Man with walking stick sought after spate of tyre-slashings

Officers plead for help over 'unusual' footage

Police investigating a spate of tyre slashings say they want to talk to a man caught on camera using a walking stick to prod parked vehicles.

The man is seen probing the tyres of a parked Skoda saloon car and a van behind it, in footage released by Northumbria Police.

Gateshead’s Winlaton and Blaydon neighbourhoods saw 44 tyre slashings in 2017 including a spike in incidents over Christmas, officers said.

One person, a 33-year-old, has been arrested in relation to slashings in December.

But police believe more than one person is involved and asked residents to get in touch if they recognised the man in the ”unusual” footage, captured on 22 November last year in Park Lane, Winlaton.

In it, a man wearing a hat and scarf is seen to push the end of a walking stick into the tyres of each vehicle.

Though his body obscures some of his actions, the stick appears to flex as he probes the front left tyre of the Skoda.

Sergeant Warren Sturrock said: “The CCTV footage is very unusual and we really need to speak to the individual involved as part of our investigation.

“We need to establish exactly what is happening on the CCTV and we would encourage this man to come forward or for anyone who knows who he is to get in touch.

“When you add up all the damage being caused to these vehicles it amounts to thousands of pounds and so we are taking these incidents incredibly seriously.”

Anyone with information should call Northumbria Police on 101, extension 64585, or email 473@northumbria.pnn.police.uk.