CRIMINALS travelling to Abergavenny to carry out metal and fuel thefts were targeted in a police operation last week.

Officers went to ten different locations in the area last Wednesday to crack down on the rising trend of metal and fuel thefts and rural burglaries.

They stopped more than 200 cars and seized three cars for illegal use of red diesel and no insurance.

Officers from Abergavenny Police Station along with officers from the Force Support Group, Roads Policing Units and other agencies such as Trading Standards and the Environment Agency joined forces for the operation.

Units were set up at all main routes in and out of Abergavenny involving 28 officers who carried out checks and searches on vehicles and their drivers when necessary.

Officers checked vehicles for any scrap metal and carried out random tests on vehicles to check for the illegal use and theft of red diesel.

Members of the Neighbourhood Policing Team also spoke to local residents about the operation and to gain information on any suspicious vehicles they might have seen in the area.

Officers used cars fitted with the Automatic Number Plate Recognition System.

This led to a truck being stopped by officers on the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road at around 10am.

Officers found a car seat for the two-month-old baby inside the truck was not safe and issued a fixed penalty ticket.

A Ford Transit van carrying scrap was also stopped by officers and the driver was reported by the Environment Agency for not having a waste carrier's licence.

To report any suspicious activity, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.