Two suspected fugitives arrested in Northumberland after police flag down taxi fleeing the area

Two suspected fugitives have been arrested after abandoning a stolen vehicle in rural Northumberland – only to be caught trying to flee the area in a taxi.

In the early hours of Friday officers received a report from colleagues at Durham Constabulary that a suspected stolen vehicle had entered the region.

Traffic officers from Durham were joined by response officers from Northumbria Police as the vehicle travelled at high speeds through Ryton, Greenside and into Prudhoe. But it was here that the Peugeot 108 lost control and crashed, before the two male occupants abandoned the vehicle and fled the area on foot.

They were seen heading into the new housing estate on the site of the old Prudhoe Hospital and response officers, traffic police and the Dog Section were deployed to locate them.

But just as the searches continued through nearby woodland and fields, a motor patrols officer at Northumbria Police spotted a taxi leaving the estate.

They followed the vehicle, signalled for it to stop, found the two suspects hiding in the back seat and placed the men under arrest.

On Friday a senior officer at Northumbria Police praised the cross-border teamwork with colleagues in Durham and the tenacity of the officers carrying out the search.

Chief Inspector Ian Cutty said: “This was a fantastic piece of team work between two neighbouring forces to bring a dangerous pursuit to an end.

“This vehicle had travelled at speed across Durham, Gateshead and Northumberland in the early hours of the morning and put other road users at risk.

“But we were determined not to let them escape and when they abandoned the vehicle we flooded the area with officers and our police dogs.

“Ultimately it was the vigilance of a motor patrols officers that resulted in two suspects being arrested.

“He witnessed a taxi leaving the area and was vigilant enough to bring it to a stop and located two intoxicated males in the back seat.

“I want to praise everyone who was involved in this response and hope that the display of teamwork reassures our communities across the North East.”

The two men were arrested for failing to stop for police, dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drink and/or drugs. They remain in custody at this time.