Two burglars who stole a quad bike from a farm in Barnard Castle were caught after live-streaming their high speed chase with police on Snapchat.
Leon Robinson, 32, and Mark Gary Carroll, 33, both from Hartlepool, were jailed for 20 months and ordered to pay £156 to the Teesdale farmer they robbed.
The pair tried to steal a Polaris ATV vehicle - a quad bike - and other equipment from a farm building in Barnard Castle when they were discovered and the chase began.
Barnard Castle is the Durham market town that Dominic Cummings, then a senior advisor Prime Minister Boris Johnson, broke lockdown rules to visit last year.
A neighbour shared the burglar's van details on the community’s Rural Watch Whatsapp group and reported them to the police.
Officers gave chase and were rammed by the van.
On the Snapchat footage Robinson can be heard laughing and encouraging Carroll as police pursued them.
Police were able to intercept the van and arrest the two men. The quad bike was also recovered.
At Durham Crown Court both men were sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Carroll, who was driving the van, was also banned from driving for 22 months.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Hindmarsh, of Durham Constabulary CID, said: “The job was a great example of community, Rural Watch and police working together to catch the individuals who travelled into our area to steal farm machinery.
“It was good to see the stolen goods recovered for the farmer who was in the middle of a very busy lambing time."
She added: “We will not stand for this type of behaviour in our communities and hope this result deters others who think they can come into our rural areas to commit criminal offences.”
