A TRACKING device helped police find a stolen vehicle in just nine minutes.

North Yorkshire Police say that officers in Whitby recovered a stolen quad bike within nine minutes of it being reported at 3.30am yesterday (December 20).

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A police spokesman said: "It had been fitted with a tracker, so we were alerted as soon as it had been taken. And thanks to the information being passed to us by the tracking company, we were able to locate it and return it to its rightful owner.

"If you have valuable equipment such as quad bikes that you rely on for work, it’s well worth considering how you can make them more of a difficult target for thieves.

"GPS trackers, immobilisers, motion detection CCTV, shed alarms and quad cages have prevented thieves from getting their hands on these vital bits of kit. So anything you can do to deter criminals from targeting you is well worth it.

"We’re currently carrying out enquiries to trace those who stole it.

"If you were in the Ruswarp area in the early hours of the morning around 3.30am and saw someone on a quad bike, or perhaps recorded some suspicious behaviour on your CCTV or doorbell cam, officers would be keen to hear from you. Please call 101, select option 1 and speak to our Force Control Room quoting reference 12220224240.

"In the meantime we will keep working with our Rural Watch members to stamp out rural crime, catch and prosecute offenders and keep out rural communities safe."