Two men arrested after police chase ends up in Middleton river

A still from the officer's body-worn camera shortly before one of the men was arrested

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Two men have been arrested after a police chase through woodland area in Middleton ended in a river on Tuesday (23 April).

Police initially received a 999 call to report a stolen vehicle making its way from a residential area in Cheetham Hill before being spotted on Long Street. 

After approaching the suspects, one man led a police officer on a foot chase through a woodland area. It didn’t take long to catch him, and despite a creative attempt to escape, the 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 suspected to be stolen.

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

Both 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 the 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.”