Land Rover dragged from muddy swamp as police probe Doncaster off-road crimes

Officers from South Yorkshire Police's Off Road Team found the Land Rover abandoned in a muddy swamp – and the driver is now facing prosecution after the vehicle was recovered.

The incident was one of many revealed by officers in a recent crime blitz on off-road and nuisance bikers.

A spokesman said: “This Land Rover driver must have removed his “You can go fast, I can go anywhere” sticker along with his number plates for fear of further embarrassment from getting stuck in this peat bog up on the moors.

"Yes he shouldn’t be there, yes a wall had been smashed over to get there, yes it is SSSI land and yes it has been recovered and the pending prosecution will be sent to Natural England who look after ancient protected moorland.

"The offence of criminal damage is aggravated when its on land such as this. This was very popular on all the green laning Facebook groups, as it really does give a bad name to the hobby.”

Officers also carried out patrols with the EnvironmentAgency along the river banks of Rotherham and Doncaster after reports of large groups of males removing fish illegally.

The spokesman said: “When challenged by bailiffs, they had offered violence. Oddly, we didn’t get the same reception, maybe the uniform, pava and taser, quelled any aggression.

"Anyway, four groups intercepted and dealt with for numerous offences. The Environment Agency will deal with the onward prosecutions.”

“Whilst on the banks, we also intercepted a couple of adult males on their pit bikes with compulsory JD Sport bags. They were dealt with accordingly.

“We visited several farms in the early evening before slapping the head torches on and taking into the woods up around Wath and Bolton after reports of quads in the River Dearne.

"After wetting our appetite with the earlier fishy patrols – some may recall we had to fish four stolen quads out a while back from the same place - we tried our luck. No bites that night but we will return.”