Two arrested after tractor rammed into house

BBC A red tractor has gone into the front of a semi-detached house, caving in the window and some of the brickwork. At its height, the tractor reaches the top window. The scene is surrounded by yellow and red temporary barriers.BBC
A cordon remained in place following the crash on Saturday

Police arrested two men after a tractor was rammed into a house in the early hours of the morning.

The tractor crashed into a property on Priory Road, in Middlesbrough, just after 01:00 BST on Saturday, Cleveland Police said.

The men, aged 27 and 34, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to destroy or damage property and theft of a motor vehicle. They were later released on conditional bail.

Police said members of two households had still not been able to return home after a number of properties were evacuated over the weekend as a precaution.

'Video footage'

Officers said they were carrying out forensic examinations, including on the tractor involved, and were working with the local authority to arrange a structural assessment of the house.

Det Ch Insp John Bonner said: "I am aware of video footage circulating on social media which appears to show activity at farm locations across Cleveland, North Yorkshire and Durham prior to the incident and would ask for the owners to report this to us."

He asked farm and landowners in the area with any CCTV or information about suspicious activity on their land within the past seven days to get in touch.

Police said a cordon remained in place at the property in Priory Road.

There would be an increased police presence in the area to "provide reassurance to the community", they added.

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