Two men arrested in connection with quad bike thefts in Netherwitton area

Police were called to a farm in the Netherwitton area at 3.30pm last Friday (July 1) following reports intruders had stolen two bikes and and were heading towards Longhorsley.

As part of Operation Hawkeye – Northumbria Police’s dedicated initiative to tackle acquisitive rural crime – officers were quickly deployed to the area. Within minutes, the riders came to an abrupt stop near Linton after crashing the quads and ran away.

The bikes were subsequently seized, and over the next 48 hours, a range of enquiries were carried out into the theft and the identities of the pair.

Two men – both aged 21 – were subsequently arrested on suspicion of burglary and taken into custody.

Staff Investigator Giles Evans, of Northumbria Police’s rural crime team, said: “This was an excellent outcome after some brilliant work by our Operations Department and the Operation Hawkeye team.

“We are fortunate to have some beautiful rural areas in the North East, but with that comes the possibility of some criminals looking to prey on those who live in more remote areas.

“That’s why, as part of Operation Hawkeye, we are committed to tackling all kinds of rural crime which includes the theft of machinery, vehicles, fuel, or poaching-related activity.

“We make no apology for our robust response to this kind of criminality and will continue to work closely with our rural residents and partners to keep all our communities safe.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved in this job and hope it sends a strong message to anybody who considers travelling to Northumbria intent on committing crime. It will not be tolerated, and you will be pursued.”

The quad bikes have since been seized with enquiries ongoing into the theft. The two men arrested remain under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the force’s website, or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20220701-0717.

If you are passionate about tackling rural crime, why not join the 6,000 others who are already part of #TeamNP? The police officer recruitment programme is now open. Visit careers.northumbria.police.uk for more information.