THREE men have been charged following a theft from a lorry in West Linton.
Officers received a call at around 8.15am on Saturday, November 4 after a group were seen to be removing cigarettes from a delivery vehicle at the Co-op store in Main Street.
Police then received a report of a disturbance in Broomlee Crescent where members of the public had stopped a male acting suspiciously within a car.
To provide a quick response to these incidents, response officers from Peebles, Galashiels and Midlothian and a dog handler from Edinburgh quickly attended to support the investigation and the male in Broomlee Crescent was detained.
A robust search was then carried out resulting in a further male being detained near to the Gordon Arms pub on Dolphinton Road before a third male was found.
The men aged 19, 22 and 28 were all subsequently charged in connection with the theft and will appear at Selkirk Sheriff Court at a later date.
The 22-year-old was also charged with drugs possession.
Inspector Mike Bennett said: "Thanks to the vital assistance of the public and the support and speedy response of officers, three arrests were made in relation to this incident.
"Whenever crime occurs within the Scottish Borders, we will utilise all appropriate resources at our disposal to identify those responsible and bring them to justice."
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