Police find stolen JCB digger hidden in disused Doncaster farm buildings

Officers from South Yorkshire Police’s Off Road Bike Team managed to get the JCB back to its rightful owner hours after it was stolen by masked raiders and before it was ‘more than likely shipped off in a container to the continent.”

A spokesman said: “We were notified of a JCB digger that was stolen and seen heading into our county last week.

"As part of Rural Crime Action Week, we went for a snoop round on the bikes in the woods near to its last seen location.

"After riding over a few dumped mattresses, burnt out cars and other unwanted household contents, the digger was found secreted in some disused farm buildings near Armthorpe.

"A stolen plant trailer was also in the same spot as a bonus prize. The owners’ livery had already been removed - must have blown off?

"And identifying marks tampered with, within a few hours of being stolen.

"Both recovered to be reunited to their rightful owner, before they were more than likely shipped off in a container to the continent.

"There is big demand for plant machinery in Eastern Europe and the Middle East over the last few years.

"If you see plant machinery being moved at night and it doesn’t look quite right then give us a call.

"Offenders will more than likely be running on fake plates and a check on PNC will flag up to us that its worth a tug.

"Whats “not quite right we? hear you ask?

"Well, CCTV footage of these offenders for example showed them masked up on the M18.

"Still a few weeks until Halloween or maybe they were impersonating Fonejacker? You get the point.”

Anyone wanting to report crime, off-road bikers or other anti-social behaviour in Doncaster and across South Yorkshire can contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, you can report crime in confidence to independent charity CrimeStoppers through their UK call centre on 0800 555 111 where reports of crime can be made anonymously.