11 people in police custody on suspicion of attempted burglaries and thefts after incidents in Heywood, Manchester and Tameside

Photo: Greater Manchester Police

Police dog Jaegar was on hand to detain a teenage thief suspect after officers from the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit pursued a car in Heywood

Eleven people are in police custody on suspicion of attempted burglaries and thefts after incidents in Heywood, Manchester and Tameside this week.

A teenage thief suspect was detained by a police dog after officers from the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit pursued a car in Heywood, believed to be stolen on 11 May.

Three occupants abandoned the car.

Three teenagers aged between 16 and 19 remain in custody to be questioned on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, as the vehicle intercept unit continued to make arrests into the early hours of Thursday (12 May) in Ashton.

A car pursued by police was left abandoned on tram tracks before two occupants were arrested.

In total, 137 arrests have been made since 11 May with burglary, robbery and car crime being key priorities under Operation Castle, which focuses on tackling burglaries.

Superintendent Dave Pester, GMP's force tactical lead for Operation Castle said: "We'd like to reassure residents that we want to prevent burglaries happening in the first place however when a burglary does happen, we will attend wherever possible.

"Burglary is one of the most intrusive forms of crime a person can experience - whether it's your home, your school, or the business you've created. This is why Operation Castle has been developed and I'd like to reinforce our commitment to deploying a police officer to every burglary - whether that is residential or elsewhere in the community.

"This new renewed commitment for GMP means that we will actively be targetting burglary offenders, arresting them and bringing them to justice because we know the misery they can cause to our communities.

"For every burglary reported to ourselves, we are prepared to take robust action to fight this high impact crime and every report will be investigated - utilising a full range of assets from across the force including from our forensic teams to identify offenders where possible and delivering support crime prevention advice as well as victim support.

"Anyone with information that will help us to bring burglars and handlers of stolen goods to justice is encouraged to contact ourselves either via the LiveChat or reporting function on our website or by calling 101.

“You can also pass on information anonymously through CrimeStoppers by calling 0800 555 111. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”