TRAVELLING criminals beware - we're watching you!

That's the message from police in Craven and North Yorkshire who joined a hi-tech operation involving seven forces to target criminals moving stolen goods across the county.

Dubbed 'Operation Checkpoint' by police chiefs, the initiative was the third of its kind and started after it became clear earlier this year that organised gangs of thieves have been targetting rural areas.

Using advanced number plate recognition equipment in unmarked cars parked at strategic locations in the Skipton area, police pinpointed every car that passed over a period of several hours. The equipment can instantly analyse if the car belongs to a known criminal - and even if the car is not insured. Drivers flagged up by the equipment were then stopped.

The main aim was to stop known criminals as they moved stolen goods around, while officers also worked with officers from Trading Standards and Environmental Health to check on livestock being transported. A total of 51 vehicles were stopped in North Yorkshire during the operation - and three arrests were made.

Two of those arrests were in Skipton, where a man of 19 and a boy of 17 were allegedly trying to pass counterfeit banknotes in the town's shops. Another man was arrested who was wanted by police in West Yorkshire on suspicion of burglary, while cannabis worth £50 was also seized and two people were given fixed penalties.

Paul Kennedy, assistant chief constable for North Yorkshire, said: "This show of force sends a clear message to criminals that we are on the lookout for any kind of criminal activity and are all united with the aim of disrupting their behaviour and bringing them to justice, no matter where they choose to operate.

"We are determined to make our region a safer place where law-abiding people are not plagued by criminals.

"By working together across borders we can work smarter to share information to target criminals wherever they are from and wherever they are going."

The rural character of Craven and North Yorkshire has tempted criminals from outside the area - around 23 per cent of all crimes committed in the county are by criminals who live somewhere outside it, say police.

And the success of police operations such as Operation Checkpoint are partly indicated by the fact that rural crime in North Yorkshire has gone down year on year since 2009 - there were 9,081 reported crimes in 2008/09, falling to 6,281 in 2013/14

During the operation, seven vehicles were seized, six for no insurance and one on suspicion of having been used in a crime.