People have been reminded of the need for caravan insurance after a gang of criminals was caught in recent weeks.

For three years the group had been involved in a number of caravan thefts, stealing around £970,000-worth of vehicles.

However, thanks to the Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS), Wiltshire Police were able to make the necessary arrests and prevent anyone else falling victim to their crimes.

"The evidence for the court focused on around 50 offences relating to caravan theft but there were many other offences we considered and did not pursue due to insufficient evidence," commented Detective Inspector Matt Davey.

He said that although the investigation first focused on Wiltshire, it soon became evident that the gang was operating up and down the UK.

The National Caravan Council (NCC) scheme gives motorhome owners the chance to have their own unique identification number, which is then etched into the vehicle's window.

"CRiS is a crucial component of Police Force investigations into leisure vehicle crime," comments John Lally, director-general of the NCC.

HPI, which is involved in making sure used cars are legitimate, also emphasised the need for vehicles to be registered under the scheme.

Its industry relations director Alan Bishop highlighted that the police often use information supplied by the organisation to target criminals.

He continued: "We would advise anyone looking to buy a caravan to carry out a number of essential checks beforehand.

"Undertaking a CRiS check will uncover any discrepancies such as outstanding finance, if it has been previously 'written off' by an insurer or any discrepancy in keeper registration."

CRiS checks can be undertaken by HPI for as little as £14.95, although all caravans manufactured since 1992 by NCC members are already recorded on the CRiS database.