A £25,000 JCB has been recovered after being stolen in Cornwall at the end of February last year.

A 3.5-tonne JCB loader has been successfully recovered after a check made with The Equipment Register (TER), Europe’s largest database of stolen plant and equipment, identified it as having been stolen from the Devon and Cornwall police force area.

The JCB 535-125 (12.5 metre) telescopic handler was flagged as stolen property after a dealer in large plant machinery saw it listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Upon checking its details with TER, the dealer was informed that the JCB matched a reported theft.

The dealer promptly provided details of the sale, including its alleged location in the Hayle area of Cornwall, to TER who immediately relayed this information to Devon and Cornwall Police, enabling them to instigate a successful recovery operation of the loader.

The case highlights a growing trend of criminals using online marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace, to trade stolen farming and construction trailers and other equipment.

Earlier this year, TER reported that more than one in ten horseboxes listed for sale on online marketplaces were either registered as stolen or had tampered identity plates. The Equipment Register database currently holds 1.85-million items, including 850,000 trailers and 250,000 horseboxes. The register also has access to other external databases to help provide a comprehensive history of vehicles and items.

Treve Jenkyn, data director at TER, commented: “This case serves as a good example of how critical it is for buyers to verify the legitimacy of machinery and trailers before purchasing. Thanks to the diligence of the dealer and our collaboration with Devon and Cornwall Police, this stolen JCB was successfully recovered for the owner. We urge buyers to always check with TER before making any purchase to help combat the illegal trade of stolen goods.”