Milton Keynes digger stolen and then found in Bulgaria

SS Hire Ltd, which rented out the machinery in the first place, worked with Interpol and the police on the recovery

A digger worth £17,000 stolen from England has been recovered in Bulgaria.

Thames Valley Police said the hired Kubota excavator was stolen from Netherfield, Milton Keynes, at some point between 14 February and 1 March.

Authorities traced the machinery abroad as it had been fitted with a tracking chip and forensic markings.

Interpol collected the digger and has arranged for its return to the UK with support from national rural crime officers.

SS Hire Ltd was the company that rented out the machinery, the force said.

Rural crime taskforce lead Insp Stuart Hutchings, from Thames Valley Police, said: "The use of trackers and forensic markings made all the difference in recovering this stolen digger."

He said while officers have not been able to identify who stole the digger, getting it back in one piece was still a success.

"The cost of plant theft on companies cannot be underestimated, which is why it is one of the taskforce's top priorities," he added.