A COMMUNITY has come together to support a family after a car was stolen and written off in the early hours of yesterday morning.

North Yorkshire Police was called at about 1.15am after reports that a Citroen Saxo had been stolen from a house in Colburn.

Officers found the car as it was being driven along Forest Drive, and managed to stop it at about 2am and arrested the driver.

As police tried to stop the Citroen, their own car sustained some minor damage.

As residents of Colburn woke up to the news, many reported the theft on a Facebook group dedicated to incidents in the area – and dozens of well-wishers were quick to offer support.

Clare Baxter, from Middleton Tyas, said when she found out the owner of the car was an 18-year-old man who had recently been given it as a present from his mum, she wanted to help.

She said: “I don’t know the family at all but I just wanted to do something to help. I looked into Just Giving accounts but they need a fee, so I thought just advertising a local collection point would be the best thing.”

Ms Baxter contacted Beacon Garage in Catterick Road, Colburn, to see if they would allow a collection point – and another member of the community was already there asking the same thing.

Joan Raw, director of Beacon Garage, said the victim’s mother is "a lovely woman whose attitude is that you need to work hard to pay for what you want".

She added: “I think at first she didn’t want people to give her ‘charity’ but once she realised how much the community wanted to help she has come around.

“We already had one man coming in to ask to take donations when Clare rang us – it shows there is a strong community spirit and willingness to help, even though they are strangers.”

*An 18-year-old woman will appear at Northallerton Magistrates' Court on Friday, August 21, charged with aggravated vehicle taking, driving without a licence or insurance, and failing to stop for police.