A DRAMATIC police chase by foot, car, dog and helicopter resulted in the arrest of two men and a teenage boy on Monday after a failed attempt to steal a van and a digger from an address in Boundstone Road, Farnham.

Police received a call shortly before 2pm on January 15 reporting that two people wearing balaclavas were attempting to steal a Ford Transit van towing a trailer with a digger on. The van was driven a short distance, then abandoned by the two men who were picked up by a second vehicle, a BMW, following behind.

Just after 2.15pm, police officers then spotted a different vehicle, a Suzuki Vitara, on Oxenden Road in Tongham with three occupants wearing balaclavas, and set off in pursuit as it made its way to Seale just south of the A31.

The three suspects left the Suzuki on Totford Lane but the officers continued their pursuit on foot through thick mud and were assisted by a police helicopter and dog support.

Two men, both 26, and a teenage boy aged 17, were eventually tracked down in a field where they were detained shortly before 3.15pm and arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and traffic offences. They have since been released under investigation.

• It comes just over a week after three diggers were stolen from a site in Farnborough Road and driven across the grounds of Farnham Heath End and William Cobbett schools overnight on January 4/5, smashing through a fence dividing the two schools.

Police are also believed to have responded to a further attempted theft of a digger in progress in Compton Way on Tuesday evening. The owner of the digger reportedly responded to an alarm and found a suspicious transit van parked nearby and called the police.

“Helicopter, dogs, loads of police there in minutes,” posted a friend on Facebook. “Found them hiding in bushes!! Police say fourth attempted plant theft in 24 hours.”

A spokesman for Surrey Police said: “Countryside and rural crime impacts residents across Surrey.

“To reduce the chances of plant and agricultural equipment being stolen, we recommend that you don’t keep them in a prominent place, you lock any keys to vehicles or plant machinery away in a safe when it’s not in use and that you should consider using wheel clamps or ground anchors.

“Residents of Surrey who live in rural areas should sign up to CountryWatch which is a free-to-join message alert system helping rural communities to prevent, disrupt and detect criminal activity through www.intheknow.commu

nity/ and selecting the ’Farming and Other Rural Issues’ option.

“You can also visit our website for more information which can be found at www.surrey.police.uk/advice/protect-your-neighbourhood/rural-crime/ .”