Helicopter and police dog help track down suspects after Bloxwich and Dudley police chases
Ten suspected thieves were arrested after two dramatic police chases through the Black Country last night.
A police helicopter helped track down the suspects after they abandoned the cars they had been fleeing officers in across Dudley and Bloxwich.
The Dudley incident started when a suspected stolen Citroen C5 failed to stop for police in Stourbridge Road, Brierley Hill.
The Citroen sped off driving on the wrong side of the road around Pensnett and Kingswinford, where it was abandoned on Burrows Road.
With the help of the helicopter and a police dog, officers tracked the suspects to nearby Surrey Drive where they were hopping between gardens.
Hammers, baseball bats and balaclavas were found in the car and two teenagers and a 48-year-old man were arrested,
All three males were detained on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking, possessing offensive weapons and going equipped for theft.
The police chase in Bloxwich began when a suspected stolen Nissan Navara being driven erratically failed to stop for officers.
After a short pursuit a group of teenagers fled from the car on Dawson Street and the police helicopter was able to tell police the direction they were running.
The young gang were found in nearby gardens with one of them caught hiding in a bin shed after the helicopter spotted a heat source coming from the roof.
Six teenage boys, aged between 14 and 17, were arrested alongside a 23-year-old man in connection with the stolen car and burglary.
Meanwhile the helicopter and a police dog also helped track down a 19-year-old suspect in woodland after reports of men stealing tools from a van.
All 11 suspects remained in custody today as the investigations continued.
