Dorset Police Rural Crime unit returned stolen property to a farmer in the West Dorset area yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, September 26), following an investigation and subsequent arrest by the team.
The property was recovered whereby the owner was successfully identified by a unique marker on the asset.
The police said that without it, returning the property to its rightful owner would have proved to be far more challenging.
The unit is therefore calling on all farmers and machinery owners to mark equipment and tools to make it easier to identify in the event of a theft.
This can be as straightforward as using a carefully placed sticker or other such labelling, as serial numbers can often be removed by thieves in the process to facilitate inconspicuous resale.
Dorset Police Rural Crime
Meanwhile, two men have been convicted for foxhunting following a hearing heard in Weymouth Magistrates’ Court in Dorset on Friday, September 20.
The two defendants, a 23-year-old man from Exford in Somerset and a 34-year-old man from Blandford, were both found guilty of one count of hunting a wild mammal with dogs.
The charge related to an incident near Hod Hill in Blandford Forum that occurred on September 15, 2022, whereby a fox was pursued by hounds at a trail event led by the Portman Hunt.
The men, who occupied the position of huntsman and whipper-in respectively, were found guilty following a three-day trial and fined a total of £2,470.
Police constable, Sebastian Haggett, of the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team, said:
“We take all reports of crime against wildlife very seriously and we will seek to prosecute those individuals or groups who commit offences in our rural communities.
“I would like to extend my thanks to the witnesses who gave evidence in this trial as it shows the importance of providing statements and evidence in order to successfully prosecute those who break the law.”
