Officers investigating a spate of vehicle break-ins across Gateshead have appealed to the public for CCTV.
An investigation has been launched following a spate of incidents over the last 72 hours in Whickham and Teams. On each occasion, an offender has been seen trying to break into a number of parked cars, causing damage to some of the vehicles.
Three separate incidents were reported in Teams after an offender tried to break into parked cars in The Ropery and Watson Street areas in the early hours of Monday June 6. Less than 24 hours later, in the early hours of Tuesday June 7, a man attempted to force his way into vehicles on Millfield Road and Elm Court in Whickham.
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Police are remaining open-minded as to whether each of the incidents are linked – and are now asking for anybody with information to come forward. Inspector Alan Davison, of Northumbria Police, said: “I would like to reassure residents that a full and thorough investigation has been launched into these spates and we will use every tactic at our disposal in order to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice.
“As part of our enquiries, we are asking anybody in the Teams or Whickham areas who saw anybody acting suspiciously in the early hours of Monday or Tuesday to get in touch with us.
“Please check any video doorbells or CCTV footage that you may have and let us know if you see anything that can support our ongoing investigation.
“We have increased patrols in the area as part of our enquiries and would encourage anybody with any concerns to speak to us.
“As ever, we would also ask residents to take an extra second to ensure their car doors are locked and any valuables kept out of sight. Quite often, opportunistic thieves can go street to street hoping for a quick and easy win.
“The public are our eyes and ears – so please be vigilant and work with us to ensure the net continues to tighten on thieves, and ensure effective justice is served.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page quoting log NP-20220606-0161. Alternatively you can email 216@northumbria.police.uk. If you see anything suspicious in your community, always report it via our website or by calling 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is happening, always ring 999.
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