A man has been charged with multiple counts of burglary and assault after being identified by police following a string of burglaries at North East addresses.

A 33-year-old man has been charged with three counts of burlgary, two counts of common assault and criminal damage, following a spate of burglaries in Blyth.

He is due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court next month.

The Northumberland man had been identified by Northumbria Police as a prime suspect, and is believed to have been evading police for weeks.

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Police confirmed they were able to locate the man after a Good Samaritan contacted police to tell them they believed the suspect was nearby.

Speaking on the charges, Inspector Jonathan Caisley, of Northumbria Police, said: “This suspect has tried to stay under the radar for a number of weeks, moving between houses and living a transient lifestyle.

“But thanks for the assistance of our diligent community and their fantastic relationships with our officers, he has now been located and will appear before the courts.

“This is a fantastic example of how our neighbourhood patrols are so important as our officers were in a prime position to act quickly upon the community intelligence – and swiftly locate their suspect.

“We are absolutely delighted that he has now been charged with a number of offences, and has been remanded in custody until his day in court.

“I would like to thank all those who assisted in helping us to locate and detain him, and we will continue to work hand-in-hand with the public to ensure this region remains a safe place to live and work.”

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After receiving the report, nearby officers from the Blyth Neighbourhood Policing Team quickly identified the man, who attempted to make off on foot.

Police subsequently caught up with the man, detaining him and bringing him into custody.

If you have any information about criminality in your area, please report it via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website. Alternatively, you can pass on information to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.