Police dog Raven sniffs out suspected car thieves
Two suspected car thieves were arrested after they were sniffed out of hiding by police dog Raven.
A 33-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman were arrested in relation to a car theft during the early hours of yesterday..
At about 1.50am, Northumbria Police officers signalled a BMW 116D to stop on Shields Road in Cleadon and a short chase followed.
The vehicle, which is believed to have been stolen from the Hertfordshire area, was abandoned near Cleadon Water Tower and the duo tried to run away on foot.
Police dog Raven was deployed and the four-year-old Dutch Herder tracked both suspects, who were hiding behind a wall.
The man and woman have since been released on bail.
Chief Inspector Sam Rennison praised Pd Raven and her handler, Pc Lora Smiles, for their efforts.
She said: “This was a fantastic piece of policing by a number of different officers and of course Pd Raven.
“Not only have we got two suspected thieves in custody but we have seized a car believed to have been stolen from the other side of the country.
“It was initially fantastic work by our Motor Patrols officers but the real heroes of this story are Pc Smiles and Pd Raven.
“Raven has followed her nose and found, not one, but two suspected thieves hiding a short distance away from where the vehicle was abandoned.
“This job shows the real value of our K9 units and sends a strong message to anyone who thinks they can evade police capture – you can run, but you can’t hide.”