A POLICE-LED operation took place in the region yesterday as part of a national drive to target commercial and large goods vehicles.

The focus of Operation Crassus was for police to gather intelligence, identify and recover stolen equipment, while the other agencies looked for vehicle defects.

Durham Police, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs were at Aycliffe services, off the A167, in County Durham.

Six vehicles were posted at three points within a few miles of the service station on the look-out for suspect commercial and heavy goods vehicles. Sergeant Phil Grieve said within the first hour they found two vehicles with defects and another running on red diesel.

He said: “The Government estimate that there is millions of pounds-worth of plant being stolen and never recovered, with much of it going out of the UK.

“We’re bringing in large goods vehicles, curtain siders and trailers carrying plant so we can check them over and identify them, but we don’t stop there.

“The teams are looking over the condition of the vehicles, checking insurance and general road worthiness.”