Stolen car returned to owner “in minutes” after swift police response 

Photo: Brian Jackson

Police

Local neighbourhood officers demonstrated swift action following a distressing burglary and car theft - returning the vehicle to the owner “within minutes.”

Around 10am this morning (Friday 14 June), officers received a call from a resident reporting a break-in at their home. The intruders had stolen the victim's car and car keys.

Within 30 minutes of receiving the call, officers successfully tracked down the stolen vehicle, which had been abandoned on Marland Old Road. 

The car was recovered and returned to its owner. Concurrently, the suspects were located and apprehended on St Mary’s Gate in Rochdale town centre. Four men, aged between 19 and 30, were arrested on suspicion of burglary were transported to custody for questioning.

Inspector Meena Yasin of the Rochdale district praised the rapid response and effective teamwork. She said: “This was incredibly frightening for the victim, who was upstairs at the time and witnessed, through his doorbell camera, a man in a balaclava enter his house and take his car keys,” 

She added: “This is an excellent result, and I am pleased that we have been able to reunite the owner with his car. I hope this sends a strong message that we are committed to tackling burglary, and once we receive a report, we will use all resources available to locate your car and bring those responsible to justice.”

Inspector Yasin also encouraged residents to report any concerns through the appropriate channels, either by calling 999 for emergencies, 101 for non-emergencies, or via the police website.