York
Police stop BMW X5 with stolen camper – and find eleven-year-old at the wheel
The young thief had towed the car from a campsite but was then stopped by the police
© North Yorkshire Police
When a camper van is stolen, the North Yorkshire Police quickly find it. But then several surprises follow.
It was a routine operation: When a camper van was reported stolen in North Yorkshire, England, on Thursday, the local community took action Police quickly searched. But when they stop the suspicious car, the officers are amazed: the only person in the car is an eleven-year-old boy. And he doesn’t seem to have acted spontaneously.
Officials received the first report on Wednesday around 3:30 p.m. “A camper van was stolen near Thirsk and towed away by a black BMW,” the police website says. A short time later, such a vehicle was discovered on the A1 motorway. “45 minutes after the camper was reported stolen we were able to stop the car leaving the motorway near Garforth.”
Police surprised
Then came the shock: “We were not prepared to find a schoolboy behind the wheel,” the report says. The surprise was even greater because all other evidence pointed against a stupid boy prank: The BMW 5X had fake license plates, and in the car the officers found “typical tools for the theft of vehicles” as well as several sets of other stolen license plates.
The list of allegations is correspondingly long: In addition to theft, the eleven-year-old was arrested for burglary, preparing a crime and several traffic law violations. The police accuse him of “dangerous driving”. After questioning, the boy was eventually sent home – after bail was paid for him.
Impressive ride
From a purely driving perspective, the action was quite impressive: the boy not only managed to couple a camping car to the SUV on his own, then get it out of the campsite and onto the road. He also maneuvered the huge BMW and its trailer along the highway for almost 40 minutes. And not just any one: the A1 is the longest motorway in the country, with three lanes in the sections where it is used. It’s not just novice drivers who are likely to be challenged in such an event.
That shouldn’t help him: Unlike in Germany, the limit of criminal responsibility in England is only ten years. The young thief is now threatened with the judge.
Source: North Yorkshire Police