Three arrested in connection with spate of van thefts in Wiltshire

Paul JonesNovember 21, 20240 Comment0

THREE people have been arrested in connection with a series of thefts from vans across Wiltshire – including in Salisbury.

Police said thousands of pounds-worth of power tools had been stolen in the spate of raids on vehicles in the county.

However, at around 11.30pm on Tuesday night (November 19), Thames Valley Police alerted their counterparts in Wiltshire of “a vehicle of interest travelling into the county”.

Wiltshire Police officers located the vehicle, a black BMW, on the A345 Swan Road driving towards Pewsey at high speed.

Officers from Roads Policing, Armed Response, and the Dogs section performed a tactical stop on the vehicle, and three people in the vehicle wearing gloves and balaclavas were detained.

The vehicle was found to contain other number plates, as well as tools that could be used for theft, cleaning products, a fire extinguisher, and an axe.

Three men, all in their 20s – two from Buckinghamshire and one from East Drayton, London – were arrested on suspicion of going equipped and theft of a motor vehicle after the involved vehicle was identified as stolen. The driver was also arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.

Following further enquiries, the three were further arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal from motor vehicles between September 20 and November 12.

These offences are thought to have taken place across several force areas in the south of the country.

DI Darren Ambrose, who has been leading on the investigation, said: “This was excellent collaborative work and is a significant step in our investigation into van break-ins across the county.”

In recent weeks, police forces in Wiltshire and Dorset warned residents to be on their guard amid a spate of vehicle thefts.