A quad bike, dozes of hedge trimmers and other stolen tools have been recovered by rural police officers in Dartford, Kent Police have said today (Thursday, February 9).
The force said that it was working to find the stolen quad, which had been reported missing on January 30, when officers from the rural taskforce (RTF) discovered it along with the other stolen items.
The RTF made enquiries and used specialist equipment to track the quad to a storage unit in Watling Street, Bean, where the vehicle was ultimately discovered.
Officers believe all the goods have been stolen and have identified several owners following reported burglaries in Kent and London.
Sgt. Darren Walshaw from the RTF said no arrests have yet been made, but the force is continuing to carry out enquiries and are in the process of identifying all the owners of the stolen items.
“Burglary is such an intrusive crime and costly for victims and we are pleased to have recovered this equipment and been able to get some of it back to the rightful owners,” he said.
“Kent has more farms and smallholdings than most other counties in the southeast and this unfortunately means there are opportunities for criminals intent on stealing high value items including tractors, quad bikes and horse boxes.
“It is always a good idea to mark your property clearly, so that if, in the unfortunate event, it gets stolen we can get it back to you a lot quicker.
“My team regularly provides farmers and other business-owners with advice on how they can protect their equipment, and we also help tackle a wide range of other issues including wildlife offences and fly-tipping.”
