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Nov 2024
Machete found inside car that fled from Harrogate district
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Police discovered a petrol container and a machete inside car that fled from a Harrogate village on Sunday (November 3).
North Yorkshire Police today said an off-duty officer reported a car on fire in North Deighton in the early hours of the morning.
The statement added intelligence found the vehicle, alongside a white VW Polo, had travelled to the Harrogate district from Cleveland in convoy.
The VW Polo was spotted by a police dog unit on the A168, heading back towards Cleveland.
The Polo failed to stop, police said, adding a roads policing officer then deployed a stinger. The car managed to continue driving on the A168 near Knayton, where police saw an item thrown out of the car.
Police said:
It subsequently turned off at Ellerbeck, where two males abandoned the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, officers found registration plates from the burnt-out car, a machete, and a petrol container.
Police dog Kenai helped to apprehend a man who fled on foot.
A 22-year-old from Eston, Cleveland, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, being equipped to steal, possession of an offensive weapon and arson.
Two passengers fled the scene and headed through fields, police said.
But police dog Kenai and his handler managed to apprehend one of the men in a nearby field. Police also found a discarded bank card belonging to an unknown person at the scene.
The man – a 19-year-old from Normanby in Cleveland – was found with a small quantity of cannabis and was arrested on suspicion of being equipped to steal, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a class B drug and arson.
The police statement added:
An area search was made by our dog unit team with the assistance of NPAS, our colleagues in the air, however no one else was located.
At the start of their shift, another team from our dog unit took over and conducted an area search, alongside officers from our operational support unit and the rural taskforce.
Police dog Miki and his handler soon located a brown leather handbag connected to the bank card found by PD Kenai, which was later recovered, police also said.
Both men have been released on conditional bail as the investigations continue.
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