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Police in Rhuddlan, north Wales, arrested a man after stopping a Range Rover which was being driven without a licence or insurance, with it later being discovered it had been stolen

Police thought they were dealing with just another routine traffic stop - when it took an extra twist unfolded within minutes of pulling over a Range Rover.

Officers were responding to numerous calls from concerned members of the public in Rhuddlan, north Wales, who reported the SUV being driven erratically along local roads. When they finally tracked the vehicle down and brought it to a stop, it quickly emerged that the driver had neither a valid driving licence nor insurance for the car.

But the situation escalated dramatically as officers began seizing the vehicle, with new information quickly coming to light. It transpired that the Range Rover had actually been stolen earlier that morning from outside the owner’s home, police later revealed.

A police spokesman said: "We received several reports regarding the manner of driving and the presentation of the driver of this vehicle in the Denbighshire Coastal and Abergele area this morning.

"The vehicle was located and stopped in Rhuddlan. It was seized for having no driving licence or insurance. While this was taking place, we received a report from the owner of the vehicle stating that their vehicle had been stolen this morning from outside their home address.

"The driver of the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of aggravated unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle, theft, driving other than accordance with a driving licence, driving without insurance and drug driving.

He remains in police custody, North Wales Live reports. A spokesman added: "Police custody seems to be a familiar setting for this male, he was arrested last night for exactly the same offences in a different area of the force. The vehicle will now be reunited with its owner. We thank the members of the public who reported this vehicle to us, we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour on our roads."

Just weeks ago, detectives across North Wales and neighbouring Cheshire arrested two men following a string of burglaries and vehicle thefts in the early hours of a Tuesday morning, highlighting growing concerns about vehicle crime.

And earlier this month, reports from Reddit and local feeds indicate multiple instances of reckless or dangerous driving incidents involving police intervention and arrests across North Wales roads.

There has also been a dramatic rural crime case that shook the farming community, including some being convicted after stealing a herd of 14 prized cows from a barn in Anglesey while the owners were away, with officers later tracking CCTV and ANPR footage to recover the animals and detain suspects.