LOCAL policing teams have been provided with two new all terrain vehicles to help them cover hard to reach rural areas.

The bright red quad bikes have been equipped with police livery and blue lights as well as safety equipment including a high powered spotlight, first aid kit, maps and tow ropes.

They will be used to regularly patrol rural parts of Hitchin and Royston – both in North Hertfordshire.

Eight officers have been trained to drive the quad bikes and will be able to patrol hard to reach spots like woodland and countryside.

As well as providing a high visibility presence, the vehicles will be used to help find missing people and also for tackling rural crimes such as hare coursing and theft of tack and farming equipment.

North Herts Safer Neighbourhoods Inspector Danny Lawrence said: "These vehicles will be out and about on a regular basis, patrolling those areas that other vehicles don't have easy access to and offering reassurance to communities.

"It's great news for North Herts to be gaining these two additional vehicles which we believe will prove invaluable in our day to day business."

The Southern Rural Area Committee has provided some funding towards running costs of one of the quad bikes.

Quad bikes have already been used in other parts of the county, such as Buntingford.

They have been used successfully in rural policing as well as during the Olympics event at the White Water Centre in Lee Valley and at major music concerts at Knebworth.

Rural residents in North Hertfordshire are encouraged to participate in the Rural Intelligence Gathering System (RIGS).

Volunteers are issued with pagers so they can be in touch with each other and with their local policing teams to report any incidents including suspicious vehicles or people around their land.

Members include local farmers, landowners, stables and residents in more isolated locations.