Police have launched a rural crime operation to tackle offenders that are a nuisance to farmers and rural residents in the region. 

Officers from Cleveland Police and Northumbria Police took part in Operation Checkpoint over the weekend, which saw patrols at farms, on rural roads and in rivers and other watercourses across the Cleveland Police area.

Sixteen police officers, two rural crime volunteers and Fisheries Department colleagues carried out high visibility patrols on foot and by car on Saturday (November 16) night.

They visited 40 farms to offer reassurance to landowners and farmers that Cleveland Police is listening to their concerns and wants to work with them to drive down rural crime.

Officers stopped five vehicles of interest, with two drivers given words of advice regarding minor motoring offences.

Three vehicles made off from police in the East Cleveland area, with police confirming that enquiries are ongoing.

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A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said: "Officers also visited areas where we’ve received reports of antisocial behaviour from nuisance motorbikes and quads, as well as poaching activity – perhaps due to the extremely cold weather that night, they didn’t see or hear any motorbikes or quads!

"Over at the coast at Skinningrove, officers removed some gill netting they came across in the beck, removing the risk of death for creatures other than fish which may have swum into it.

"We will continue to run these operations and support our rural communities from crime and ASB which can blight the quality of life, affect farmers' livelihoods and cause harm to farm animals and wildlife."