Suspected burglar arrested after break in at Costa and Domino's in Houghton

A suspected burglar remains in police custody following early-morning break ins at two businesses in Houghton.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

At about 5.30am today (Wednesday, October 21) officers were contacted by a member of the public who had heard a suspicious banging noise in the centre of Houghton.

It was reported the noise sounded like somebody was smashing something up with a hammer – with the disturbance so loud that it had awoken neighbours.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Officers quickly arrived at the scene and discovered a break-in had occurred at Dominos, off Newbottle Street.

Break in at Costa Coffee and Domino's Pizza, Newbottle Street, Houghton le SpringBreak in at Costa Coffee and Domino's Pizza, Newbottle Street, Houghton le Spring
Break in at Costa Coffee and Domino's Pizza, Newbottle Street, Houghton le Spring

Police Dog Raven picked up a scent and found a till that had been smashed up along with a quantity of cash.

A search of the area was carried out and police soon spotted an intruder lurking near Costa on the same street, which had also been broken into.

The 20-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of burglary and remains in police custody.

Read More
Four police officers violently attacked in two separate incidents in Sunderland ...
Smashed door at Domino's Pizza break in, Newbottle Street, Houghton le SpringSmashed door at Domino's Pizza break in, Newbottle Street, Houghton le Spring
Smashed door at Domino's Pizza break in, Newbottle Street, Houghton le Spring
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Detective Sergeant Chris Raper-Smith, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was an excellent bit of policing between a number of officers – from the response cops first on the scene to our fantastic Operations Department and Dog Section who helped to recover the suspected stolen property.

“The alert member of the public absolutely did the right thing by contacting us after hearing something suspicious, and his decision allowed us to deploy officers to the area within a matter of minutes.

“It was then a case of good old-fashioned police work as we discovered the break-in at Dominos and Costa – and then quickly arrested a suspect nearby.

“Police Dog Raven also played a big part in leading officers directly to a smashed up till nearby, and this once again highlights the valuable role that our Dog Section plays in helping to detect crime and locate suspects.

There was also a break in at neighbouring Costa Coffee.There was also a break in at neighbouring Costa Coffee.
There was also a break in at neighbouring Costa Coffee.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The man arrested remains in police custody and will continue to assist officers with their enquiries throughout the day. In the meantime, we are asking anybody who saw anything suspicious in that area in the early hours of this morning to get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the force’s website or by calling 101 quoting log 105 211020.

A Costa Coffee spokesperson, said: “The incident was reported to the police and we’re pleased to confirm that the store has since re-opened.”

While a spokesperson for Domino's said: “All colleagues were off site at the time and the store is open and operating as normal. Unfortunately, we are unable to comment further as this issue is currently the subject of a police investigation.”

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.