POLICE DETAILS
West Mercia Police - Bishops Castle and Rural Neighbourhood

The area is experiencing a number of acquisitive rural crimes, these are mainly burglaries and thefts from rural outbuildings or theft of tools from work vans. 

 Articles are being placed in to local newspapers and social media regarding crime prevention.

Suspicious vehicles reported will be subject to intel checks and if suitable will be placed over social media  

Patrols will still continue throughout the winter months into spring around the current priority areas. 

**Update 13/02/18** Theft from works vans have stopped over December 2017 and January 2018. There was a spike in heating fuel thefts in the Clun and Bucknell areas during December. Local criminal gang targeted by local officers and Dyfed Powys Officers in order to disrupt.

**Update 21/04/18**  There has recently been a one off night of theft from van offences on the evening of 11^th April. During March and April there has been a spike in theft of motor vehicles and trailers in South Shropshire. Stock or box trailers have been the main type of trailers targeted. The vehicles targeted have been old 4x4's such as Land Rover's and Ford Rangers.

**Update 16/05/18** During March and April there was a spike in theft of motor vehicles and trailers in South Shropshire. Stock or box trailers have been the main type of trailers targeted. The vehicles targeted have been old 4x4's such as Land Rover's and Ford Rangers. On 8^th May two males from the West Mids were involved in a police pursuit following them stealing a trailer from a business on the outskirts of Craven Arms. The pursuit came to an end in Bridgnorth and the males arrested. The males were using an old Land Rover Freelander which had been seen involved in previous offences in the area and over the border in Wales.

**Update 4/6/18** There has been a spike in overnight burglary offences at businesses premises during the last 2 weeks in the Clun and Bishops Castle area, this includes 2 pubs and a vets. Increased overnight patrols by SNT and Ludlow Patrol officers in the area.

**Update 8/7/18** There has been a spike in burglaries in the Lydham area over the last month whereby outbuildings are being broken into and gardening power tools targetted. Potential suspect identified and enquiries ongoing.

**Update 15/08/18** We had an attempted daytime burglary in Bucknell on 11^th August, offenders have approached end of terrace property and attempted to gain entry via a secluded ground level window where the window was broken and latch moved. Thankfully no entry was gained. We advise locals to be vigilant of any suspicious person around the area. Hopefully this is a one off for the area.

There was a theft of a Ford Ranger from a farm near Chirbury in the early hours of 10^th August, thankfully this was found dumped by offenders some 10 miles away (possibly due to the poor mechanical state of the vehicle). These type of vehicles will continue to be a target by criminals as the engines on certain models are sort after.

A local offender to the Bishops Castle area has been charged with 4 theft offences and also bailed for a burglary offence is in court on the 21^st August.

**Update 1/09/18** Between 26th and 28th August there has been a number of theft from vans reported around the Bishops Castle Policing area and over the border on Dyfed Powys Police. Minimal damage caused by offenders as they take advantage of the poor locks fitted to the Ford Transits. A silver Vauxhall Insignia using false plates is believed to be the suspect vehicle involved.

**Update 3/10/18** There have been a series of overnight  burglaries in the Chirbury, Worthen and Hope area over the last 2 weeks. There is a suspect vehicle linked to the Chirbury offences that comes back to the West Mids. Enquiries ongoing.

**Update 13/10/18** A local offender to the Bishops Castle area has been charged with 4 theft offences and breach of a suspended sentence, he was sentenced to 7 months imprisonment on the 3^rd October.

The last month has seen a spike in outbuilding burglaries and thefts from gardens , all occurring overnight. This has predominantly been in the north of the Bishops Castle patch around Chirbury, Worthen and Hope. These offences often occur with offences either over the border on Dyfed Powys Police or further north on the Shrewsbury Rural patch.

Enquiries are ongoing to trace and arrest the driver / owner of a suspect vehicle who's occupants were caught attempting to break into a van in Chirbury on the same night of another theft and burglary in the village. The van is registered to the West Midlands. Unknown if it has been the same offender solely targeting the area at this time.

