A police officer had quite the morning when he ended up in a river, following reports of a stolen vehicle.
A 999 call was made to report a van being stolen from a residential area in Cheetham Hill, yesterday.
Specialists from the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit were deployed and moments later, the vehicle was spotted on Long Street in Middleton.
But as police approached, the suspects ran, with one leading an officer through a woodland area.
A 38-year-old man was arrested knee deep in a river, on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and theft. He was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
A 46-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and theft.
Officers traced the second suspect to Morton Street, Middleton, where they recovered large quantities of drugs and additional items we suspect to be stolen.
The items have been seized and work is now ongoing to return these items to their rightful owners.
Sergeant Bobby Nasim said: “This was excellent detection by the team, using specialist tactics we were able to quickly locate the stolen vehicle and its contents.
“Despite trying to run from us, we were able to arrest two men and recover substantial amounts of suspected stolen items and drugs – all thanks to a report from a member of the public. Community intelligence plays a vital role in the work we do, and I hope this demonstrates that we will act swiftly and use all resources available to keep our communities safe.”
