A Renault Clio was left ablaze in Ingleton following a corner shop raid in Gainford last Tuesday night into Wednesday morning (October 4). A male and female have been arrested in connection with both the shop raid and car fire but a police spokesperson said it was still unconfirmed whether the two were linked.
Villagers in Ingleton were awoken by loud bangs and "explosions” from the car between midnight and 12.30am on the B6279 near Manor Road. Fire crews put out the blaze just after 1am.
The Corner Shop on North Terrace, in Gainford, was smashed open at about midnight on Tuesday – the scene was taped off and combed by forensic teams the following morning.
Elsewhere in Teesdale, a farm near Scargill was one of a number of homes burgled last Wednesday evening into Thursday morning. The volume of calls triggered police to ask dale folk to check their CCTV systems between 9.30pm and 1am for any signs of suspicious activity.
A man and a woman were arrested after a suspected theft of two quad bikes in Mickleton in the early hours of Thursday. The pair were released pending further investigations and police have urged anyone who saw two quad bikes or an Audi A4 Estate near the village at about 12.50am to get in touch.
A van in Bowes fell victim to thieves on Saturday, October 7. A Stihl concrete cut off saw and Titan electric concrete breaker were taken between 10am and 4.30pm. Both tools were thought to be in a black box. The latest string of crimes comes on the back of a spate of burglaries in the upper dale last month which triggered a meeting between police and farmers to find a way forward. Possible solutions touted included more ANPR (Automated Number Plate Recognition) cameras at junctions.
A police spokesman confirmed there were no injuries as a result of the Ingleton blaze. One Ingleton villager, who did not wish to be named, witnessed the drama unfold. She said: “I heard popping noises and then bangs – I came out and the front window of the car was well alight.
“I have lived here 50 years and it’s the first time I've seen anything like that.
“I’m glad it wasn’t right under the tree or it might have taken light.”
A police helicopter was seen circling Ingleton at about 2am with its spotlight after the blaze was extinguished.
Former mechanic Liz Turton lives over the road from where the burned-out car came to rest.
She said: “I saw it go off – it was a mini explosion which woke me up and I phoned the fire brigade.
Another villager, who wished to remain anonymous, said the noise from the car was “like a gunshot”.
If you have information which may help with any of these crimes, call police on 101.
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