Officers force suspicious van to stop near York - two men arrested

A van-load of tools and a ride-on lawnmower have been recovered by police after officers forced a vehicle to stop near York.

At about 3.30am on Tuesday 16 November 2021, North Yorkshire Police received a call from a member of the public, reporting a lawnmower and Citroen Berlingo van being driven in suspicious circumstances near Murton.

A Roads Policing Group car in the area deployed immediately, and quickly located a stationary van and ride-on lawnmower just outside Murton, near the A64 flyover. As the officers parked in front of it to investigate further, the van began to move off.

Officers used their police car to make low-speed contact with the van, forcing it to stop. Its two occupants then left the vehicle and ran off.

In hot pursuit on foot, police caught one of them in a nearby field. Two minutes later, they found another man near hedgerow in the same field.

Inside the van was a large amount of property, including power tools and reels of cable. Some of the property, and the mower, was reported as stolen, and has been returned to its rightful owner.

Both men, in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of theft. They have been released under investigation while enquiries continue.