Police arrest driver towing two reindeer in trailer on A1 in Hambleton

Police were surprised to find two reindeer in a trailer being towed by a suspect as they undertook a pre-Christmas roundup of wanted people.

Officers stopped a vehicle towing the animals on the A1(M) in Hambleton on Thursday 19 December.

The driver was one of 11 arrested across the day for a range of offences including drugs, assault and domestic violence.

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

Sergeant Savannah Knighton from North Yorkshire Police 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 locate people who are wanted, which keeps communities safe and ensures there really isn’t any hiding place for those who try to evade justice."

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