MORE than 120 vehicles were stopped by North Yorkshire Police in one night this week.

Dozens of officers, along with special constables and community speedwatch groups took part in Operation Checkpoint on Tuesday, a major clampdown on travelling criminals.

Across North Yorkshire, 127 vehicles were stopped, three were seized for having no insurance, and 12 Traffic Offence Reports were issued for offences including no MOT, using a mobile phone while driving and worn tyres.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal, after tools and equipment were found in their van, and remained in custody at time of going to press, while one further arrest was made for criminal damage.

Sergeant Stuart Grainger, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Our Watch volunteers consistently show dedication, persistence and a real loyalty to their areas. Many of them have been helping their local police for many years now and they make a massive contribution to keeping rural crime down. They are a fantastic support to our local rural policing teams and for that they deserve our thanks and praise.”

Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, said: “The work volunteers do in helping police protect rural communities is not only fantastic to see, but really important, as you can see by these results.”

The event was the sixth this year, led by Durham Constabulary and including forces across the North of England, and further operations are expected later this year.