Two youths arrested after Hampshire bike shop break-in

Police in Hampshire have arrested two youths following a break-in at a bike shop in Brockenhurst.

The pair smashed windows of the shop on Lyndhurst Road in the New Forest village and attempted to make off with two bicycles.

Hampshire Constabulary say that they were alerted to the burglary while it was in progress during the early hours of Monday 11 July, reports the Daily Echo.

The pair were seen making off from the scene carrying the bikes on a motorbike, which was subsequently spotted by officers from the force’s Roads Policing Unit.

The suspects abandoned the motorcycle and tried to flee on foot, with police chasing after them.

One youth, aged 16 and from Andover, was arrested on suspicion of burglary while the other, aged 17 and from Totton and who was found hiding in undergrowth by a police dog, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and of stealing a motor vehicle.

The two bicycles stolen from the shop were recovered, and the two suspects remain in custody, say police.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesperson said: “We appreciate the theft of bicycles is a cause for concern across the New Forest, especially during summer months, and this continues to be a high-profile District priority for our Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

“They will be continuing to conduct routine, high-visibility patrols in local hot-spot areas,” the spokesperson added, urging anyone who witnesses a crime in progress to call police on 999.