Hucknall: Police stinger used to stop van and two people arrested after heavy plant thefts

Officers were first called at 8.20am on Thursday, May 12 after a site manager turned up for work on Watnall Road and found a dumper truck had been stolen.

A second call was received shortly after 1pm after a skylift and electric scooter was taken from a property on Papplewick Lane.

A white transit van was seen leaving the scene of both incidents.

Following enquiries, officers came across a suspect vehicle which they believed was being driven on cloned plates, following information received from ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) technology.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and subsequently used a stinger to bring it to a halt along the A57 at Worksop.

A 40-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman were then arrested on suspicion of theft and taken in custody for questioning.

Inspector Hayley Crawford, district commander for Bassetlaw, said: “This was a great bit of work by officers which really highlights how they work together as a team and goes to show how important ANPR technology is in fighting crime.

“These arrests demonstrate how seriously we take reports of theft.

"We particularly understand the impact heavy plant thefts can have on victims, both in terms of the financial impact and also how much being without machinery can disrupt daily activities.

“We want to warn anyone who commits crime in Nottinghamshire that we will track down offenders and ensure that they are appropriately dealt with.”