Two due in court after booze is recovered following raid on Sunderland restaurant

At about 3.30am on Saturday, February 26, police were alerted to a break-in at Angelo’s Ristorante, in the Sunniside area of Sunderland.

Officers were sent to the scene and within just 11 minutes of the call coming in, two suspects had been arrested after they were spotted acting suspiciously in the area.

After further searches, police uncovered a bag containing £500 worth of alcohol spirits, which they believe had been stolen from the restaurant.

Two men – aged 45 and 32 – were arrested and have since been charged with burglary. They are due before South Tyneside Magistrates Court today.

Chief Inspector Nicola Wearing, of Northumbria Police, praised the swift response of all the officers involved.

She said: “This was a case of good old-fashioned policing as our officers responded to a report of a break-in and immediately set about searching the area.

“Within minutes, they came across two men who were acting suspiciously – and enquiries led us to believe that the two individuals may have been responsible for the burglary.

“To have two suspects in handcuffs just 11 minutes after the 999 call came in to us is an excellent outcome and I would like to thank everyone involved. Together, we are all committed and determined to bring effective justice against perpetrators.

“I was also pleased that we were also able to seize a large amount of suspected stolen alcohol that had been abandoned nearby, which we believe had been taken from the restaurant.

“We will continue to do everything we can to tackle this type of criminality and ensure burglars are taken off our streets. If you see anything suspicious in your community, or have been a victim of crime, always report it to us.”

Anyone who sees anything suspicious in their community is asked to report it to police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is happening, always ring 999.

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue telling Sunderland’s stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe - and click here to get a snapshot of the Echo’s news and sport to your inbox through our email newsletters.