Three arrests and suspected stolen property recovered from building site near Knaresborough

At around 6.30pm on Sunday evening (March 29), police were called to a report of a possible burglary in progress at a new housing development on Minskip Road in the village of Staveley, near Knaresborough.

The caller also provided the registration number of a vehicle which they believed to be involved. Officers were immediately deployed to the site and quickly confirmed that a break‑in had taken place.

Two air-conditioning units were recovered following the theft

placeholder image — Two air-conditioning units were recovered following the theft

Using specialist police surveillance cameras, the Force Control Room tracked the vehicle reported as it travelled onto the motorway network.

The Operation Support team moved swiftly, following the vehicle into West Yorkshire. With additional units flooding the area from West Yorkshire Police, the vehicle was safely stopped on the hard shoulder of the M62 near Junction 23. Two men in their 20s and a man in his 40s, all from the Tameside area of Manchester, were arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Two air‑conditioning units were found inside the vehicle and have been recovered as suspected stolen property.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “This incident is another strong reminder that criminals travel across borders and we follow them.

“We are extremely grateful to the quick‑thinking member of the public whose call enabled such a swift and coordinated response between us and our colleagues in West Yorkshire.”