Night-time Drone Hunt Scares Off Suspects at Bircotes Building Site
Security guards at a construction site near Bircotes raised the alarm after spotting suspicious prowlers around 11:30pm on Sunday. Police quickly launched a drone that picked up the suspects from over a quarter of a mile away using infrared technology.
High-Tech Drone Forces Midnight Getaway
Realising they’d been caught on camera, the suspects bolted across open fields, making a frantic escape before police could close in. Investigations suggest the intruders were targeting plant machinery and fuel at the site near Snape Lane.
Sergeant Vince Saunders, Nottinghamshire Police’s drone chief pilot, said: “This is another great example of the power of our drone technology. The security guards suspected people lurking in the dark, but couldn’t see them. Our pilot tracked the suspects with infrared before swooping in for clearer images that will aid our investigation.”
Boosted Resources to Tackle Rural Crime
Nottinghamshire Police has ramped up efforts to cramp the style of rural criminals with:
- Marked vehicles equipped with searchlights
- Night vision and thermal imaging goggles
- Farm biosecurity kits
- Five off-road motorbikes
- Automatic number plate recognition cameras
- New off-road vehicle stingers
- Enhanced drone support 24/7 from police HQ
The force also works closely with the National Farmers’ Union to understand and tackle the impact of rural crime.
Inspector Hayley Crawford, Bassetlaw’s District Commander, said: “Criminals wrongly assume rural areas are soft targets. This case is proof they’re dead wrong. We’re bolstering our team and tech to give the best response possible to those who come here to commit crime.”
Anyone with information on the Bircotes case is urged to call 101 quoting incident 759 of April 2.
