Machinery seized as police target rural crime

The machinery is worth an estimated total of £60,000, officers say

Stolen plant machinery worth an estimated £60,000 has been seized by Staffordshire Police.

The excavator and a dumper truck, valued at about £30,000 each, were stolen from a construction site in Burton-on-Trent in February.

They were found on Saturday by officers searching an address near Burton Road in Stapenhill.

A spokesperson for the force said 80% of Staffordshire was rural, and that officers were focused on targeting those involved in rural crime - including agriculture, equine, wildlife and heritage offences.