Police issue warning to rural community after caravan and trailer thefts

Police officers working on a series of crimes involving the theft of caravans and trailers in rural areas of Northamptonshire are issuing a warning to the public to be extra vigilant.

Since December 2021, a number of caravans and trailers have been stolen across the county, as well as from neighbouring counties in the Thames Valley and Warwickshire areas.

The offences usually happen from 5pm in the evening to 4am in the morning where the group committing the crimes arrive with multiple vehicles in order to steal the items. 

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Dave Wakeman, said: “We have been working with our colleagues in CID and with Thames Valley Police and Warwickshire Police, in order to investigate this crime series, using a number of tactics, and those investigations continue at pace.

“However we now want to appeal to the public to please be extra vigilant if you own any of these items and to take as many crime prevention measures as possible to keep your possessions safe.

“I would also ask that anyone who sees any vehicles acting suspiciously in rural areas to please give us a call and report it. We would rather attend a well-meaning concern that turns out to be nothing than not hear about it at all.

“Our experience with this group is that they are dangerous individuals - they have rammed police vehicles, failed to stop and driven at excessive speeds in order to get away from us, so our advice is not to approach them if you see them committing a crime, but to contact us straightaway on 999 instead.”

For rural crime prevention advice, please visit: Rural crime prevention | Northamptonshire Police (northants.police.uk)