Police recovered a stolen van and arrested two suspects after spotting a vehicle on cloned plates in Arnold.
- Police recovered a stolen van and arrested two suspects in Arnold after the van triggered ANPR cameras in Broxtowe.
- The van was pursued after failing to stop, leading to a dangerous chase that ended with the vehicle crashing into a bollard and being abandoned.
- Two men, aged 29 and 35, were detained shortly after the chase with the help of a police dog, facing charges including theft of a vehicle and possession of cannabis.
- The incident showcased effective use of technology by Nottinghamshire Police to track down a vehicle on cloned plates, leading to the recovery of the stolen van and the arrest of the suspects for various offences.
Officers became aware of the van’s location when it activated automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras in Broxtowe.
They then tracked it down to Valley Road, Arnold, around 2.05 am on Tuesday 27 February, where the driver was told to pull over.
After this order was ignored, the van was driven in a dangerous manner around the Old Basford area – colliding with a fence in Lansdowne Road.
It then carried along onto Cheltenham Road, where it reached a dead end and was abandoned after crashing into a bollard.
At that point, the people inside the vehicle tried to make a run for it but didn’t get far before they were stopped and detained by a police dog.
When the plates on the van were checked by officers, they also found the vehicle had been reported stolen from the Broxtowe area on 4 October 2023.
Two suspects, aged 29 and 35, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft of a vehicle and possession of cannabis.
The 29-year-old man was further arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while unfit, criminal damage, driving without insurance, and driving without a licence.
Sergeant Sam Barrett, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a good example of our officers using the technology available to quickly track down a vehicle we suspected to be on cloned plates.
“After spotting the van in question on ANPR cameras, we were able to quickly move in and ultimately retrieve a vehicle that had previously been reported stolen.
“Before this stop could take place however, the driver drove in a completely unacceptable manner – colliding with a fence and a bollard along the way.
“Thanks to the teams in pursuit, including the Dog Unit, we were able to arrest two suspects for a range of offences soon afterwards, so this was a good result.”
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