Detectives tell driver to stay out of North Yorkshire after suspected stolen rural machinery is found in his van

A 41-year-old man from Durham was arrested on Thursday night after police pulled over a van on the A59 outside Knaresborough and found a generator, wacker plate, cutting saw and other plant machinery inside.

Work is ongoing to trace the owners of the equipment but it is suspected to have been taken from building sites in the local area.

The driver of the van was arrested on suspicion of theft and released on bail on Saturday evening under the conditions not to enter North Yorkshire.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “Building sites and compounds – particularly those in rural areas or isolated areas – are, by their nature, vulnerable and attractive targets for criminals.

“The equipment on building sites can be worth many thousands of pounds, which is why it’s so important to keep it safe.

"We want the message to go out to would-be thieves that targeting sites in York and North Yorkshire is simply not worth the risk.”

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