Man Arrested in Twenty Minutes after Report of Van Theft in Hartlepool

Matrix officers located a stolen van and arrested a man in exactly twenty minutes this morning, Tuesday 31^st March.

Officers were called at 7:03am when a man was reported to have jumped into a van which had stopped at a gate and then drove off in it.

The man is reported to have dragged the passengers out of the van, which was stolen on Durham Street in Hartlepool, before making off across the town at speed and damaging multiple road signs and railings in the process.

Matrix officers including dog unit colleagues were immediately on scene on Westbrooke Avenue, where the vehicle crashed.

A man made off, leading officers to a foot pursuit for a short distance until he was detained at 7:23am. A quantity of zopiclone tablets were also seized.

A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking, driving whilst unfit through drugs, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, driving without insurance and possession of class C drugs.

He remains in police custody whilst enquiries continue.

Matrix Inspector Scott Pearson said: “Officers immediately deployed to this incident, leading to a foot pursuit which ended with a suspect being arrested and brought into police custody for questioning. Our enquiries are ongoing.”