Milton Keynes man arrested after Ford Transit tipper truck stolen from car park

A 33-year-old man from Newport Pagnell has been arrested after a van was stolen from a car park in Tring, Hertfordshire.

The stolen van was recovered just 20 minutes after it was reported to police and a 33-year-old man was subsequently arrested - all thanks to cross-border teamwork.

The Ford Transit tipper truck was taken from a car park on Rosebery Way in Tring at approximately 6.40pm on Wednesday, December 29, closely followed by a Vauxhall Vectra.

A witness told police they had seen the vehicles being driven in the direction of Long Marston, so Hertfordshire officers quickly made their way to the village to carry out an area search.

In the meantime, they requested assistance from colleagues across the border in Thames Valley Police, who already had a unit patrolling in the area.

Officers from both forces carried out a search and just before 7pm, the van was located by Thames Valley Police officers in Bletchley. It has since been returned to its registered owner.

A short time later, further officers recovered the abandoned Vauxhall near to the village of Drayton Parslow, on the outskirts of Milton Keynes.

It was later confirmed that it too had been previously stolen and was displaying false index plates.

A 33-year-old man from Newport Pagnell was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle. He has since been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

DC Thomas London, who is investigating the theft, said: “This incident is an excellent example of how cross-border partnership working and information sharing can lead to a timely and positive result.

“We’d like to thank our Thames Valley colleagues for their assistance, for their quick apprehension of the vehicle, and the arrest they made on our behalf. We are now progressing our enquiries."