OFFICERS at Thames Valley Police are the first in the country to use this rugged all-terrain vehicle to tackle rural crime.

The high-performance Kubota RTVX900, which costs about £10,000, is designed to transport officers to areas that were previously impossible to access in the fight against the rural crime in the UK.

Prime Minister and MP for Witney David Cameron backed the force’s latest move to tackle rural crime.

He said: “In rural areas like my constituency our forces face unique challenges and this vehicle will be a great asset to Thames Valley Police as they focus their attention on tackling rural crime.”

Kubota is based in Thame and the vehicle with a top speed of 47mph is powered by a 21.6HP, three-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine.

The new addition to the force was revealed yesterday at Carterton police station in Burford Road.

Supt Kath Lowe, Local Police Area Commander of Cherwell and West Oxfordshire, said: “Crime in rural parts of Oxfordshire can range from theft of agricultural and construction plant and machinery, to wildlife crimes like hare coursing and poaching, or the theft of diesel and saddle stones.

“A significant number of crimes we deal with out of Carterton are in rural areas.

“However, a serious issue for us has been getting to crime scenes.”