FIVE men have been arrested for alleged poaching offences after a major operation by police in North Yorkshire.

The men were seen acting suspiciously on farmland in the south of the county at about 2.15pm on Saturday, January 25. A farmer saw men with dogs and a 4X4 vehicle driving on his land near Drax, and called the police.

At one point, police said the vehicle was driven at the farmer’s own vehicle, causing him to take evasive action.

A spokesman said considerable damage was caused to fields and crops in the area, including a newly-planted rapeseed field.

Police deployed several vehicles and a National Police Air Service helicopter to the area immediately, at which time the suspicious vehicle drove off.

Within an hour, at about 3.30pm, the vehicle was spotted by police on the A1M southbound near Barnsdale Bar in South Yorkshire. It was eventually stopped by officers at junction 37 and the five men in the vehicle were arrested.

They were detained on suspicion of affray and criminal damage to crops and farmland. The men are aged between 27 and 49 and are from across the country including Gloucestershire, Somerset and Bristol.

They have been released under investigation while police carry out further inquiries into the incident and find out what the men were doing on the land.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicle they were in was seized by police as it was untaxed. Four dogs inside were taken to a kennels to be looked after while the investigation continues.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “Driving over farmland can cause major damage to crops, resulting in significant financial losses for farmers. This is often linked to illegal poaching. Any such reports will be treated extremely seriously by the force.

“As part of a police operation called Galileo which was launched last year we work with forces nationally to ensure poaching is tackled in a co-ordinated way.

“We share information with other forces working across county boundaries.

“Many offenders travel long distances to North Yorkshire to carry out poaching offences, and we do find that people arrested are frequently from other force areas.”

As part of Operation Galileo the police are calling on residents to help them stop and track down offenders. They are asking farmers and residents to note down and report any suspicious activity.

The spokesman added: “We particularly want to hear information such as unusual vehicle movements, particularly in remote, rural areas.

“Even if the information doesn’t lead to an immediate response, every piece of intelligence helps the police build up a picture and could prove vital in bringing criminals to justice.

"We would request that to pass on information or to discuss any concerns members of the public can call 101, but in any emergency, they need to dial 999."