Two arrested after mobility scooter taken in suspected theft from block of flats in Hebburn

Police were scrambled after a concerned neighbour reported two men acting suspiciously in the Durham Court area of Hebburn at around 3.40pm on Saturday, May 22.

The caller claimed two men had entered a block of flats which is home to mainly older people, and taken a mobility scooter from the foyer.

Neighbourhood officers were dispatched to the area and arrested two men, aged 20 and 43, within a matter of minutes.

The mobility scooter was located soon after by officers nearby, and the suspects were found to be in possession of a set of keys for the vehicle.

Both men were taken into police custody and have since been released on bail as officers carry out enquires into the incident.

Inspector Denise Easdon of Northumbria Police praised both the officers and the member of the public who raised the alarm.

She said: “This was an outstanding outcome as a neighbour saw something that did not quite look right and passed that information on to us.

“That allowed us to deploy a team of officers to the scene within minutes, and cops on the ground then trusted their instinct and swiftly arrested two suspects nearby who were both found to be in possession of a set of scooter keys.

“We were also able to locate the suspected stolen mobility scooter nearby – which is a fantastic result for everyone involved. I’d like to thank the officers who attended for their excellent response.

“This outcome was only possible because that member of the public did the right thing, picked up the phone and contacted us immediately.

“Their quick actions allowed us to detain two suspected thieves and importantly recover the scooter, which is relied on by some of our most vulnerable members in our community.

“I hope this reassures those in our community that we are committed to taking swift and robust action against thieves. If you see anything suspicious, please always report it to us.”

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