Three men arrested in connection with courier van incidents in Derby

Three men have been arrested in connection with a number of incidents involving the thefts of vans used by couriers.

Officers stopped a vehicle in Teversal, Nottinghamshire, on Tuesday afternoon (16 November) and arrested three men from Derby aged 45, 25 and 19 in connection with a number of thefts of vans in the city.

The trio have been all been released on police bail as detectives continue their enquiries.

Since September there have been several incidents involving the theft of vans across Derbyshire including two in Derby on Monday 15 November.

Detective Sergeant Dan Goodman said: “With the boom in online shopping there has been a corresponding increase in the number of couriers required to help deliver all those items.

“And as we head towards Christmas those drivers are going to be even busier.

“However, criminals have also seen an opportunity as a result of the change in shopping habits and we have seen a series of incidents where couriers have had vans stolen.

“Officers are working on the investigation and liaising with courier firms to help prevent further incidents.

“Courier drivers are urged to be vigilant and ensure their vehicles are secure when they are away from them making deliveries and to report suspicious behaviour to the police on 101 – or if the incident is happening at that time call 999.”