Police received a report from an off-duty officer last night (Nov 2) at 9:33pm of a suspicious vehicle carrying two quad bikes.
Officers quickly flooded the area looking to locate the vehicle and swiftly stopped the vehicle at 9:42pm on Northside Road, Workington.
A 31-year-old man from Pontefract was arrested last night on suspicion of receiving stolen goods and remains in police custody.
Officers have made a further arrest today (Nov 3) of a 32-year-old man from Workington on suspicion of burglary and remains in custody.
The two quad bikes recovered are believed to be those stolen from two farms reported earlier in the day from farms in the Keswick area.
As shown in recent days, police act upon information provided and will target those who commit crime in our rural communities.
Detectives charged two men on Tuesday (Nov 1) in an unrelated incident with handling stolen goods and were remanded in custody.
Cumbria Police work closely with partner agencies such the National Farmers Union to support rural communities.
NFU Cumbria County Chairman Ian Bowness said: “Sadly it is clear machinery and fuel theft is back on the rise, with farms being targeted.
“Rural crime has huge financial implications for farm businesses, and it also leaves farming families feeling vulnerable, intimidated, and in some cases directly threatened. This all comes at a time when the industry is already facing numerous other pressures, not least soaring production costs and challenging weather conditions.
“Thankfully, Cumbrian police officers know what to look out for and I’m grateful to the off-duty officer who spotted this crime in progress.
“I’d urge all farmers in the county to take the necessary precautions to prevent machinery theft impacting farm businesses, both financially and emotionally.”
A/Detective Inspector Calvin Greaves said: “This type of crime disrupts our communities and adversely affects the local economy.
“As well as reporting incidents such as suspicious vehicles carrying quad bikes or persons it’s important that simple and basic steps are taken to protect your property such as ensuring outbuildings are locked and that tools and machinery are kept out of sight.
“Installing tracking devices to property is also a great security measure and can help significantly within an investigation to locate the property. Markings or data tags are also really helpful so we can identify who the items belong to if found.
“We have Police Community Support Officers specially trained to undertake crime prevention surveys in rural locations. Farmers should book a survey now via 101 or contact us via the online reporting form - Report a Non-Emergency Crime/Incident Online - Cumbria Constabulary
"We will not tolerate anyone who seeks to commit such offences and we work closely with neighbouring police forces to ensure we are able to act quickly if information suggests that criminals from outside our county are targeting the area."