Two Arrests After South Lakes Vehicle Stop Uncovers Seven Suspected Stolen Jackets

​Two people were arrested after police stopped a vehicle in Kendal, with seven suspected stolen waterproof jackets discovered during the investigation.

South Lakes police, supported by officers from Cumbria Police’s firearms support unit, stopped the vehicle on Oxenholme Road in Kendal at around 10pm. The stop followed concerns surrounding the vehicle and its occupants, with officers carrying out further checks after making contact with those inside. The incident subsequently resulted in two separate arrests linked to suspected drink-driving and suspected shop theft.

The woman driving the vehicle was reported to smell of alcohol when officers approached. She was given a roadside breath test, which she failed, prompting officers to take the matter further and require a further evidential reading while she was in custody. The subsequent reading was recorded at almost twice the legal drink-drive limit, according to South Lakes police.

The vehicle stop also led officers to search the car and discover seven new waterproof jackets. The clothing was found inside the vehicle during the police investigation, with officers subsequently establishing that the jackets were believed to have been taken from an outdoor store in Ambleside. The suspected theft was said to have occurred earlier on the same day as the vehicle stop.

A man who was travelling as a passenger in the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of shop theft following the discovery of the jackets. Police said the items were identified as having been stolen from an outdoor retailer in Ambleside earlier that day. The discovery therefore led officers to investigate the passenger in connection with a suspected theft, separate from the concerns surrounding the driver.

The driver and passenger were both taken into police custody following the stop. The driver was dealt with in connection with the suspected drink-driving offence, while the man was arrested over the suspected shop theft involving the waterproof jackets. Police carried out interviews with both suspects as part of their enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the vehicle and the items found inside it.

Following their interviews, both suspects were released on bail. Their release means the investigations remain ongoing and does not represent a finding of guilt against either person. Further police enquiries will determine what action, if any, is taken in relation to the suspected offences identified during the vehicle stop.

The incident began with a vehicle being stopped on Oxenholme Road, one of Kendal’s main routes through the town. The presence of officers from the firearms support unit meant that the stop involved specialist police resources as well as South Lakes officers. Police have not provided further information about why the firearms support unit was involved in the operation.

The suspected drink-driving offence was identified after officers noticed the smell of alcohol from the woman driving the vehicle. A failed roadside breath test was followed by a further test in custody, which produced a reading almost twice the legal limit. Police have not provided the precise reading in the information released about the incident, but confirmed that it was substantially above the permitted level.

The discovery of the seven jackets added a separate line of investigation to the police stop. Officers identified the waterproof clothing as suspected stolen property and traced it to an outdoor store in Ambleside. According to police, the jackets had been stolen earlier that day, meaning the investigation involved suspected theft from a South Lakes business before the vehicle was stopped in Kendal.

The incident highlights how a routine vehicle stop can lead officers to identify more than one suspected offence. In this case, the roadside breath test resulted in further drink-driving checks, while a search of the vehicle uncovered clothing believed to have been stolen. The two strands of the investigation resulted in both occupants being arrested and subsequently interviewed by police.

Police have not released the name, age or other identifying details of either suspect. No information has been provided about the outdoor store in Ambleside from which the jackets were allegedly stolen, beyond the description of it as an outdoor store. The available police information also does not provide further details about the circumstances of the alleged shop theft.

The seven jackets remain central to the suspected shop theft investigation, with officers identifying them as property believed to have been taken from the Ambleside business. The fact that they were found in the vehicle formed the basis for the passenger’s arrest on suspicion of shop theft. Police will now continue their enquiries while both suspects remain on bail.

The suspected drink-driving investigation will also continue following the custody breath test. The reading was described by South Lakes police as almost twice the legal limit, following the failed roadside test. As with the suspected theft allegation, the arrest and investigation do not by themselves establish guilt, and any further action will depend on the evidence gathered by officers.

The arrests followed an evening operation on Oxenholme Road, with police stopping the vehicle at approximately 10pm. The subsequent investigation brought together evidence relating to the driver’s suspected alcohol level and the seven waterproof jackets found during the search. Both suspects have since been interviewed and released on bail while police enquiries continue.

South Lakes police have confirmed the key details of the operation but have not indicated what further investigative steps are planned. The two suspects remain subject to ongoing enquiries following their release on bail. Any future decision to charge either person will depend on the outcome of the investigations into the suspected drink-driving offence and the suspected theft of the jackets.

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