Owner of 'stolen' caravan praises 'quick thinking' police after 11-year-old boy halted on M1

The young driver was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences and has been bailed while police investigate further.

Saturday 9 March 2024 05:35, UK

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The owner of a "stolen" caravan has praised the "quick thinking" of police who tracked down the vehicle being towed down the M1 motorway.

Janine Forth said she arrived at the caravan park near Thirsk in North Yorkshire on Thursday afternoon "just as they had hitched it up and were driving away with it".

Officers from North Yorkshire police were told the caravan had been stolen and that it was being pulled by a black BMW.

They had tracked the luxury car, which was using cloned registration plates, travelling south on the A1.

About 45 minutes after the caravan was reported stolen, the vehicle was stopped on the M1, having left the A1 near Garforth.

Officers said they were "staggered" to find an 11-year-old boy sitting in the driver's seat of the BMW.

Ms Forth wrote on Facebook: "If it wasn't been for quick thinking and the amazing response from the police, God knows what would have happened!"

When police searched the car, they found "equipment typically used by suspects to carry out thefts" and a selection of vehicle registration plates.

The boy was arrested on suspicion of offences including theft, burglary, going equipped for theft, and motoring offences including dangerous driving.

He was questioned and then released on conditional police bail to allow officers to investigate the case further.

Nobody was injured and the caravan's owners were told their vehicle had been found.

The force said it has seen an increase in caravan thefts in the region recently.

It recommended caravan owners take steps to deter thieves, such as installing CCTV, fitting alarms and tracking devices, and taking good quality photos of their vehicle to aid identification if it's stolen.

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