Heroic police dog caught two suspects who abandoned car following A19 police chase from Sunderland to Hartlepool

Police Dog Ivan quickly traced the two suspects who had abandoned a suspected stolen car following a car chase which crossed through three police force areas.

Just after 8pm on Sunday, January 26, police spotted a suspected stolen car travelling on the A19 near to Sunderland.

The white Ford Fiesta was believed to have been taken during a burglary of an address in Manchester earlier in the weekend.

Officers continued to pursue the vehicle but it failed to stop and continued to drive dangerously as it headed south.

The vehicle later travelled through Durham and into Cleveland as officers from those local forces joined in the high-speed chase.

More than an hour after the pursuit began, the Ford Fiesta was abandoned by the driver in the Hartlepool area.

Two men then fled the area on foot and it was then over to PC Steve Henry and his K9 Ivan to track the suspects down.

One of the suspects was quickly arrested while PD Ivan continued to carry out a search of the area with the assistance of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter.

The two-year-old Belgian Malinois tracked the suspect across a nearby field before he was located in nearby woodland and placed under arrest.

PC Henry, of Northumbria Police’s Dog Section, has praised Ivan for his efforts – and said that he got a well-deserved treat at the end of their shift.

He said: ““I am just delighted that PD Ivan had the opportunity to do what he does best and track down those believed to have been in the vehicle.

“He is a fantastic dog and has had a number of great results so I made sure that he got a nice treat at the end of a busy night shift.”

An investigation into the incident is being progressed by Durham Constabulary but the two men arrested have since been released under investigation.