Newcastle East’s neighbourhood policing team have enjoyed several successes in recent weeks in the fight against burglary in the Jesmond and Heaton areas.

Photo by by smlp.co.uk under Creative Commons Licence

Over the festive period there was a spate of arrests linking men to burglaries committed during late December and early January.

On 30^th December, a 30-year-old man was arrested for a burglary in North Tyneside and it is believed he may be linked to recent burglaries in the Jesmond and Heaton areas. Also on the 30^th of December, police stopped a man at Heaton Grove in Heaton after he was found in a rear lane carrying bags which had inside a DVD player and other items.

The 36-year-old was arrested on suspicion of theft and has been bailed while enquiries continue. Enquiries are being made to see if the property is linked to any recent offences in the area.

Another man was arrested in connection with five burglaries which happened on Thursday 5^th January, at Saint George’s Close, Thornleigh Road, Forsyth Road, Brentwood Gardens, and Eskdale Terrace, all in Jesmond.

He was arrested after being pro-actively stopped by police who saw him on a bike at Brentwood Avenue. The police recovered a games console and jewellery which had been stolen in the burglaries.

The burglary operation – codenamed Tailback – has seen dozens of arrests made and property recovered since it began in September.

Neighbourhood Inspector Louise Cass-Williams said: “Operation Tailback was launched in response to an increase in burglaries in the east of Newcastle, particularly the Jesmond and Heaton areas.

“It involves high profile and covert patrols, operations, and work to identify and arrest suspects and recover stolen property. It’s also aimed at preventing burglaries from happening in the first place by tackling those responsible and ensuring residents have the appropriate crime prevention advice.

“Residents should make sure their homes are safe and secure at all times with doors and windows locked and should, during the darker afternoons and evenings, have timer lights to come on.

“They should ensure they report anything unusual or suspicious in their neighbourhood to police as soon as possible.

“While the operation has reaped some success we are aware that one burglary is still one too many and this pro-active operation will continue.”

Anyone with information about burglary in their neighbourhood is asked to contact police on 101 ext 69191 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111