A BRADFORD man was arrested and the van he was driving was seized near Skipton in connection with rural thefts.

The 33-year-old was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, theft of a motor vehicle, driving whilst disqualified, and conspiracy to steal.

It was in connection to offences including the theft of an all-terrain vehicle from the Pateley Bridge area last month.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 2, officers from North Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Group stopped a Ford Transit van on the A629 western bypass at Skipton. In addition to acting on intelligence about the vehicle, they noticed that its model did not match the vehicle registered with its registration number.

The van, which contained a set of vehicle ramps inside, had previously been reported stolen from the Dewsbury area.

The arrested man was taken into custody, and subsequently released under investigation while enquiries continue.