Two arrested and machete seized after alleged failed cooker burglary in South Shields

Two men have been arrested after raiders were spotted stealing a cooker in a botched burglary.
The cooker and machete found by policeThe cooker and machete found by police
The cooker and machete found by police

Northumbria Police said the break-in happened at a vacant address in the Temple Park area of South Shields on Sunday, March 21, with officers alerted by an eagle-eyed neighbour who spotted two men acting suspiciously.

Police said the witness saw lights going on and off at the address shortly after 9.15pm – and moments later two men were seen carrying an oven down the road.

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Officers were deployed to the scene and were on hand within five minutes of the neighbour raising the alarm.

The cookerThe cooker
The cooker

Two men – aged 36 and 50 – were detained nearby and arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary. They remain in custody and are assisting detectives with their investigation.

Officers were able to retrieve the suspected stolen oven, while police said one of the men arrested was also found to be in possession of a large machete, which was seized.

Chief Inspector Nicola Wearing, of Northumbria Police, praised the work of the officers involved and thanked the witness for helping the force ensure a speedy response.

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She said: “This was a brilliant response with officers at the scene within a matter of minutes.

The macheteThe machete
The machete

“Using the valuable information passed over by the neighbour, we were swiftly able to locate two suspects and the stolen oven – and those detained became even hotter under the collar when we discovered a large machete too.

“This once again highlights how the public are our eyes and ears, and I’d like to thank the witness who contacted police after seeing something that didn’t look right. Their decision to act upon their suspicions has helped us reach this positive outcome.

“An investigation is ongoing into the incident and I would continue to ask anybody who sees anything unusual in their community to pick up the phone and report it to us.”

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Anyone who sees anything suspicious is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101. In an emergency or if you think a crime is happening, always ring 999.

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