Pursuit leads to recovery of stolen machinery in Dorset

Police have published photos of the machinery in the hope of tracing the owners

A police pursuit of a suspicious car has resulted in the recovery of nearly £500,000-worth of stolen vehicles and machinery.

Tractors and power tools were found in raids in East Dorset after a stolen car with false number plates was seen on the A338 in Hampshire.

Police carried out raids on 14 July after tracing the insured driver.

Three men from East Dorset have been arrested and released under investigation.

Hampshire police followed the car which had been "driving at speed" on the A338 before "it made an abrupt turn, mounted a grass area and disappeared", Dorset Police said.

Searches at two rural locations in East Dorset revealed several vehicles reported stolen from Dorset and Essex, a large quantity of plant and agricultural machinery and a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) making machine.

Insp Lee Turner of the Dorset Rural Crime Team said: "We had 200 exhibits from big farm agricultural machinery down to hand tools.

"It was a sophisticated operation. It was only through experts that we were able to identify that they were stolen and cloned vehicles."

A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, theft and handling stolen goods, a 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft and handling stolen goods and an 82-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

Dorset Police is appealing for help locating the owners of some of the property, which is displayed on its website.