Tipper truck torched and tractor taken in spate of thefts

A 31-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was arrested on Thursday, August 24, in connection with a report of theft of a white Nissan e-NV200 van from the driveway of an address in Martinstown on the evening of Wednesday, July 5.

He was further arrested in connection with an incident where a tipper truck was found on fire in Jubilee Close in Weymouth on the morning of Thursday, July 6.

The fire was extinguished and it was established that the vehicle had been reported stolen from an address in the Burton Bradstock area.

The man was also arrested in connection with the reported theft of a tractor in the Litton Cheney area on Wednesday, May 31. The tractor was reportedly later found damaged in the Maiden Newton area.

The final incident the man was detained for was in relation to the theft of a Range Rover from the Nottington Lane area near Weymouth on Friday, June 9.

The arrested man has now been charged with two counts of aggravated theft of a motor vehicle, theft of a motor vehicle, assault, theft and criminal damage and was due to appear at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Friday, August 25.

The charges follow joint work between Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team, the local neighbourhood policing teams and response officers.