Suspected thieves accused of siphoning fuel from quarry machinery in Hebburn chased down by fleet-footed police officers

Northumbria Police were called to Red Barnes Quarry in Hebburn just after 2pm on Sunday, June 26, after a report of a theft in progress.

It was alleged that a group of men had entered the site and were siphoning fuel from the plant machinery.

The force said response officers supported by its Operations Department and Dog Section were deployed to the scene and quickly began an area search for their suspects.

A spokesperson said the PCs had two suspects who matched the description of the offenders in their sights within minutes – but the men ran off.

Fleet-footed officers gave chase, however, and swiftly caught up with the suspects, aged 41 and 35, placing them under arrest.

Quantities of suspected stolen fuel were also seized after they were found to have been discarded near the site.

Chief Inspector Nicola Wearing, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was an outstanding outcome which involved superb teamwork between a number of officers.

“Upon being alerted to the theft, we were able to get officers down to the scene and quite quickly we had two suspects – who matched the description of the offenders witnessed on CCTV – within our sights.

“It was then only a matter of time before we chased down two males, while colleagues from our Operations Department and Dog Section were able to help locate the suspected stolen fuel.

“Thefts such as this can have a significant impact on our communities and businesses, and I want to reiterate that it simply will not be tolerated. Thieves and burglars – who look to prey on others – can expect to be dealt with robustly and we will use every tactic at our disposal to seek effective justice.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in this job who contributed to this positive result. It was a real team effort and one I hope sends a reassuring message to all who live, work and visit the North East.”

One man who was arrested has been released on police bail. The other remains in police custody with enquiries ongoing.

Northumbria Police’s officer recruitment programme is now open – for more information, visit https://careers.