News

TruckWatch, the truck crime reduction initiative, has opened a new division in order to combat Lancashire's reputation as a freight crime hotspot. The move comes as a 15-month freight crime crackdown by TruckPol comes to a head in the North West, with a network of criminals in Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside awaiting court decisions and sentences.

Between July and September, there were 30 recorded lorry crimes, including HGV and  load thefts, in Lancashire alone, and 57 similar incidents between January and August, accounting for over a third of incidents for the whole of the North West region. Detective Constable Andy Round, of TruckPol, suggests the area's vulnerability lies in its accessibility. "There are good transport motorway links in the area, lots of distribution centres and the Port of Liverpool, which makes it a target."

Stuart Bruce, an Inspector at Lancashire Police adds: "Freight crime can have an adverse effect on the economy, with businesses staying clear of hotspot areas." As a solution on 2 October, the North West launched its own TruckWatch scheme, which covers the Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside regions.

The business crime team from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce  will run the service in conjunction with TruckPol and the relevant police forces. A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police confirms that between 1-6 October, there have been no recorded road freight crimes in the region.