A TRAVELLER camp close to Cricklade was raided yesterday as CID officers uncovered a hoard of suspected stolen goods running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

At around noon a 25-strong team of CID, neighbourhood police and tri-force officers descended on Bournelake Residential site following information gleaned after a theft earlier this month in Cricklade.

On Sunday an area in Calne was targeted in a significant industrial theft, and 50 transformers believed to have been taken during the burglary have now been uncovered.

Sgt Martin Alvis, of the Cricklade neighbourhood policing team, lent support with his team of officers during the operation.

“Working in support of a criminal investigation being run by our colleagues in CID, officers from the local policing team, tri-forces officers and CID attended a location and discovered what we believe to be a significant amount of stolen property,” he said.

A 32-year-old woman was arrested during the operation on suspicion of conspiracy to burgle and has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “At midday on Wednesday a warrant under the Theft Act was executed at Bournelake Residential site, Cricklade.

“A team of over 25 officers including support from the the police dog section searched the site for stolen items.

“Fifty transformers were located and are believed to have been stolen during a burglary in Calne on Sunday, November 9.”

Investigating officer DI Mark Power said there would be a great deal of activity in the area in the next few days after removal of a huge haul.

“A large number of other property, vehicles and other items were recovered as a result of this warrant. The scale of this operation will require a great deal of police activity at the site over the coming days and we are working with surrounding forces, HMRC and other agencies to ascertain the owners of some of these items.

“Crime scene investigators and other specialist officers are thoroughly searching the area.

"Total value of the items recovered is estimated to run into many hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Anyone with information should contact Wiltshire Police on 101, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where information can be left anonymously.