Two “wet through and dishevelled” suspects were arrested by police after another unsuccessful attempt to steal a quad bike in North Yorkshire.

He spotted two men taking a quad bike out of a barn. As he approached them, the suspects ran off empty-handed. Damage had been caused to the vehicle’s ignition.

Officers deployed immediately to the area, and began an extensive search, including with the NPAS police helicopter. A warning and a description of the suspects was sent out on Facebook, Twitter, North Yorkshire Community Messaging and to local Rural Watch volunteers. However, no one was located.

On Friday morning,12 June at around 7am, a motorist on her way to work noticed two men, whom she described as looking “rather dishevelled and wet through”, walking near Kiplin along the B6271, towards Northallerton.

North Yorkshire Police officers drove towards Kiplin, where they stopped and arrested two men, aged 19 and 28. Both were arrested on suspicion of burglary with intent to steal.

One of the men has been released under investigation while enquiries continue. The other remains in custody at this time.

At 3.50am on Thursday 11 June, a 22-year-old man was arrested in Danby Wiske, near Northallerton, on suspicion of stealing a quad bike. Two other men seen riding on the suspected stolen quad bike ran off into fields and were not located at the time.

However, the two men arrested near Kiplin have both been further arrested in connection with this incident as well.