Five men have been jailed after two vehicles were stolen from a business near Harrogate, with police dog Rhun tracking down one suspect hiding in a bush.
An Iveco truck and a Renault Master van were taken from a business at Fellscliffe in the early hours of Tuesday 4th November 2025.
Police received a report at 4.40am and, within minutes, a roads policing officer spotted the stolen Iveco on the A59 near Blubberhouses.
A blue Volkswagen Passat was travelling behind it in convoy.
Police said the car was already linked through intelligence to suspected burglary activity and was believed to be acting as a “spotter” vehicle.
Officers followed the vehicles towards Bolton Abbey before the Passat turned onto Bark Lane in Addingham.
The Iveco attempted to reverse into a police vehicle before failing to stop and travelling at twice the speed limit.
Two occupants then jumped out as the truck rolled into a wall.
Police boxed in the Passat and arrested its three occupants – Shane Ali, James Coffey and Travis Neagle.
Police dog Rhun and his handler searched the area and found another suspect, Lewis Jackson, hiding in a bush around 100 metres away.
Jackson attempted to flee and Rhun was deployed, resulting in a bite. He was detained shortly afterwards.
Later that morning, Addingham residents reported seeing a suspicious man with mud-covered clothing and contacted police after recognising a possible link to the earlier incident.
The man entered a library and tried to arrange transport. An Uber driver refused to take him because of a booking issue, and when a second taxi arrived, members of the public advised the driver not to leave with him.
The man became agitated before getting out of the vehicle. West Yorkshire Police officers identified him as Marcus Durant and arrested him at 9.35am, following coordination with North Yorkshire Police.
The stolen Renault van was recovered later that day and examined for forensic evidence.
All five men pleaded guilty at York Crown Court in April to theft of a motor vehicle and burglary. Coffey also admitted driving whilst disqualified.
They were sentenced at the same court yesterday (Thursday 15th October):
- Shane Ali, 33, of Linden Road, Leeds, was jailed for 31 months.
- James Coffey, 48, of New Village Way, Morley, was jailed for two years and six months, to be served consecutively to an existing sentence for a separate matter.
- Marcus Durant, 31, of East Park Street, Leeds, was jailed for two years and 10 months.
- Travis Neagle, 31, of Bradford Road, Batley, was jailed for 22 months.
- Lewis Jackson, 34, of no fixed address, was jailed for 20 months.
Detective Constable Saiyra Khan, of North Yorkshire Police, said:
“We are pleased with the sentences handed to these five defendants. They travelled across counties with the clear intention of committing crime under the cover of darkness.
“Thanks to a prompt call from a business owner, our officers were able to respond quickly and intercept the suspects.
“This case highlights how effectively we work across borders to pursue offenders - and we will continue to be relentless in targeting those involved in this type of criminality.
“Burglary is an intrusive offence that can have a significant and lasting impact on victims. These men now have time to reflect on their actions behind bars.”
Watch the police chase here:
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