AN 18 year-old man from Ilton was arrested last week as part of an ongoing operation to tackle cross border crime.

Operation Mackintosh, run by Devon and Cornwall police, is targeting Somerset based suspects for crimes committed in East Devon.

The Ilton man, who has not been named, is due to appear at Exeter Magistrates court next week charged with three counts of theft of a motor vehicle, an offence of taking fuel without paying, two burglary charges and two charges of theft of a caravan.

The charges follow the execution of a warrant under operation Mackintosh at 10 am on January 22, by officers from Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall police.

In recent weeks at least half a dozen suspects from Somerset have been arrested and items seized by police as part of the ongoing operation, run by detectives in Exeter.