Teenager charged with string of 'high-value' burglaries across Northumberland and wider North East

A suspected burglar has been charged in connection with a string of raids across Northumberland, Newcastle and Cumbria.
The 19-year-old will appear at Newcastle Crown Court in JulyThe 19-year-old will appear at Newcastle Crown Court in July
The 19-year-old will appear at Newcastle Crown Court in July

The 19-year-old will appear in court after being charged with 16 burglaries across the North East.

Northumbria Police’s Central Burglary Team had launched an investigation after large amounts of jewellery and cash was taken by thieves. Properties were targeted across Newcastle, Northumberland and Cumbria in July 2018 – and detectives believed a travelling gang was responsible.

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Inquiries into the raids have been ongoing for nearly a year with hundreds of house-to-house calls carried out by officers and hours of CCTV footage trawled.

A suspect, who was believed to be staying on land on Regent Farm Road in Gosforth last summer, was arrested this week and has now been charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.

He went before Bedlington Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 13 and will make his next appearance at Newcastle Crown Court on July 11.

The suspected thief lives in Greater Manchester and is charged with a conspiracy relating to burglaries in Heaton, Gosforth, Wallsend, Dudley, Morpeth and Cumbria.

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Detective Sergeant Dave Lumsden, of the force’s Central Burglary Team, said: “We have always believed this particular group of burglaries have been linked. Large values of jewellery and cash were taken in the raids, as well as a car, and the value of the items stolen is tens of thousands of pounds.

“The fact we have made an arrest nearly a year after the offences took place shows that we will never stop investigating.

“We will chase down every lead and speak to every witness until we have no other investigative leads to follow up on. Inquiries into these burglaries will continue and our detectives will work hard to put suspects before the courts.”

The dedicated team aims to stop burglaries from happening and arrest those responsible for committing them.

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Similar teams have also subsequently been set up in other areas of Northumbria Police as a result of the group’s success.

Anyone who has information about burglars operating in the area can contact Northumbria Police’s Central Burglary Team by calling 101 or emailing [email protected].