Police called out to a white van driven onto Great North Run course in South Shields

Northumbria Police were called to a roundabout at The Nook, South Shields as a van had been driven onto the course and left abandoned on the roundabout.

The white van had graffiti wrote on the back and side and was left this morning as 60,000 runners were making their way along the 13.1-mile Great North Run route from Newcastle to South Shields

The writing on the van was covered up before it and officers quickly removed the van from the scene.

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It is not believed the van causes any harm to the public and officers are working hard to locate the driver.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “At around 10.55am today (Sunday), a van was left abandoned on the King George Road roundabout, part of the Great North Run route.

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“The van has been assessed and there is not believed to be any threat to race participants or the wider public.

“With the support of Great North Run organisers, the decision has been made to uplift the van after the conclusion of the race, to minimise any potential disruption.

“A number of enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and locate the driver.”

For more Great North Run content visit https://www.shotstv.com/watch/vod/52068646