More than 70 vehicles linked to offences taken off Richmondshire’s roads last month

Seventy-four vehicles have been taken off the roads of North Yorkshire Police’s Richmondshire area in a single month – disrupting criminals and keeping the roads safe.

It brings to a total of 413 the number of vehicles seized by officers in the area since October 2023.

Handheld technology rolled out to the Neighbourhood Policing and Response teams in Richmondshire last year can be used to identify vehicles linked to crime, as well as uninsured drivers.

Inspector Martin Metcalfe, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Here in Richmondshire we patrol some of the most remote and sparsely-populated communities in northern England.

“So seizing vehicles linked to crime is a very effective way of stopping criminals who travel here, before they’ve even had chance to commit an offence.

“With the use of this technology, which my team and other officers can access through a mobile phone, we can identify potential criminals and other illegal road users more quickly and on a wider scale.”

As well as patrolling larger roads such as the A66, officers focus on smaller rural routes known to be frequented by criminals.

Insp Metcalfe added: “Because we’re mostly a rural area, some criminals think we’re a soft target. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, cross-border criminals stand out to us and we heavily patrol the routes we know they use. On top of that, we’re using technology that helps us identify them in an instant and is very difficult to evade.

“So my message to anyone thinking of coming to Richmondshire to commit crime is very simple – the odds are really not in their favour and they’ll be making a huge mistake.”

Vehicles seized by police are taken to secure compounds where they are stored for a set amount of time. They may then be crushed and recycled if not claimed.