GMP Catch of the Day: Man served up to custody following police chase which ends in local river

This morning (Tuesday 23 April), we received a 999 call to report a stolen vehicle making off from a residential area in Cheetham Hill. Specialist drivers from our Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit were swiftly deployed to do what they do best: hunt down the vehicle and its occupants.

Some minutes later, the van was spotted on Long Street in Middleton.

As we approached, the suspects ran, with one man leading our officer on a foot chase through a woodland area. It didn’t take long to catch him, and despite a creative attempt to escape, a 38-year-old man was arrested knee deep in a river.

Officers traced the second suspect to Morton Street, Middleton, where they recovered large quantities of drugs and additional items we suspect to be stolen.

The items have been seized and work is now ongoing to return these items to their rightful owners.

Two men, aged 38 and 46, have been arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and theft. The 38-year-old has also been arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Sergeant Bobby Nasim from our Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit said: “This was excellent detection by the team, using specialist tactics we were able to quickly locate the stolen vehicle and its contents.

“Despite trying to run from us, we were able to arrest two men and recover substantial amounts of suspected stolen items and drugs – all thanks to a report from a member of the public. Community intelligence plays a vital role in the work we do, and I hope this demonstrates that we will act swiftly and use all resources available to keep our communities safe.”