Three suspected thieves have been arrested after crashing a stolen pharmacy van carrying a haul of prescription drugs into a bus.

Shortly before 4.15pm on Thursday (October 27), police were alerted to a sighting of a suspected stolen vehicle in the Hendon area of Sunderland.

It was understood the vehicle – a delivery van used by a local pharmacy – had been marked as stolen following a recent burglary that was reported to police earlier that day.

Officers were immediately deployed to the area to search for the van, with assistance from the National Police Air Service (NPAS) and the Force’s Motor Patrols and Dog Section.

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A short time later, at around 5.20pm, police received a report that the van in question had collided with a bus on Suffolk Street in Hendon.

Emergency services attended the scene where three men from the van – aged 30, 31 and 44 – attempted to flee on foot but were arrested after a short foot chase.

They were taken to hospital to be checked over for minor injuries before being taken into police custody where they remain at this time.

Nobody on the bus was injured in the collision.

Following the confirmation of the arrests by Northumbria Police, a spokesperson for the police force said: “This was a brilliant outcome with three suspects arrested and a stolen delivery van containing potentially harmful prescription drugs recovered from a recent report of burglary.

“An investigation is well underway and, while a number of prescription drugs have been seized from the vehicle, we would urge the public to get in touch if they come across any more in the community.

“Unless you have been properly prescribed medication via your doctor or pharmacy, you can never be sure what substances contain and the impact they could have on you.

“It is important that any drugs found are reported to the police so they can be disposed of safely and not left in public – they can be taken to local police stations.

“Burglary in our region will not be tolerated and we have dedicated teams across Northumbria who are tasked with tackling this type of crime.

“Officers are also continuing to ask the public to check their vehicles are secure, property doors and windows are locked, and that any valuables are kept out of sight.

“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact police using the ‘Tell Us Something’ page on our website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20221027-0680. In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always ring 999.”

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