Northumbria Police arrested two teenager burglars following an early-morning break-in at a community centre.
At about 04:45 hours this morning, Wednesday 10th February, Northumbria Police received a report of a break-in at Brinkburn Community Centre on Harton Lane, South Shields.
The 999 call from a member of the public, reported they had seen a group of males with balaclavas and tools at the side of the building, seemingly about to break in.
Officers were on the scene within three minutes, and as they looked for anything suspicious, they quickly spotted footprints in the snow leading to a drainpipe.
Believing the burglars had scaled it, the officers received support from the National Police Air Service (NPAS) and found further footprints on the roof, which they followed.
As the helicopter began to leave the scene, two teenagers decided to break cover and run straight into the arms of police who had contained the area.
Two males, aged 15 and 14, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and are in police custody.
Chief Inspector Nicola Wearing, of Northumbria Police, said:
“This was a brilliant all-round response from officers, our Dog Section and the brilliant team at NPAS.
“We were alerted to the break-in by a member of the public who saw something suspicious and absolutely did the right thing by informing us.
“What followed was a swift response, with cops on the scene within three minutes, and the heavy snowfall certainly played into our hands – and proved a significant stumbling block for our suspected intruders.
“With eyes on the ground and above from the helicopter, it was only a matter of time before we were able to detain two teenage suspects who will now be interviewed in connection with the incident.
“I’d like to thank everybody who was involved in this early-morning job – it was a fantastic piece of teamwork which has enabled us to achieve a quick and positive outcome.”
Stay up-to-date with more news from the front line by subscribing to our free newsletter. Subscribe by clicking HERE.
Got a story? Send your videos and pictures to contact@emergency-services.news You can also find us on Twitter @ES_News_
Before you go...
In a world where mainstream media narratives often eclipse the harsh realities faced by our valiant men and women in the emergency services, we at Emergency Services News have made it our mission to bring these overlooked stories into the spotlight.
Our team is exclusively composed of dedicated volunteers, all veterans of the emergency services. They commit their time and expertise to this cause, not for financial gain, but out of a shared passion to honour their colleagues and dispel the misconceptions that mainstream media perpetuates.
Despite running at a loss, we persist. We believe in the importance of our mission - to elevate the dignity and courage of those who risk their lives for us every single day. But we need your help.
Your donation directly sustains ESN, enabling the continuous delivery of authentic, critical stories often overlooked by mainstream media. We deeply appreciate your support, which enables us to further our mission of delivering important, underreported stories. Thank you for standing with us and thank you for supporting our team of former emergency services & HM Forces personnel.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
