North Yorkshire Police detain 11 people in force-wide operation - and take two reindeer home!

The 11 arrests took place across the county, with officers visiting homes in the York, Harrogate and Northallerton areas.

A vehicle towing a trailer was also stopped on the A1(M) in Hambleton, which turned out to be transporting the two reindeer. The driver was arrested on a warrant.

The arrests were in connection with separate cases and a range of offences, including drugs, assault and domestic violence.

Some of the suspects were wanted by police in connection with active investigations and others were wanted by the courts after failing to attend legal proceedings.

A wanted woman was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer as she was being detained yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police’s Intelligence Unit led the operation, named Op Influence.

Sergeant Savannah Knighton said: “Everyone we found yesterday has been taken into custody… except the reindeer, who were both transported home safely.

“This was a pre-Christmas push to locate and detain a large number of wanted suspects, and teams across the force worked together with excellent results.

“However, we work around the clock 365 days of the year to located people who are wanted, which keeps communities safe and ensures there really isn’t any hiding place for those who try to evade justice.”