Police are cracking down on thefts of horse boxes across Bassetlaw and wider Nottinghamshire

The force has introduced a simple but effective initiative to help stop thieves in their tracks.

Trailer owners across the county have been supplied with stickers designed to help highlight when a theft might be taking place.

The highly visible stickers can be placed on the side of trailers and say: ‘police – stop if seen moving between 10pm and 5am’.

As legitimate users of the boxes typically only use the trailers to transport horses and livestock during the day, seeing them being moved at night can be deemed suspicious.

The tamper-proof stickers are also extremely hard for offenders to remove quickly during a theft, so offer a handy way of alerting officers to criminal activity.

Chief Inspector Heather Maelor, Nottinghamshire Police’s rural crime lead, said: “The force has received several reports of these kind of thefts taking place, due to supply issues making these items very sought after.

“This has been recognised as an issue across the region, so our officers have been making extra efforts to combat this theft trend and deter criminals.

“As part of this, we’ve introduced the stickers, which can then be placed on horse boxes and are difficult for offenders to take off quickly.

“We know that most of these offences take place overnight, at a time when these trailers aren’t typically in use, so they can offer a simple but effective way of alerting officers and the wider public that a crime is taking place.”

Officers have been visiting farms to hand out the stickers and offer security advice, while they were also distributed at the force’s inaugural Rural Community Showcase at Newark Showground on April 16.

Caroline Henry, Nottinghamshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "We want to deter criminals from stealing horse boxes in the first place with these stickers as part of our efforts to tackle rural and wildlife crime.

"Part of our response is seeking to address the concerns that rural communities tell us about, which recently was concerns over a spate of horse box thefts.

"These stickers are a direct response to these concerns and demonstrate how we are continuing to listen and respond to residents' concerns."