Police in Cheshire this week recovered a caravan that had been stolen from an address in Bedfordshire seven years ago.
Acting on information supplied by the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, officers from Cheshire Police’s Rural Crime Team went to an address in the Warrington area and conducted a detailed examination of a touring caravan they found there.
They soon discovered that, despite efforts mad to mask its identity, the Xplore caravan had been recorded stolen from an address in Bedfordshire in 2019.
The caravan, which is still worth £7300, was recovered, and arrangements are being made to return it to the relevant insurance company.
As nights start drawing in, van owners are likely to be thinking about caravan security and ensuring their tourers are protected. Potential options van owners could consider include caravan trackers, a wheel lock and a hitch lock.
In the case of this incident, police are still working to trace the chain of ownership up and to discover when the changes were made to the caravan’s security markings.
The police are also advising anyone who is thinking of buying a used caravan to study the vehicle’s 17-digit VIN number carefully, and compare it with what is in any paperwork. The number should be stamped on the chassis, etched into the windows. and printed on the interior door frame.
They say you should always view the vehicle at the seller’s home or an official storage site, never at a remote location such as a motorway service station. Check for any evidence of tampering, and ask for the existing owner’s official photo ID, such as a passport or a driving licence, to confirm the name and address match any CRiS registration document. Also avoid cash only deals and untraceable bank transfers.
The recovery in Cheshire comes just over a week after police in Doncaster managed to recover a caravan within 24 hours its being stolen.
The recovery of the Compass Rallye caravan was one of a number the South Yorkshire Police’s Doncaster South Neighbourhood Policing Team have made in the past few weeks, as part of their patrols in the Rossington and Wadworth areas.
They also recovered a motorbike which had been stolen in a robbery a few days earlier.
Both the motorbike and the caravan have been returned to their owners, and enquires are ongoing to locate the offenders.
The incidents follow the recent recovery of a stolen caravan by Dorset Police. The tourer was recovered after just three days and has been returned to its rightful owner.
Lead image: Cheshire Police
If you’ve enjoyed reading this, why not get the latest news, reviews and features delivered direct to your door or inbox every month. Take advantage of our brilliant Practical Caravan magazine SUBSCRIBERS’ OFFER and SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER for regular weekly updates on all things caravan related.
