Police dog chases down teenager after theft report
Plus: Authority confirms council tax freeze
Good morning and welcome to the Thursday briefing from Ashfield News. In today’s edition, a police dog is sent to apprehend a burglary suspect and much more.
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Police dog chases down suspect
A teenager was chased down by a police dog after a motorbike was reported stolen in Nottinghamshire.
PD Max and his handler were called after a bike was stolen in Kirkby-in-Ashfield on Saturday, March 1, and was tracked to a footpath near Hardwick Lane in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
A suspect fled when the team arrived at the scene at about 4.15pm, Nottinghamshire Police said.
A 19-year-old man was then detained by German Shepherd Max and he was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and going equipped to steal.
The man was later released on police bail as investigations continue.
The stolen bike was found nearby and another suspected stolen motorcycle was recovered a short time later.
Sergeant Nick Dachtler, of Nottinghamshire Police's dog unit, said: “This was a good result for Max and his handler, who combined to detain a fleeing suspect.
“Our general-purpose dogs are trained for just this sort of situation and are significantly faster not only than their handers – but also any fleeing suspect.
“Thanks to Max and his handler we were able not only to recover these bikes, but also bring a suspected thief into custody.”
Council confirms council tax freeze
Ashfield District Council has announced that it will freeze its portion of Council Tax for the 2025/2026 financial year.
The council says its strong financial position and healthy reserves have enabled it to make the decision.
For the coming year, Ashfield will receive around 8% of the total council tax income, which is used to fund key local services.
The majority of the revenue (76%) will go to Nottinghamshire County Council, with 12% allocated to the Police and Crime Commissioner and 4% to the Fire and Rescue service.
Despite the freeze, the council reassured residents that key initiatives, such as the £62.6 million Towns Fund projects and the Big Spring Clean, will continue.
Services like the Garden Waste collection and free parking will also remain unchanged.
Stalker jailed after order breach
A convicted stalker has been jailed after breaching a court order designed to protect women from harm.
Ryan Smith, 22, was arrested in February following a routine inspection by the Mansfield South Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Officers grew suspicious after noticing multiple Snapchat notifications from young women on his phone, leading to his arrest two days later.
Smith had been placed under a Stalking Protection Order in October 2024 after being sentenced to a suspended 16-week prison term for stalking a woman.
The order banned him from contacting the victim or her family and required him to disclose any relationships he had.
However, further investigation revealed Smith had failed to disclose a relationship and had a tablet at home he had not reported.
Smith, from Mansfield, pleaded guilty to two breaches of the order and was jailed for six months at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 13 February.
Secondary school places confirmed
More than 98% of Nottinghamshire children have been offered a spot at one of their parents’ preferred secondary schools, with more than 91% receiving their first choice.
Parents and carers were notified on Monday 3 March of their child’s outcome, with online applicants receiving an email or logging into their school admissions account to view the offer.
Those who applied later will be contacted by post.
County councillor Ben Bradley praised the successful admissions process and the council’s work in securing additional school places across the county.