Car stolen in burglary stopped in minutes by police

Officers were alerted to the theft of a silver Vauxhall from central Blackpool at around 11.30pm on Wednesday, June 6.

Details of the stolen vehicle were circulated across the police force and an unmarked police car spotted the vehicle near Preston.

Police say their car turned and followed the Vauxhall, which was boxed in when it stopped at traffic lights on Blackpool Road just before midnight.

Steve Bradshaw for Lancashire Police said: "The vehicle was stolen as a result of a burglary in Blackpool late on Wednesday.

"The incident was circulated force-wide and the car was picked up by an unmarked police vehicle.

"Patrols in the area were standing-by and when the car came to a stop at lights we brought it to a reinforced stop where a patrol car pulled up in front with another car behind.

"The stolen car then tried to get out of the box, but the driver was detained."

Police say that the police helicopter was called out to support officers during the incident.

A 30 year-old man, of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle.