TWO Bradford men have been arrested as part of a police inquiry into the theft of a quad bike in North Yorkshire.

Skipton police are calling on quad bike owners to be vigilant after a spate of "cross-border" thefts in the Craven district.

The warning follows the arrest of a 34-year-old man from Gildersome and two men aged 19 and 21 from Bradford on suspicion of theft.

They were caught after police spotted a quad bike being driven in suspicious circumstances and followed closely by a Volkswagen Golf along the A629 dual carriageway towards Steeton.

The driver of the quad then drove the wrong way down the Kildwick to Steeton carriageway with its lights switched off before the officer lost sight of it.

Officers from West Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit later located the quad abandoned in Lorne Street, East Bowling, Bradford and the car was stopped in Broadstone Way, Holme Wood. The quad bike is believed to have been stolen from Skipton.

PCSO Sally Breen, a Skipton-based Rural Taskforce Officer, said: “High-profile operations and ongoing work by the Rural Taskforce is helping make Craven a no-go area for cross-border criminals – but we need residents’ assistance to make it even safer.

“I'm urging anyone who owns a Land Rover or a quad bike – and particularly if they live in a rural area – to take extra steps to ensure their vehicles are left safe and secure."

They are being asked to always leave their vehicle locked and alarmed if possible, consider fitting an after-market approved immobiliser, park in a locked garage or other secure area, or in a well-lit open space if not.

Never leave the vehicle’s keys in the ignition, in the same outbuilding as the vehicle, or near a front door inside the house, consider fitting a transponder-based security marking system and tracker device and have the vehicle’s windows etched with the vehicle identification number

Any suspicious activity, people should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.