Armed police and dogs involved after suspected Sheffield car thief is arrested after pursuit

Officers today revealed a man had been arrested after the car was spotted in Thrybergh, Rotherham, after the police helicopter had also become involved in stopping the suspect.

The Ford Ecosport had been reported stolen from an address in Beighton.

Officers from the South Yorkshire Police operational support unit praised the teamwork which led to the arrest, and released a picture of the scene at the end of the pursuit.

A spokesman said: “This Ford Ecosport was stolen from the Beighton area. The offenders have used a scanning device to copy the signals from the key to open and then start the car before leaving with it.

“However, our control room notified us that it had appeared, in the Thrybergh area. Off went a team of traffic cops, dog handlers, firearms officers and helicopter to locate it.

"A short time later it was located and a brief pursuit took place. Eventually the driver abandoned four wheels and tried his luck on two legs. The area was quickly contained, and the runner was located trainer and sockless.”

He added that one suspect had been arrested for dangerous driving, theft of a motor vehicle, driving without insurance, driving without a driving licence, possession of class A drugs and for speeding.

Officers are advising anyone whose car uses a start button to keep their keys secure in a signal blocking pouch, lined with layers of metallic material that can block a key's signals, known as a faraday pouch.

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