Officers halt chase over health and safety fear for thieves

After she saw the gang snatch her boat, owner Rebecca Jones and her boyfriend Mark Skirrow called police and ran off tracking the thieves across fields in South Yorkshire. Within minutes, police arrived on the scene in Harlington, near Mexborough, so Miss Jones and Mr Skirrow let them take over the pursuit.

But, minutes later, the pair watched in dismay as the officers gave up and let the the thieves disappear with the £700 boat – before admitting they had abandoned the pursuit because the gang were not wearing crash helmets.

Legal executive Miss Jones said: “The police were called immediately and they also followed the gang and caught up with them.

“However, because of the riders’ lack of helmets and erratic style of driving they had to call off the pursuit because of health and safety concerns.”

The 28-year-old from Swinton, Rotherham, added: “My day was ruined.

“My boat was stolen and there is nothing much I can do about it.”

The keen kayakers had gone to meet up with Miss Jones’s parents, who are both retired teachers, and had taken their boats on a local weir.

But as the party were lifting the others over a gate and carrying them a few yards to the riverbank, the quad bikers raced up, snatched Miss Jones’s kayak and drove off with it strapped on one of the machines.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: “South Yorkshire Police perform a risk assessment based on the circumstances of each incident.

“On this occasion a pursuit was not initiated and alternative action was taken in an attempt to apprehend the suspects.”

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