Sunderland public praised for role in apprehending suspected thief

Shortly after 5.30pm on Friday (March 18) officers were called to Halfords on Trimdon Street, Sunderland, after it was reported a man had entered the store carrying bolt cutters.

It was reported the man then attempted to steal an angle grinder but made off empty-handed after staff were alerted to his activity.

A short time later, police were alerted to suspicious activity in the Low Row area of the city centre – after staff at the nearby Travelodge saw a man attempting to steal a moped that was chained up outside.

The suspected thief was spooked as staff approached, quickly running away and heading in the direction of Panns Bank.

Officers were deployed and aided by the public who had spotted a suspect, they gave chase along the banks of the River Wear and apprehended an 18-year-old-man who was also found to be in possession of a suspected amphetamine.

The teenager was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

Chief Inspector Nicola Wearing said: “This was a fantastic response from everybody involved. It was a case of good old-fashioned policing as they worked with witnesses to swiftly identify a suspect and successfully detain him after a foot chase.

“Both incidents saw members of the public rightly alert officers about the attempted thefts, and because of their detailed and real-time accounts, we were able to quickly hone in on our target over a mile away.

“From there, it was only a matter of time before we caught up with a suspect, who is due to appear in court charged with various offences.

“I would like to thank all the officers involved for their outstanding determination to detain a suspected criminal as well as the community whose quick information helped us deploy resources to where we needed them.

“We would continue to ask anybody who sees anything suspicious to report it. By working together we can make sure our region remains as safe as it possibly can be to live, work and visit.”

SEE ALSO: Sunderland hospital patient fired homophobic abuse at police officer in front of children

An 18-year-old man has since been charged with attempted theft of a motor vehicle, attempted shoplifting and possession of a Class B drug.

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