POLICE have taken part in an operation to disrupt cross border criminals.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police and local Rural Watch volunteers took part in the 14th Operation Checkpoint - along with colleagues from Cleveland, Durham, Northumbria, Lancashire and Cumbria - and visited farms and remote areas.

The operation took place overnight on Thursday and while no arrests were made, checks were conducted on more than 80 vehicles in North Yorkshire, and a number of fixed penalty notices were issued.

A suspicious vehicle was also spotted in the Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe and South Kilvington area, and seen driving through fields. It was stopped and searched, and although no offences were identified, its occupants may have been deterred, and the vehicle left the area.

In North Yorkshire, officers were joined by 39 Rural Watch volunteers, patrolling in 19 vehicles across the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas, including the northern border of North Yorkshire, the A1 and A19 corridors and into the Dales.

Sergeant Stuart Grainger said: “Operation Checkpoint has once again been successful, demonstrating the value of our volunteer Watch teams in locating criminals in our area and helping to prevent crimes from occurring.

“Our Watch teams are an invaluable asset, patrolling our rural areas across Hambleton, Richmondshire, and the Dales. As always we are grateful to them for their support.”

Superintendent Jason Dickson, of Cleveland Police, said: “County borders mean nothing to organised criminals who are intent on targeting our more remote communities. We saw a number of vehicles which could be involved in crime being taken out of circulation.”