Britain’s most-wanted 12-year-old hunted by cops after ‘driving off in BMW with stolen caravan’ on busy M1
COPS are on the hunt for Britain’s most-wanted 12-year-old after he was found driving a BMW, which was towing a suspected stolen caravan along a major motorway.
The youngster, who was caught last year behind the wheel of the motor, was due to appear in court last week but never showed up.
As a member of the Travelling community he has no fixed address, so police have been forced to issue an arrest warrant and launch a widespread search for the boy.
The young lad is being charged with driving dangerously and the “theft of a motor vehicle”.
It was last year when officers were notified that a caravan had been taken from a holiday site near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, by someone driving the black luxury vehicle.
Police were left shocked after discovering a child behind the wheel of the BMW X5 as he headed down the M1, near Leeds, West Yorkshire, while pulling the motorhome.
When they tracked down the BMW as it headed South on the A1, they discovered it was also using cloned registration plates.
Police managed to stop the car 45 minutes later after it left the A1 at Hook Moor Interchange near Garforth and headed onto the M1.
But they were stunned when they pulled open the driver’s door to find the young schoolboy sitting at the wheel of the powerful motor.
North Yorkshire Police said he was questioned and later released on conditional police bail to allow further enquiries to be carried out.
But now cops have launched a national search for the youngster who failed to appear before Harrogate Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 14.
A spokesperson for the court told The Mail Online: “A juvenile was due to appear before Harrogate magistrates charged with theft of a motor vehicle of value unknown, driving it dangerously and handling stolen goods, namely a caravan.
“The defendant has not attended and an arrest warrant has been issued.”
Cops cautioned caravan owners to ensure their vehicles have up-to-date security measures to prevent thefts.
These include installing CCTV overlooking motorhomes and locking gates that allow access to driveways and garages where they are stored.
Taking to Facebook at the time, the caravan’s owner also warned motorists to be extra vigilant, while praising the cops for their “quick thinking” and “amazing response” at the time of the incident.
She said: “We arrived at the caravan site just as they had hitched it up and were driving away with it.
“If it [hadn’t] been for quick thinking and the amazing response from the police, god knows what would have happened.”
One local, reacting to the latest news, said the force are going to have quite “the job on their hands” tracking down the young lad.
The police said: “Even after over 23 years service, you come across things that you struggle to comprehend.
“Like yesterday when some great fast track work from the team identified a recently stolen caravan being towed by a vehicle on false plates, but then to find the driver was only 11 years old!”