POLICE officers in North Yorkshire took part in a major operation focusing on rural criminals.

Operation Checkpoint is a multi-force operation targeting travelling offenders who operate between counties in the North of England and Scotland.

The crackdown involved North Yorkshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire and Northumbria.

Checkpoint was run overnight from Wednesday into Thursday, with the different forces sharing intelligence and co-operating throughout.

The operation has been run more than a dozen times with Cumbria Constabulary being the lead force this time.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said 35 vehicles were stopped in the county, with three vehicles seized under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act for no insurance.

There were no arrests made in the county, he added.

The spokesman also said: “The efforts of neighbouring forces took the total number of vehicles stopped to 137. Neighbouring forces also made three arrests – on suspicion of drug driving, drink driving and burglary. We also summoned two people for poaching offences.”

Inspector Jon Grainge, of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: “We’re really happy with how the joint operation went.

"We had more than 30 volunteers out with us, who supported our officers on the night. Their efforts are fundamental in helping us deter and catch people, who are thinking of crossing the borders to commit crime.”

Inspector Jo Fawcett, of Cumbria Police, said: “By working together, Cumbria Constabulary and neighbouring forces improve our ability to stop offending by travelling criminals before the offences take place. We have an excellent relationship with neighbouring forces which is only enhanced through operations such as Checkpoint.”