A CONVOY of police vehicles will tour rural north Hampshire in a bid to disrupt criminals.

The operation will take place on the evening of Friday, February 8, and will see the convoy travel to places such as Kingsclere, Overton, Tadley and Whitchurch.

The operation will include vehicle-stop checks and proactive patrols.

Those taking part include officers from Tadley and Whitchurch police stations, Countrywatch officers and Community Safety Patrol Officers from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Rural safer neighbourhoods team inspector Darren Rawlings said: “Feedback received from members of the rural community has shaped the way this operation is being run and it has been planned around common community priorities, such as tackling anti-social behaviour and using high-visibility patrols to help prevent burglaries and theft of valuable plant equipment.

“I want to make the rural area of Basingstoke a hostile place to commit crime. My team is committed to relentlessly pursuing offenders and bringing them to justice.”

PC Rich Baldwin, beat officer for Overton, said officers will be available for members of the public to speak to and discuss their concerns.