Five men arrested and stolen vehicle and weapons recovered in Bolton

At around 8.55pm yesterday (28 September) officers on patrol sighted a Volkswagen Caddy van that they recognised to be on cloned plates.

Two officers pursued the van and were able to box the vehicle in when it travelled down Brightmeadow Close, Bolton.

Five males, aged between 15 and 22, were detained by officers on suspicion of burlgary. All five remain in custody for questioning.

Following a search of the van, weapons including machetes and hammers were recovered, as well as balaclavas. The van was confirmed as being stolen during a burglary in the Bolton area on Monday 6 September.

Following enquiries it is also believed that the males had been involved in an aggravated burglary that had been committed in Prestwich earlier that evening (28/09).

During the burglary, a group of males wearing balaclavas and wielding hammers and knives had forced entry to a property. During the burglary a teenage boy was assaulted and the males fled the scene in a car belonging to the owner of the property.

Enquiries are ongoing.

Chief Inspector Jamie Collins of GMP's Bury district, said: "We understand the distressing impact burglaries can have on our communities and no one should ever feel unsafe or at risk in their own home.

"These arrests are a fantastic result and highlight the importance and positive impact of teams across multiple districts working together to pursue offenders. This is also another positive step forward in our commitment across Bury to target burglary hotspots and offenders across the district.

"Our enquiries will remain ongoing but I hope these arrests continue to send a strong message that we will do all we can to ensure those responsible for such offences will be identified and located. As always we encourage the communities within Bury to support our work on burglary and review their home security, particularly around vehicle keys. I'd also urge you to remain vigilante and report any information that could assist us in tackling burglary so we can act on this immediately"

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 0027 or 101 quoting incident 2552 of 28/09/21. Alternatively, details can be passed via our LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk or via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.