More than 75 vehicles were stopped and 10 rural businesses and farms visited as part of a crackdown on rural crime.

Wiltshire Police's rural crime team undertook an operation targeting road networks connecting Wiltshire with Gloucestershire and Somerset.

The aim was to check vehicle identification and compliance, complete high-visibility patrols of road networks, and stop vehicles towing machinery to check for stolen agricultural machinery.

It resulted in 30 vehicle being stopped, as well as the 10 businesses being checked.

The action was taken in aid of the National Rural Crime Network’s Rural Crime Action Week, aiming to deter rural crime and provide crime prevention advice to the most rural communities across Wiltshire.

Police teams also engaged with rural communities to provide reassurance and understand their concerns in relation to rural crime.

Another operation saw the policing teams across the county joined by Wiltshire Council’s enforcement team to carry out waste carrier licence checks, with the aim to deter illegal waste disposal and fly-tipping.

This resulted in 45 vehicles being stopped over three days in six different locations, with 11 drivers being followed up by Wiltshire Council as a result of the stops.

Inspector Andy Lemon, force operational lead for rural crime, said: "The key focuses for our teams during the Rural Crime Action Week were to patrol key locations to deter hare coursing and poaching, scrap metal crime, fly-tipping, illegal waste carrying, and to increase visibility in our rural communities.

"The additional patrols and operations completed over the week complement the work Wiltshire Rural Crime Team do on a daily basis to disrupt rural crime and safeguard rural communities across Wiltshire.

"Since September 28, the team have made eight arrests and seized five vehicles in relation to alleged rural crime offences.

"We encourage members of rural communities to continue to work with us by reporting any suspicious activity to us using official reporting channels."

Wiltshire police and crime commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, added: “By taking a more joined-up approach to rural crime, I hope our communities have already begun to see the positive results in terms of action, disruptions, and arrests.

“Whether it's recreational crimes such as hare coursing, which damages crops and causes thousands of pounds of damage, or targeted thefts which can seriously impact rural businesses; through partnership working and intelligence led activity, our mission to disrupt these criminal gangs will be successful.”