-on-the-Wold, working together and using overt and covert tactics to make sure our roads and communities are kept safe.

“I hope this sends a message that preventing rural crime is something we are serious about in this county.” 

You can report a rural, wildlife or heritage crime here: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/police-forces/gloucestershire-constabulary/areas/gloucestershire/about-us/about-us/reporting-a-rural-wildlife-heritage-crime/