Police raid village home as part of crackdown
A LEICESTERSHIRE address is among four properties raided by police as part of a crime crackdown in rural communities in two counties.
Three people have been questioned as part of the cross-border investigation.
Leicestershire Police executed the warrant last Friday (May 13) at an address in Hose, near Melton, as part of wider efforts with Nottinghamshire Police.
The coordinated effort between the two forces saw a number of stolen items recovered from the addresses, including power tools, car parts and a horse trailer.
No arrests were made at the Hose address, but officers in Nottinghamshire confirmed they had made arrests on their patch.
These followed the execution of warrants at properties in Occupation Lane in East Bridgford, Wodehouse Avenue in Gotham, and Devon Road in Newark.
In a statement, the force said a 34-year-old man was arrested in Gotham on suspicion of conspiracy to steal and possession of criminal property, while another 34-year-old man was arrested in Newark address on suspicion of conspiracy to steal and possession of offensive weapons.
Both have since been released on bail.
Police also confirmed that a 23-yearold man connected to the East Bridgford address was arrested after he handed himself into police on Monday on suspicion of conspiracy to steal and theft.
Speaking after the warrants took place, Sergeant Brett Price, who oversaw the warrants, praised the joint efforts of both forces.
He said: “Together with our colleagues at Leicestershire Police, we targeted a number of addresses in what has proved to be a very successful operation.
“We have recovered a significant number of items and made three arrests, which we hope shows communities just how seriously we take reports of rural crime.
“These high-value thefts can be absolutely devastating for businesses by causing stress and even, in some circumstances, contributing to financial hardship.
“We want to do everything we can to prevent this happening and will continue our work in rural areas to stop criminals in their tracks.”
They have already raised £4,745, with large donations pledged from about 10 businesses as well.
Shane said: “Don’t think you’re less manly for feeling the way you do and if you need help or to talk. Bottling things up is never good.
“We don’t ask for help, but it doesn’t make you any less of a person than anyone else. Don’t put on a front.
“It’s a lot closer to home than you think.
“You think it’s never going to happen to you and you feel sympathy when you read about it, but when it happens so close to home you don’t expect it.
“As soon as it happened, we all said we wanted to do something to raise money for Mind and Movember and this seemed like a fitting challenge. We’re just normal lads and none of us are especially athletic - we play football on a Sunday.
“For all of us, it’s a challenge and it’s a tough one. We did Snowdon a week ago and it really hit home how hard it’s going to be.”
Mitchell said: “It’s hard to people to speak out, especially lads, as there’s a bit of a stigma. There were lots of people Jack could’ve talked to, but he felt like he couldn’t.
“He had lots of people out there friends, family and colleagues. There’s always someone who’ll listen. Even if they can’t solve it, just being there and listening can help.”
The challenge will be on August 6 and the group hopes to raise at least £5,000 for the two causes and they are already close to their target.
Mitchell added: “We’ve never done trekking as we’d rather be playing football, so this is new to all of us. I’ve been going to the gym to prepare as much as I can.
“I think it’s been good for me doing this as it gives me something positive to focus on for a good cause in memory of Jack. I’ve done Snowdon and it was a bit of a reality check.”
Anyone wanting to donate to the challenge can do so by visiting the Just Giving page.