'Thieves' arrested after leaving trail of footprints in snow

Cold weather 'brought misery to two males last night', says Cheshire police

Officers tracked the men using footprints (File photo) (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Two suspected thieves have been arrested after police said they followed footprints left in the snow.

Officers in Macclesfield received a report of a theft from a van in Northgate Avenue shortly before 11.30pm on Tuesday.

After the suspected thieves left tracks in the snow, the police arrested two men, both aged 39.

A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: “The offenders made off on foot leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

“Officers made a search of the area and arrested two men. Items were recovered nearby.”

The men, from Manchester and Stockport, were arrested on suspicion of theft.

Cheshire Police said in a Twitter post: “The snow brought misery to two males last night.

“Mainly because the police followed their footprints and arrested them for breaking into vehicles in Macclesfield. Stolen property recovered too.”

Huge swathes of the UK were blanked in snow on Tuesday and Wednesday as the so called “Beast from the East” set in.

Police across the country advised motorists to avoid driving if possible owing to poor visibility and treacherous conditions.

Three people were killed in a crash in Lincolnshire and a man died after a collision in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday morning.

There were several road accidents on Tuesday night and in the early hours of Wednesday and a number of roads have been cleared and reopened.

Forecasters predict the snow and freezing temperatures will continue, prompting the Met Office to extend some of its weather warnings.

Rural communities could be cut off for several days, while power cuts and mobile phone network interruptions may occur, the Met Office said.

From Thursday, forecasters predict that another weather system, Storm Emma, will bring blizzards, gales and sleet.

Additional reporting by agencies