Teenagers arrested after alleged attempted break-in at Sunderland home

Police were called shortly before 10.45pm on Wednesday, May 11, as a concerned resident reported two males were attempting to gain access to the rear yard of his home in Mill Street.

The caller said the pair had climbed over the wall and were trying to take his motorbike.

Armed with a description of the duo, officers were deployed to the area in a bid to locate them and stop the suspects in their tracks.

And, following a short foot chase, they quickly located the double-act nearby who matched the witness’ description and images from CCTV cameras.

Two males – aged 15 and 17 – were arrested on suspicion of joint attempted burglary and remain in police custody at this time.

Chief Inspector Lorraine Cuthbertson, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was a brilliant response with officers acting quickly on the concerns of the caller while a crime was unfolding at their home.

“Thanks to their quick-thinking to dial 999 and report the break-in to police, we were able to get to the scene within minutes and locate the suspects nearby before they were able to take anything.

“It was an excellent piece of teamwork and information sharing between the public and our officers and, as a result, we have two suspects in the cells.

“We would always encourage anybody who sees anything they believe to be suspicious to get in touch as soon as possible. That way, we can continue to work together to ensure our region remains as safe as it possibly can be.

“We will continue to work closely with the public, businesses and partners to ensure any burglars and thieves are identified, arrested and brought to justice.

“As ever, we would also ask the wider public, including businesses, to continue to work with us to help reduce the impact burglary can have by ensuring doors, windows and properties are kept secure and valuables out of view.”

Anybody who sees anything suspicious in their area is asked to report it by using the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the Northumbria Police website, or by calling 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always dial 999.