Shildon couple track down stolen scooter wedding gift

A couple managed to track down a scooter wedding present just one day after it was stolen from their back yard.

Becca Morton and John Wilson were upset when the Neco Dinno was taken from a shed behind their home in Shildon, County Durham.

They reported it to police on 18 November but said they received “no help” and ended up tracking it down in Bishop Auckland themselves after a Facebook tip-off.

Durham Police said an officer spoke to the victim on the day of the theft, but “no proportionate, non-speculative lines of inquiry were identified”.

Ms Morton said she believes the culprits drive around the town with someone on the top of their van looking over people’s back fences.

“Then they jump over the wall and take what they want,” she said.

“We had only had it for six weeks.”

This year out of 1,079 cases of motor vehicle theft reported to the Durham force 93 charges were made, according to Home Office figures.

It said Durham was performing better than other forces around the country, but that two thirds of cases were resolved without a suspect being identified.

Mr Wilson said he drove to Bishop Auckland in his van when he heard there had been a sighting on of 19 November.

“I contacted the police and I spoke to them the whole way there,” he said.

“All they were saying was that it was not a confirmed sighting.

“I said please can you just send somebody, we just want it back.”

He said he spotted a youth driving the stolen vehicle and followed him until he pulled over into a cul-de-sac.

Mr Wilson said he approached a small group of teenagers wearing balaclavas and shouted as he ran towards them.

He said he knocked one off the scooter and they all ran off as he called police.

A spokesperson for the Durham force said: “We will always carry out proportionate investigations and in cases where there is clear evidence or lines of inquiry they will be followed up.”

They said officers had responded when Mr Wilson called to say he had spotted his vehiclein Bishop Auckland and it was recovered as well as a motorbike.

“The officers asked the victim if he would like his moped to be forensically recovered to try and identify a suspect, which he declined,” the spokesperson added.