Suspected burglar arrested after sharp-eyed residents raise the alarm

A suspected burglar was arrested within minutes after sharp-eyed residents called police.
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A number of witnesses called the police after spotting a man using a torch to look in a number of parked cars in the East Boldon Road area of Cleadon around 2.10am on Tuesday, June 14.

Officers found a garage at one of the properties had been left open and a search of the surrounding streets quickly located a man who matched witnesses' description.

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A 40-year-old man was subsequently arrested and has now been charged with a string of offences including burglary, attempted burglary and vehicle interference.

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He is due to appear at Newcastle Crown Count on July 13.

Detective Sergeant Angela Lewis thanked the witnesses whose calls had raised the alarm: “This was a fantastic response with officers acting quickly on the concerns of the community,” she said.

“Thanks to their information, we were able to get to the scene swiftly and locate a suspect.

The suspect is due to appear in court next month.The suspect is due to appear in court next month.
The suspect is due to appear in court next month.

“It was a brilliant piece of team work and information sharing between the public and our officers. As a result, we interviewed a man in custody and he has since been charged in connection with not only this incident, but a number of others committed in the area that we suspect he was involved in.

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“We would always encourage anybody who sees anything they believe to be suspicious to get in touch as soon as possible. That way, we can continue to work together to ensure our region remains as safe as it possibly can be.

“We will continue to work closely with the public, businesses and partners to ensure any burglars and thieves are identified, arrested and brought to justice.”

Det Sgt Lewis leads a dedicated burglary team based at Southwick Police Station which reviews every break-in across South Tyneside and Sunderland, working closely with neighbourhood officers to monitor trends and hotspots to assist in pursuing offenders.

Anybody who sees anything suspicious in their area is asked to report it by using the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the force website or by calling 101.

In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always ring 999.