The haul of equipment is the latest success in a regulator crackdown at Harwich and Tilbury port to locate and recover stolen machinery being exported to Europe.

A dumper, two mini-diggers and a telehandler were located in a trailer. They had all been reported stolen in the past fortnight from sites in South Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Greater Manchester.

A 29-year-old man from Poland was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and is currently in custody.

Sergeant Callum Barber says: “We know stolen construction machinery and vehicles are exported to Europe through our ports, including Harwich.

“So we make regular visits to inspect and search lorries and their trailers for stolen vehicles and machinery.

“We gathered a lot of information and we’ll be following up those leads, too.Our investigation continues.”

Officers checked 210 HGVs during the operation and also spoke to drivers about vehicle security and keeping their loads safe.