Police have seized over 70 vehicles linked to criminal activity and have issued a warning to people using the region to commit crimes.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police have taken 74 vehicles off the road of the Richmondshire area in the last month - disrupting criminals and keeping the roads safe for other drivers.

This policing operation comes as the police force has seized 413 vehicles in the same area since October 2023.

Police officers in the area have put the increase in seizing vehicles down to handheld technology rolled out to the Neighbourhood Policing and Response teams in Richmondshire last year, which can be used to identify vehicles linked to crime, as well as uninsured drivers.

Following the latest vehicles being seized, Inspector Martin Metcalfe, of North Yorkshire Police, has warned criminals about coming to Richmondshire.

He 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 a 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.”

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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 a 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.