POLICE are cracking down on travelling criminals in a new initiative in North Yorkshire.

Traffic officers are teaming up with the task force to launch the month-long operation.

They will concentrate on routes into the county from both the North-East and West Yorkshire in order to disrupt any criminal activity and to provide a fast response to any reported incidents.

The police are particularly concerned about three types of crime that are happening in the target area.

They include rural burglaries affecting pubs and churches; the theft of all-terrain quad bikes which are popular with farmers; and house burglaries with the aim of stealing keys to the owners' expensive cars.

The man leading the operation, Harrogate-based Inspector Mike Woodhall, said: "Many of these offences are being committed by criminals who come in from surrounding areas and, with the onset of winter nights, there is the potential for them to increase."

The police will be putting extra patrols on the roads, using high-performance vehicles and experienced officers.

Each vehicle will have a dog on board in case suspects try to run away.

Detectives are also hoping that the public will play their part in the crackdown by reporting anything suspicious as soon as they see or here it.

The results of the operation will be evaluated after a month when a decision will be taken about whether it will continue.