Police investigating an early morning theft got a shock when they found a suspect in a garden hiding in the dark.
Response officers descended on Daybrook after receiving reports a motorbike had been stolen from a person’s garage.
As police made their way to the location in Longdale Road – just after midnight on Tuesday (24 June) – they saw a suspect on a bike.
Believing the motorbike was the one that had been reported stolen, they turned around to follow it after seeing it go down Edwards Lane.
The bike was found abandoned in Wichal Close, with officers spreading out to search the area, when the rider hopped over a nearby fence.
Guided by torches and a police dog, officers had a look around the outskirts of neighbouring properties in a bid to try and track down the suspect.
When searches outside one house seemed unsuccessful, police turned to leave when they suddenly spotted a figure crouching in the corner of the garden.
The torches then revealed an individual dressed all in black hiding behind a door in the dark, who police believed to be the person they’d been looking for.
A 15-year-old boy was subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, while the motorbike was returned to its owner.
Sergeant Luke Tuffley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Thanks to our officers getting to the scene as quickly as they did, they were able to spot a stolen motorbike and return it to its rightful owner.
“Despite the person riding it making off from police and hopping over a garden fence, the team then worked together to search the neighbouring area and locate a suspect hiding in the dark.
“This response should serve as an example of how seriously we as a police force take all reports of vehicle theft, which we know can have a really detrimental impact on people’s lives.”
