6:51 am, February 5, 2023
Three men have been arrested after thieves ram-raided a dealership in broad daylight to make off with cars worth more than £30,000.
B S Marson & Sons in Newcastle-under-Lyme was targeted on Monday (Jan 30) between 11.15am and 11.20am by a gang of men, according to Stoke on Trent Live.
They were said to have forced open gates and driven off in cars that included a white BMW 1 Series, white Fiat Tipo, grey Fiat 500, grey Fiat 500X and grey Toyota Rav4.
The BMW was later found abandoned in a nearby car park after police sniffer dogs were brought in.
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said one of the sniffer dogs was then used to track leftover scents, which led to two men being found in the Weston Coyney area and searched at the scene.
A man aged 34 from Stoke-on-Trent and another male, 29, of no fixed abode, were held on suspicion of vehicle theft and subsequently released but are still under investigation while police continue their inquiries.
A third man who is aged 52 was then arrested after one of the vehicles was seen in Telford on Wednesday (Feb 1).
The police spokesman was quoted on Thursday as saying: ‘A third arrest has been made after more than £30,000-worth of cars were stolen from a business.
‘Yesterday evening (Wednesday, February 1), we spotted one of the stolen cars in the Telford area. The driver didn’t stop and abandoned the car but was shortly found on foot by officers.
‘A 52-year-old man from Telford was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, dangerous driving and failing to stop. He remains in custody while inquiries continue.’
The dealership, which was established in 1959, declined to comment when contacted by Car Dealer.
It was one of the UK’s first Fiat dealerships, and as well as having the franchises for Fiat and Abarth, it also sells used cars, with Alfa Romeo, Ford, Hyundai, Mini, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo among the brands it offers.
Main image via Google Street View
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