Sheffield man arrested and stolen car recovered following pursuit in Cheshire

Officers from Cheshire Police have arrested a man from Sheffield and recovered a stolen car following a pursuit near Knutsford.

At around 11pm on Tuesday 29th September, officers became aware of a white Volkswagen Taigo Life travelling in Monks Heath area which was believed to be displaying false number plates.

Additional officers attended and following a short pursuit the vehicle was abandoned in the Chelford area and the driver made off on foot.

During a search of the car officers located a lump hammer along with two sets of number plates on the back seat; it was also established that the car had been stolen from the Sheffield area. 

The Cheshire Dog Unit, Armed Response Unit and the Drone Unit were also deployed and following a search of the area a 58-year-old man was subsequently located hiding near to the railway track.

The man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of theft of motor vehicle, use of false number plates, handling stolen goods, failing to stop for officers, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and failing to provide a sample. He remains in custody at this time.

Chief Inspector Cameron Taylor, Head of the Roads and Crime Unit, said:

“This was a real team effort, and all the officers involved played key roles in locating and arresting the suspect; including the Police Dogs, Armed Response Unit and Drone Unit. 

"Whilst the initial consideration was for a vehicle using fake registration plates, we often find that this is used as an attempt to mask other criminal activities. In this case the driver did not even hold a valid driving licence and the vehicle he was using also appears to be a stolen. 

“I hope this will reassure residents of our continued commitment to tackling this type of crime.”