£80,000 of construction machinery recovered by police
The items have been linked back to Kent
Rural Engagement Officers with Essex Police have recovered over £80,000 worth of stolen construction machinery from an industrial estate in Nazeing.
They were acting on intelligence when officers visited the estate yesterday morning, before the items were found and located back to being stolen from businesses in Kent around a year ago.
Seven disc-cutters, a wacker plate, three breakers and a Leica rotating laser scanner were among the items found.
Essex Police say their investigation's continuing.
PC Joe McCarthy says:
“The machinery was stolen from several businesses in Kent around a year ago.
“The owner of the unit where we located the machinery is not a suspect as he only took over the business recently.
“Happily, we have already been able to trace most of the owners and arrange to return their machinery.
“The theft of agricultural and construction equipment is extremely expensive and disruptive to businesses. Not only can insurance premiums rise as a result, machinery is costly to replace and the business can be harmed by delays. There may also be additional costs to repair damage caused by thieves.
“So, I would urge anyone who knows anything about the theft of agricultural or construction equipment or, indeed, any crime or criminal activity to report it to us so we can target our operational activity.
“And please, if you own such equipment, consider forensic marking, to make it harder to sell and easier to return.”