Man, 26, arrested on suspicion of burglary in Telford police raid
A man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary after police raided a Telford property and found stolen items, including a chainsaw, marked with SmartWater technology.
The 26-year-old was arrested yesterday when police stormed the address in Sutton Maddock.
The incident follows an investigation by Shifnal Safer Neighbourhood Team after two quadbikes stolen from Shifnal and Craven Arms were recovered in Wellington.
During the search of the address, suspected stolen items were recovered, including a chainsaw marked with forensic property-marking technology, SmartWater.
Officers will now be able to use the SmartWater tags to identify who the property belongs to.
The force said investigations began when its Local Policing Priorities Team stopped the owners of two quadbikes suspected to be stolen.
The owners had bought the vehicles in good faith but further inquiries found they had been stolen in separate burglaries in Shifnal and Craven Arms.
Impact
Police said the LPPT identified a suspect before Shifnal Safer Neighbourhood Team progressed the investigation which led to the arrest.
Chief Superintendent Tom Harding said: "This is absolutely fantastic work between Shifnal SNT and the LPPT to investigate and recover stolen property that has led to the arrest of an individual for burglary.
“The area we cover has relatively low levels of crime but crimes such as burglary can have a significant impact on our local communities, and while I’m pleased to say we have seen reductions in burglary that doesn’t mean we are complacent and it is a crime that continues to be a priority for us.
Mr Harding added: “Right across Shropshire there are We Don’t Buy Crime towns and villages where, thanks to support from our Police and Crime Commissioner and local towns and parish councils, we have been able to provide whole communities with a SmartWater property marking kit.
"The initiative not only sends out a strong message to criminals that crime prevention measures have been taken which will ultimately increase their chance of getting caught but it also means when we do recover property, if it has been marked and registered we can return it to the rightful owner.”
SmartWater kits have been encouraged and handed out to communities across the county and allow users to forensically mark their belongings so that they can be identified if they are stolen.
