Suspected burglar arrested after eagle-eyed residents saw man acting suspiciously

A suspected burglar has been arrested after eagle-eyed residents saw a man acting suspiciously and raised the alarm.

Officers were made aware of suspicious activity taking place in Cleadon, South Tyneside, with a number of witnesses contacting officers.

The concerned witnesses informed police after the man was spotted using a torch to look in a number of parked cars in the East Bolden Road area.

Within minutes officers had been deployed to the scene and found a garage at one of the properties had been left open.

Believing their suspect was still in the area, officers searched surrounding streets and quickly approached a man matching witness descriptions.

The 40-year-old man was subsequently arrested and has been charged with a string of offences including burglary, attempted burglary and vehicle interference.

Detective Sergeant Angela Lewis, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was a fantastic response with officers acting quickly on the concerns of the community. Thanks to their information, we were able to get to the scene swiftly and locate a suspect.

“It was a brilliant piece of teamwork and information sharing between the public and our officers. As a result, we interviewed a man in custody and he has since been charged in connection with not only this incident, but a number of others committed in the area that we suspect he was involved in.

“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.”