AN operation to crack down on the theft of vehicles and anti-social behaviour in Thurrock saw six vehicles seized and three arrests made.

The operation featured 16 special constables and four regular officers using nine marked and unmarked cars and two motorcycles to target areas where thefts have been reported and vehicles have been driven and ridden irresponsibly on and off-road.

One of the arrests took place after officers spotted a man riding a motorcycle without number plates. The rider attempted to speed away and rode along a pavement before dumping his helmet on the road as he tried to take off.

He was then boxed in by two unmarked police cars so jumped off the bike and ran into the middle of a park football match. He was unable to out-run officers and arrested, with a substantial quantity of drugs found in his bag.

After being taken into custody, it was later discovered the man arrested was using his brother's name and had absconded from an open prison in June 2021.

Other successes saw the recovery of a Range Rover reported stolen the previous day, and an arrest after a car with cloned number plates was pulled over at Lakeside.

The operation was organised by Acting Special Sergeant Andy Hartigan, who was pleased with the outcomes.

He said: "We've had a successful day with the three arrests we've made for the theft of vehicles, and the stolen vehicles we've recovered, including the Range Rover which was found after a tracker activation.

"We've also issued a number of community warnings around off-road bikes and the use of quads off-road as anti-social and irresponsible driving has a massive impact on the community. It puts the safety of people using public spaces at risk and usually these motorcycles are unlicensed and uninsured.

"Today showed how serious we are about tackling vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour and dealing with the individuals responsible for it."