Cloned van rammed armed police in Rushden... then fled wrong way along dual carriageway

Police alerted just before 1am yesterday (January 16), following reports of a large amount of mobile phone equipment from a curtain-sided lorry in the Rushden area.

Shortly after, a police camera picked up a cloned number plate nearby and a police armed response was deployed. However the police vehicle was rammed by the van, which was then driven off on the wrong side of the A45.

Police then tracked the van to near Towcester, where two people jumped out of the vehicle and tried to make off. But they did not get very far.

A police spokeswoman said: "They tried to play hide and seek with one of our dogs – Police Dog Nala, and as you can guess, they lost the game."

Officers soon after arrested two 17-year-olds. Checks afterwards revealed the van was stolen from Leeds and was also full of property taken less than an hour earlier.

The two teenagers have been released under investigation pending further enquiries.