Warning over spate of quad bike thefts

POLICE ARE urging owners of quad bikes to review their security arrangements after a spate of thefts in North Yorkshire.

The vehicles are among the items most likely to be stolen in rural areas and North Yorkshire Police is advising owners to consider protecting them using wheel clamps or locking posts, tracking devices and immobiliser systems.

PCSO Sally Breen, of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: “It’s important for quad bike owners to invest some time and money on quality security measures rather than to go through the inconvenience and upset of having your vehicle stolen.”

The latest thefts have taken place at a farm in Great Broughton, a rural property in Heyshaw, near Pateley Bridge, and an address in Womersley, near Selby. Meanwhile, two Honda quad bikes which had been stolen from a farm in Hortonin-Ribblesdale were recovered and will be returned to their owner after a dramatic police chase in North Yorkshire. It began when officers spotted two quad bikes travelling together on the A65 near Settle in suspicious circumstances at 2.20am on Monday. A police stinger was deployed near Gargrave, stopping one of the quads, but the rider got on the other quad and sped off. Following a pursuit, a 15-yearold boy from Bradford was arrested. He was released under investigation while enquiries continue.