**Update 08/11/18** There has been an increase in daytime burglary offences where gardening power tools have been targetted. Suspect vehicle from one of the burglaries is a red Isuzu VRM L383CCP, driven by a male with a female passenger.

**Update 4/12/18** Recent series of overnight burglaries. Batteries and scrap metal being the main target. Dyfed Powys Police have shared information of a suspect involved in battery thefts along our border, made aware of the suspects vehicle should it be seen or trigger ANPR coming onto our area.

**Update 16/12/18** Bishops Castle officers took part in Operation Farmwatch with other colleagues from South Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Road Policing. The night time operation took place on the 11th, 12th and 13th December and targeting persons involved in rural crime. Officers concentrated around the main routes used by criminals coming over from the West Mids onto the South Shropshire area. 394 vehicles were stopped, there were 8 arrests and 6 vehicles seized. The aim of the operation was to prevent criminals operating in the more rural areas of the Force and followed on the success of a similar operation conducted in late November 2018. Further operations of this type are already being planned.

**Update 16/01/19** From November and the run up to Christmas there was a rise in rural thefts and burglaries. However since Christmas there have been no reports. A local offender from the Hope area is currently remanded and awaiting court a hearing for theft and burglary offences.

**Update 21/02/19** After a quiet period over the last month there has been a recent spike in thefts including a Land Rover Defender, Ifor Williams trailer and metal in the area around Bishops Castle. No burglaries reported over the last month.

**Update 12/03/19** Recent spate of daytime thefts from outbuilding and gardens. Suspect vehicle involved in these stopped on Dyfed Powys Police on 5/3/19 and occupants arrested, suspected stolen goods from our area located in the vehicle.

**Update 15/04/19** There has been a decline in reports of burglaries and thefts over the last month. However there has been a report of a dwelling burglary in Bishops Castle where vehicle keys were taken from within an insecure property and used to steal the vehicle, a white Vauxhall Corsa van index YA14BRF

**Update 26/05/19** There has been a recent spike in burglaries and thefts over the last month. The majority have been within Bishops Castle itself and occurring overnight/ in the early hours. The offenders have a MO whereby they commit one or two burglaries / thefts in the town and steal a vehicle. Two of the vehicles most recently taken from the town have hit ANPR in the early hours going towards the West Mids. On 21st May a male was arrested following a theft of vehicle on the Craven Arms section, male potentially linked into the local thefts around Bishops Castle.

**Update 16/06/19** There has been a reduction in reported burglaries and vehicle theft offences over the last month with the only report being on the 13^th June where a Isuzu D-Max pickup being stolen from a garage on Church St, Bishops Castle. On the 25^th May there were a number of burglaries and a theft of a van in and around Aston Munslow near Craven Arms. The owner of the van called police at the time it was stolen and officers were deployed to the main routes out of the area. Following an area search of the roads the stolen van was found abandoned along with stolen power tools from some of the burglaries. A male from Dudley was located nearby who could not give a reasonable account for his whereabouts and he was arrested on suspicion of theft.

**Update 25/06/19** On 19 and 20 June 2019, Operation Vulture was conducted in the area, targeting rural crime.  Over 100 vehicles were checked, over ten arrests were made and a Police helicopter was involved in a pursuit and search operation.

**Update 14/07/19 ** Operation Vulture, a major two-day crackdown on rural crime took place during June. We were targeting the main routes into our area from the West Midlands in order to disrupt the criminal gangs believed responsible for overnight burglaries and thefts. During the operation a suspected stolen vehicle was identified travelling into the area on cloned plates. The vehicle failed to stop for officers and a police helicopter was utilised in the pursuit which ended with the vehicle crashing into a hedge. All 5 occupants of the vehicle were arrested, a firearm and drugs were found in the nearby vicinity of the vehicle. Further Operations are being planned for the near future.

**Update 15/08/19** There has been a spike in overnight burglaries to sheds and outbuildings where power tools, tractor parts, diesel and scrap metal has been taken. Many of the properties are remote and within the vicinity of Bishops Castle suggesting the offender is local and has knowledge of the locations. The offences usually occur when there is poor weather overnight to help mask the offenders activities.