UPDATE: Two men appear in court charged with burglary at Sunderland pub

Anthony Davison, 32, of no fixed abode, and Ian Smith, 31, of Ross Street, Sunderland appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside today, Thursday, April 28.

Northumbria Police attended the Willow Tree pub in Hylton Road shortly before 1.30am on Wednesday, April 27, in response to a tip-off about suspicious activity.

Police said they received reports about a group of men forcing their way into the pub who had then stolen alcohol, along with cash and other items.

A search of the surrounding area turned up some suspected stolen items that they believe to have been taken from the pub in the break-in.

Detective Sergeant Angela Lewis said: “This was a fantastic response with officers acting quickly and decisively following a report passed to us by a member of the public.

“I would like to thank the person who alerted us to the suspicious activity, and because they absolutely did the right thing, it allowed us to get officers to the scene within four minutes and seize crucial evidence.

“It was a brilliant piece of teamwork between officers and the public.”

The case against Davison and Smith was adjourned until 10am on Friday, August 12, and they were bailed to reappear at South Tyneside Magistrates Court.

No pleas were entered.

Anybody who sees anything suspicious in their area is asked to report it to police by using the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the website or by calling 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always ring 999.