CASES of car crime have plummeted in parts of rural North Yorkshire after three police officers used their spare time to snare two suspects.

Incidents of thefts from motor vehicles in the county's eastern area have been slashed by more than half, thanks to an off-duty operation inspired by community support officer PC Ray Thwaites when he was moved by a distraught victim of auto crime.

The Helmsley-based officer, who is a specially-trained evidence officer, and two colleagues, PC Steve Leach, also of Helmsley, and PC Martin Recchia, from Malton, aimed to catch two suspected cross-border criminals, whom they believed were travelling from Middlesbrough every other day to steal from cars.

The worst-hit areas included Hawnby, near Helmsley, and Hambleton.

In their free time, the trio spent a week from June 17 waiting for the two suspects to strike so they could gather audio and visual evidence.

The three officers concealed themselves in bushes, and eventually managed to catch two suspects on film at Moor Gate, north of Hawnby.

Uniformed officers were on standby and arrested the pair after a brief pursuit up the B1257 to Chop Gate.

DC Simon Caukwell took over the investigation after the pair had been arrested.

The thieves smashed the small quarter-light window of vehicles, lifted the door catch and then rummaged through the car boot, taking anything of value.

"There has been a dramatic reduction in auto crime across the whole of the eastern area of North Yorkshire since this pair were arrested," said PC Thwaites.

"It has decreased by roughly 60pc. I would say that it has virtually stamped out auto crime in rural areas.

"We received a lot of help from members of the public in spotting suspicious vehicles. If it wasn't for their assistance we would have struggled. People who live in the areas these men used to target are a lot happier, they've noticed the dramatic reduction."

PC Thwaites said there was now an auto crime detection rate, where the crimes are linked with an offender, of 13.9pc, whereas compared with the same period last year it was just 1.6pc.

Ryedale police commander Inspector Neil Burnett said: "The result that Ray Thwaites and his colleagues managed to achieve was absolutely fantastic.

"It was achieved through their local knowledge, and in particular PC Thwaites' enthusiasm, spending many hours researching into this inquiry."

Two men in their 20s have pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to steal from motor vehicles at Teesside Crown Court. The case has been adjourned.

Updated: 11:53 Wednesday, December 10, 2003