POLICE have arrested several suspects after a 'spate' of quad bikes thefts from North Yorkshire towns.

North Yorkshire Police has reported that a number of quad bikes have been stolen from Selby, Scarborough, Craven, Thirsk, Hambleton and Richmondshire in recent weeks.

A number of investigations are currently ongoing and several arrests have been made, including one man today.

On Wednesday, October 12, a high-specification quad bike was reported stolen from a village near Richmondshire, and a man, in his 30s, from Darlington has been arrested on suspicion of stealing it. 

In a separate incident, on Tuesday morning, three men and a woman from West Yorkshire were also arrested after a number of quad bikes were stolen from Thirsk.

Among the stolen bikes from Richmondshire include Camouflage CF Moto quad bike stolen from Castle Bolton, between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning (ref 12220181848), and an orange KTM off-road motorbike, reported stolen in the early hours of Sunday from Brompton-on-Swale (ref 12220179968).

Sergeant Lauren Wilkinson, who patrols rural areas of Richmondshire, said: “I can’t stress enough how valuable information provided by the community is. So far, it has helped our investigations massively.

“These areas are being targeted because they are remote and sparsely populated.

“But that also means people who are there for the wrong reasons stand out.

“That’s where you can help. You might think someone is acting suspiciously in areas where vehicles or machinery are stored.

“Or you might notice unfamiliar vehicles, often containing more than one occupant, driving around slowly or in places they shouldn’t be.

“It sounds trivial – but time and time again, this sort of information is the final piece of the jigsaw and enables us to catch an offender.

“Your information can make our round-the-clock patrols, operations and investigations even more successful.”

Officers are encouraging owners to keep their off-road vehicles in locked buildings and consider additional security measures, such as CCTV or vehicle trackers.

If you have any information about these or other incidents or need to report suspicious behaviour, please call us immediately on 101 and select option 1 to speak to our force control room.

If you see a crime in progress, always dial 999.