NORTH EAST WARNING - further to THAT text mesage - developments!!

[Sugarplum Furry]

Lillivvy, I was actually thinking along similar lines. Not cloning, but what if there is an organised gang with, say, three of four sets of the same vehicles. If that is their set up, with the deliberate intention of confusing all of us horse owners then dammit, it's working!!

But...with reports of horses going missing in Devon and Greater Manchester, the vehicles being reported in the areas obviously won't carry a horse, so there has to be a trailer or lorry lurking in the background somewhere nearby. We need people to report seeing anything like that parked up suspiciously in out of the way laybys and so on.

 

[cruise91]

Im in herts and we have had numerous horses being stolen and the night before or daytime before a white van and a red land cruiser has been seen by the fields taking photos. Everybody seems to be saying that it is impossible for these guys to be all around the country. The thing is that if these theives are getting extra money for the stealing to order they WILL travel the country to get that particular "type" of ordered horse. They have been seen more recently at patchetts EC and other local EC's. Luckily these two crooks are being spotted more frequently and owners are being more vigilant. But i think that its a shame that it takes a mass spread of panic texts to shake up owners to remember that the threat of horse theft is always around, no matter what part of the country you are in!

 

[Janette]

They MUST know that the whole country is on alert for a red 4X4 and a white van.......... So why havn't they changed their vehicles to make things easier for them selves??? IT's all very alarming isn't it.

 

[jewel]

what i can't understand is if the police has the reg number. they would log it into there computer and these vehicle must go pass a police car somewhere and the police in car system would pick up the reg.

 

[Kenzo]

I was told this evening that they have been spotted in Balne/Pollington and there was an attempt to steal 2 horses from Rawcliffe last night (East Yorkshire Area) if anyone is wondering where those villages are. Don't want to panic anyone but I think at the momement perhaps some people are linking sightings of similar vans/trailers and linking them to the texts that are going round, but having said that I wanted to mention it just in case it is the same group going about. Baring in mind there are quite a lot of tinker sites around this area and are always seeing tinkers transporting their trotters about as they race them quite often on the lanes....so please be on your guard but at the same time it could be a case of the latter.

 

[YorksG]

It may well be that more than one of each type of vehicle has the same plates, it is pretty easy to get hold of a white van after all. If the number plates are copies why not copy more than once? It seems that this would be the best way to avoid being caught. It is also a way to get people to say, 'this must be rubbish, they can't be everywhere at once'

 

[herondell]

i belive there going out the country not a well known fair my partner is a romany gypsy and always with his familys going to appleby he has said people are very quick to accuse us gypsys when ever horses are stollen we have horses stollen too who ever these easten europeans are and there not gypsys they are very clever people that are traverling the country,what i want to know is way are the police not looking at dover or other places they can get them out the country

 

[Dolcé]

Please don't think that because your horse won't box for you it is safe. If you ever watch the dealers at the auctions they never have a problem getting one into a box, they don't expect to have and the horses just seem to do as they are told. I was thinking earlier most of mine would be ok for that reason but Im really not so sure, I reckon if they wanted them they would get them in!

 

[MDJO]

[ QUOTE ]
In relation to the text re: white van and red landcruiser, I've had another - these men have been seen in Cramlington and tried to take a mare and foal from scaffold mill but were disturbed - 27 May - be careful as they have pit bull type dogs with them

Report any sightings to the police.

(Sisters YO got a call back from our local police saying original sightings of these men was DERBYSHIRE but yes, they are travelling...)

[/ QUOTE ]

Please stay vigilant but please do not panic. I know the owner of the mare and foal and it is not certain that these men were involved at all. Someone did let the mare and foal out of their field however, it is not known if it was potential thieves or just children (the area is very urban with lots of children in the surrounding area)
I am in the North East and am trying to get to the bottom of exactly where and when these men were allegedly spotted in cramlington and what they were doing. Will keep you posted if i hear anything concrete

 

[ProperBo]

Just to say I have seen one of these men and the van at my stables!!!
They are "supposed" to be in yorkshire last seen on sunday!!!!

 

[ProperBo]

2 horses were stolen from bacup!!

we hav th reg numbers too. My friend is in the police and is dealing with the info I have!
xx

better safe than sorry!

 

[em21xx]

my god, that text certainly gets around, so much so that its getting me confused. where are the main crimes happening???

 

[squirtlysmum]

Vehicles can only be traced to registered owners if they are registered to somebody! Sadly the criminal element are very aware and as a result that they use unregistered vehicles otherwise it would be much simpler to trace vehicles!!

 

[ladyt25]

Hmm, well I keep reading these warning emails but have not myself received any texts and have not heard of any horses disappearing in this area (I am in Yorkshire - Leeds). What I don't get is the relevance of these people taking pictures? What's would be the reasoning behind that? If they are stealing to order - who for? It's a heck of a lot of horses that seem to be going missing and a big risk to take seeing as people are forever saying on this site how hard it is to sell horses at the mo! Why is none of this on the news if so many police/areas seem to know about it?

Is there any pattern in the type/breed of horse that is being stolen? Also, if people have seen these men taking pics then why has noone taken pictures of these men? Surely most of us have mobile phones these days. if you see them, take a pic of them yourself, post that around and send to the police etc.

Just seems all a bit odd to me. certainly if there is truth behind it then it is very worrying. I do wonder if when appleby fair is over these sightings will stop?!

 

[Violet]

I've been informed of a sighting of two well tanned men on bicycles looking at horses in a field along the A16 in North Lincolnshire today (Sunday 1 June).
There is also a travellers camp which has been set up at the local livestock market recently. These travellers are thought to be on their way to Appleby.