20 people charged with machinery thefts

Twenty people have been charged in connection with the large-scale theft of plant hire machinery worth about £1m. 

The 14 men and six women were all arrested in 2025 as part of an investigation by Cheshire Police into the theft of equipment - mainly mechanical diggers - from hire companies across the UK. 

The force previously said the investigation involved an alleged conspiracy spanning from September 2020 to February 2025. 

The allegations involved using false identities in order to hire out plant equipment "with no intent of ever returning the machines," it added. 

The reported thefts took place in Cheshire, and Staffordshire as well as surrounding areas.