Watch: Police dog catches fleeing thief hiding in bush after dramatic chase

Five men have been jailed following the theft of two vehicles from a business near Harrogate, which led to a police pursuit and a search involving a police dog.

Shane Ali, 33, of Linden Road, Leeds; James Coffey, 48, of New Village Way, Morley; Travis Neagle, 31, of Bradford Road, Batley; Marcus Durant, 31, of East Park Street, Leeds; and Lewis Jackson, 34, of no fixed address, all pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle and burglary at York Crown Court in April.

Coffey also pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified.

At around 4.40am on Tuesday (Nov 4), 2025, police received a report that an Iveco truck and a Renault Master van had been stolen from a business in Fellscliffe, near Harrogate.

Officers were immediately deployed, and within minutes a roads policing officer spotted the stolen Iveco travelling along the A59 near Blubberhouses.

A blue Volkswagen Passat was following the truck in convoy and was believed to be acting as a lookout vehicle.

Both vehicles continued towards Bolton Abbey before entering Addingham, where the Passat turned onto Bark Lane.

The stolen Iveco attempted to reverse into a police vehicle before failing to stop and travelling at twice the speed limit.

Two occupants then jumped from the truck as it rolled forward into a wall.

Police boxed in the Volkswagen Passat and arrested three occupants, identified as Ali, Coffey and Neagle.

A search of the surrounding area was launched, with police dog Rhun and his handler called in to help locate the remaining suspects.

Around 100 metres away, Rhun discovered a man hiding in a bush.

The suspect, later identified as Jackson, attempted to flee before the police dog was deployed and bit him. He was detained shortly afterwards.

Later that morning, at around 9am, residents in Addingham reported seeing a suspicious man covered in mud, particularly on the lower half of his clothing.

The man entered a library and attempted to arrange transport, but an Uber driver refused to take him because of a booking issue.

When another taxi arrived, members of the public warned the driver not to leave with him.

The man became agitated before getting out of the vehicle.

West Yorkshire Police officers attended and identified him as Durant, who was arrested 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 appeared at York Crown Court on Thursday (Oct 15), where they received prison sentences.

Ali was jailed for two years and seven months, while Coffey received two years and six months, to be served consecutively to an existing sentence for a separate matter.

Durant was sentenced to two years and ten months, Neagle received one year and ten months, and Jackson was jailed for one year and eight 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.”