Stripped down!

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West Midlands Police recently seized a £2,000 Brian James trailer (pictured above) which equipment thieves had removed all of the identification markings from.

The serial number, coupling number and axle number markings had all been destroyed by the persistent criminals but, despite their best efforts, the trailer was still identified by the police with a little help from TER and the manufacturers, Brian James.

Armed with only the year, the model and a little intelligence about the possible theft date, the police checked the trailer against the TER database and made a match against one which had been stolen from a farm in Herefordshire.

The registered owners subsequently attended in person and were able to prove that it was their trailer!

Boyd Howells of the West Midlands Police Stolen Vehicle Identification Department commented: "This illustrates the benefits of team work. In this case, West Midlands Police, TER and Brian James Trailers have combined to identify a stolen trailer and ensure its rightful return to its legal owners".

Trailers are particularly sought after by opportunist thieves - there are over 10,000 recorded as stolen on TER's database. Therefore, if you are buying a trailer, make sure you check it with TER!