Police dog proves too quick for suspects

Two suspected thieves have been arrested after an A19 car chase from Sunderland to Hartlepool ended when they tried to outrun a heroic police dog on foot.

Police Dog Ivan quickly traced the two suspects who had abandoned a suspected stolen car following a car chase which crossed through three police force areas.

Just after 8pm on Sunday, January 26, police spotted a suspected stolen car travelling on the A19 near to Sunderland.

The white Ford Fiesta was believed to have been taken during a burglary of an address in Manchester earlier in the weekend.

Officers continued to pursue the vehicle but it failed to stop and continued to drive dangerously as it headed south.

It travelled through Durham and into Cleveland as officers from those local forces joined in the highspeed chase.

More than an hour after the pursuit began, the Ford Fiesta was abandoned by the driver in the Hartlepool area.

Two men fled the area on foot and it was then over to PC Steve Henry and his K9 Ivan to track down the suspects.

One of them was quickly arrested while PD Ivan continued to search the area with the assistance of the National Police Air Service helicopter.

The two-year-old Belgian Malinois tracked the suspect across a field before he was located in woodland and arrested.

PC Henry, of Northumbria Police’s Dog Section, has praised Ivan for his efforts – and said that he got a well-deserved treat at the end of their shift.