Dorset Police news site

Officers have made arrests and recovered stolen property as part of a regional week of action to prevent, tackle and reduce rural crime.

During the week, which ran from Monday 8 September to Sunday 14 September 2025, Dorset officers teamed up with neighbouring forces from the Avon & Somerset and Wiltshire constabularies and participated in targeted operations and high-visibility patrols aimed at disrupting and preventing crime in rural communities.

Officers led a targeted operation to tackle illegal poaching and hare coursing, worked with partner agencies to tackle waste and environmental crime and delivered community engagement events to members of the public.

Officers’ work yielded the following results:

• Following enquiries and cross border work with Avon & Somerset officers, a 28-year-old man from the Ilchester area of Somerset was arrested in connection with several rural burglaries and thefts in the West Dorset area before being released on police bail.
• Officers recovered a quad bike reported as stolen from the Gillingham area. A 23-year-old woman from Wimborne Minster was arrested on suspicion of burglary and has been released on police bail as enquiries continue.
• Officers partook in a targeted operation with Wiltshire colleagues into illegal poaching and hare coursing, which saw them respond to reports of lamping in the North Dorset area, attempted fuel theft from a building site and a burglary.
• Officers visited equine stables in the North Dorset area where riders were provided with crime prevention advice and tack marking kits.
• PCSOs led engagement events with young farmers in Shaftesbury and at Kingston Maurward College near Dorchester with charities STARS and Paragon, exploring the issue of healthy relationships.
• Rural crime and traffic officers collaborated in a targeted operation with Dorset Council and the Environmental Agency in which a fly tipping site was identified.
• Several vehicles were stopped and seized after being suspected as stolen or connected to criminal activity, including a van, two quad bikes and a motorbike.
• A number of garden tools suspected as stolen were located inside a stopped vehicle.
• Traffic officers issued 11 fixed penalty notices for various offences, arrested a person for drug driving and seized a further vehicle where the driver could not provide a valid licence.

Inspector Adam Gill, of the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team, said: “We fully recognise the impact that crime has upon those living in our rural communities.

“The aim of this regional week of action was to strengthen our collaborative ties with neighbouring forces and local partners by sharing intelligence, proactively tackling all forms of rural crime and holding suspected offenders accountable for their actions.

“Our work this week led to arrests, new lines of enquiry and the seizure of suspected stolen vehicles and property.

“The team has also engaged positively with the public and stakeholders throughout the week and I am very proud of their achievements.

“I would like to reassure those living in our rural areas that we remain committed to protecting you and your property, listening to your concerns and driving down rural crime.”

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: “This week of action against rural crime highlights the true benefits of partnership working. The challenges facing Dorset’s rural areas are complex and tackling them requires more than policing alone.

“I want to thank every partner agency, officer, volunteer and member of police staff who contributed to making this week of action such a success. The outcomes speak for themselves—arrests were made, stolen property was recovered and, most importantly, our countryside was safeguarded from those seeking to harm it.

“Fighting rural crime is a priority of my Police and Crime Plan and I remain fully committed to supporting and strengthening Dorset’s rural communities, working alongside Dorset Police and our other partners to make our county a safe place to live, work and visit.”

Councillor Gill Taylor, of Dorset Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Housing (including Community Safety), said: “Our involvement in this week of action shows the value of partnership working to protect Dorset’s rural communities. By supporting targeted operations, we can address environmental offences like fly-tipping while also helping to disrupt wider criminal activity that threatens the safety and wellbeing of our residents.

“This collaborative approach ensures that those responsible are held to account and that our countryside remains a safe, clean, and welcoming place for everyone. We encourage residents and businesses to report concerns and work with us to keep Dorset’s rural areas protected.”

Consent Engagement Worker Kyra Reid, of STARS Dorset, said: “It was great to attend Kingston Maurward for Rural Crime Week. It’s really important that young people are aware of local services, especially those who live in rural areas. Attending events like this allows us to showcase our services and help reduce feelings of isolation among young people.”

Children and Young Person’s Violence Advocate Stephanie Dafter, of Paragon Dorset, said: “Research has shown that domestic abuse in rural areas can last up to 25 percent longer than in more urban areas, possibly because victims in rural areas may be less aware of the support available to them.

“We support young people who have been affected by domestic abuse, both in their own home and external relationships. We run workshops to help young people recognise ‘red flags’ for abusive behaviours and show them how to support someone they might know who is in an abusive relationship.

“We were invited by Dorset Police to deliver talks about our services and healthy relationships during Rural Crime Week, where we ran four sessions reaching around 50 young farmers. If you need support or information about the services we offer, please contact us via phone or email.”

If you have any information relating to issues affecting your community, you can report it by visiting the Dorset Police website.

For information about upcoming engagement events and the latest crime prevention advice, you can follow the Dorset Rural Crime Team on Facebook and Instagram.