A SPECIALIST police team seized seven stolen vehicles and power tools of "significant value" during a raid at a north Hampshire farm.

The operation, which was codenamed Cunning, lasted for more than seven hours and saw 12 police officers from Basingstoke and Tadley search garages and courtyards at the property, near Kingsclere, last Saturday afternoon.

The officers - from the Basingstoke police vehicle crime team, the tactical team, the dog section and the roads policing unit, together with stolen vehicle examiners - descended on the farm at around 1.15pm for the surprise search.

It formed part of an ongoing police crackdown on vehicle crime in Hampshire.

Sergeant Rob Bunch, of Basingstoke police, told The Gazette that the operation had been carefully planned over a four-day period.

"The initial information came in about three weeks ago. Inquiries began and we located the scene, which was difficult because of where it was," he said.

"It then took me about four days to get the resources and expertise in place."

As a police spotter plane circled overhead, officers began searching the premises, and after two hours at the scene the officers had seized two stolen Minis, and were awaiting confirmation about another, which was later confirmed to have also been stolen.

By 7pm officers had found six stolen Minis - two parked outside, two being rebuilt in a garage and a further two locked in another garage.

A moped was also recovered from the scene, together with several tools including three disc cutters, welders, generators and engines.

Sgt Bunch said: "Finding one car would have been quite a success, so I am very pleased with how it went."

The Basingstoke police vehicle crime team was set up in June this year to crack down on car thieves, and offenders who steal from vehicles, through gathering intelligence, conducting operations, and promoting crime prevention.

According to Chief Inspector Chris Brown, of Basingstoke police, the team has helped in achieving a significant drop in these types of offences.

Although there were 681 thefts of and from vehicles in the borough between April and September this year, this is a 23 per cent lower figure than the 885 crimes committed in the same period in 2003.

"It's good to have a squad with this type of specialism and this successful operation was a direct result of the vehicle crime team having the expertise to delve deeper into this issue," he said.

"We will continue to do our best to detect and reduce vehicle crime, but the public also has a great influence on this. People must not leave valuables on display in their cars.

Anyone with information about stolen vehicles should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A 35-year-old man was arrested and bailed following Saturday's raid. Police inquiries about the vehicles are continuing.