Police on hunt for raiders in spree of thefts
THIEVES have been on a spree across the Whitby area, stealing trailers and quad bikes in a haul worth thousands of pounds.
Police have received reports of four thefts in Whitby, Dalehouse, Glaisdale and Commondale and they are urging homeowners and particuarly farmers to be vigilant.
PC Chris Bone of Whitby Police is urging anyone who sees anything suspicious to contact the police straight away and where possible, to obtain a registration number of the vehicle.
“This is a reminder to farmers to ensure their trailers, quads and plant are secure and the keys removed,” he said.
They struck twice at the end of last month on Thursday 25 February when, between 11pm on the Thursday and 6am on the Friday, an old 8ft by 6ft Ifor Williams trailer worth 600 was stolen from the Spital Bridge area of Whitby.
And at Dalehouse, another Ifor Williams quad bike trailer, registration NV03 NMK and worth 700, was stolen from a field.
They broke the padlock on a gate to gain entry and stole the trailer between 8pm on Thursday 25 February and 8.10am the next morning.
Police say a few days prior to the theft, a suspicious yellow pick-up vehicle had been seen in the village.
Then, on Saturday 27 February, thieves made off with a Red Honda quad bike from a farm in Glaisdale.
The TRX500 bike, registration YX59FNG, had just been used by the farmer who had left the keys in the ignition and parked it up in a shed.
A white Ford transit style van which was seen to make off at around the time of the theft by villagers in the Glaisdale area.
The final theft happened between 1pm and 1.45pm on Sunday 28 February at Commondale.
A green-coloured Grizzly quad bike worth 5,500 was stolen from an insecure shed.
Police say the raiders are believed to have used a farm gate as a kind of ramp to drive the vehicle onto a van or trailer.
PC Bone added police had received information from residents to say a suspicious vehicle had been seen in the area a couple of days before the quad was stolen.
Anyone who may have witnessed the thieves behaving suspiciously or the actual theft is being urged to contact Whitby Police on (0845) 6060247.
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Saturday 19 May 2012
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