Thief drives off in £30,000 JCB stolen from Northamptonshire village at 6am
Police appeal for information in battle against rural crime
A brazen thief drove off with an agricultural JCB parked on farmland near a Northamptonshire village.
Police have launched an appeal for any sightings of the JCB telehandler — worth around £30,000 — after it was stolen at about 6am yesterday (Thursday March 19).
A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police's rural crime team said: "The 57 plate JCB was stolen from the Scaldwell area and driven away from the scene towards the Brixworth or Holcot direction.
"We are asking for anybody who may have seen the vehicle, may have CCTV in that area that could assist us, or may have dashcam footage .. please get in touch with us by calling 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
Northamptonshire's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold has made tackling rural crime a priority since he was elected in 2016.
And last year a fresh campaign, led by the newly-appointed rural team leader Inspector Tracy Moore, was launched focusing on the theft of high-value farm machinery and vehicles which can often be stolen to order, dismantled and then sent abroad.
Mr Mold said: "Tackling rural crime was a key concern for residents and by working with rural communities and farmers and I have developed a rural crime strategy which has enabled me to increase policing patrols in our villages.
"We have also been engaging with local communities, listening to their concerns and offering advice and support on security measures. As a result of this work, we have recently seen a 30 per cent reduction in burglaries across our county."