Two quad bikes were recovered within hours of their thefts from North Yorkshire today – thanks to vehicle trackers.
Just before 2am today, Thursday 30 April 2020, a farmer in a rural area between Harrogate and Otley was woken by a notification from their tracker service – and heard the sound of quads being driven away. They contacted police. At around the same time, North Yorkshire Police also received a call from the tracker service about stolen quads.
The two stolen quad bikes, both red and black Hondas, were tracked heading towards Bradford, and officers immediately passed the details to West Yorkshire Police colleagues.
At 2.50am, guided by the vehicle tracker, officers located one of the stolen quads abandoned in the Bolton Woods area of Bradford.
A few hours later, the second stolen quad was also found, in the Yeadon area.
Both have now been returned to their rightful owner.
Officers from North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce are investigating the theft of both quads, and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference 12200071719 – or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police said last night’s incident highlighted the importance of good quality quad bike security measures – particularly vehicle trackers.
Inspector Matt Hagen, of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said:
Unfortunately, quad bikes in remote, rural areas are often targeted by thieves.
Quite apart from its monetary value, the loss of a quad can have a really significant impact on a farm or other rural business – particularly in these difficult times, when farmers really cannot afford any further disruption.
The good news is security measures, in particular vehicle trackers, can be extremely effective. In this case, we have managed to recover two stolen quad bikes the very same night they were stolen, thanks to trackers.
