Man who went on the run from police for over a year hands himself in

Matthew Ford had been evading police for more than 12 months after being wanted on prison recall for breaching the terms of his licence.

Despite knowing that he was wanted, Ford - of the Wingate area of Durham – had seemingly gone to ground in a bid to avoid arrest.

That prompted a public appeal for information on Friday (January 29) as officers asked communities across Northumbria and beyond to get in touch if they knew his whereabouts.

On Monday, Ford handed himself in to police and has since been escorted back to prison.

Detective Inspector Iain Saville, of Northumbria Police, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of the appeal and would like to thank members of the public who got in touch to pass on intelligence about Ford’s location.

“Their decision to pick up the phone, along with the significant police operation set up to act on that information, helped us paint a clearer picture as to where he was residing.

“In the end, Ford handed himself in and he now finds himself back behind bars following the breach of his licence conditions.

“I’d like to thank everybody who got in touch and who shared the appeal last week – it is hugely appreciated and has directly helped us in achieving this positive outcome.”

Ford was interviewed in connection with a number of undetected offences across Northumbria for which he remains under investigation.

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