Two suspected burglars accused of stealing quad bikes in Northumberland arrested as part of police operation

The quad bikes were subsequently seized.

Northumbria Police officers were called to a farm in the Netherwitton area at 3.30pm on Friday, July 1, after it was reported that intruders had stolen two quad bikes and made off in the direction of Longhorsley.

As part of Operation Hawkeye – the force’s dedicated initiative to tackle acquisitive rural crime – officers were quickly deployed to the area.

And within minutes, the riders had come to an abrupt stop near Linton after crashing the quads and making off on foot.

The bikes were subsequently seized and over the next 48 hours, a range of inquiries were carried out into the alleged theft and the identities of those thought to have been responsible.

Two men – both aged 21 – were subsequently arrested on suspicion of burglary and brought 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 Northumberland intent on committing crime. It will not be tolerated, and you will be pursued.”

Inquiries are on-going and the two men arrested remain under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Northumbria Police via the ‘Tell us something’ page of its website (click on ‘Report It’ to bring up the relevant link) or by calling 101 – quoting log NP-20220701-0717.