Durham Constabulary

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In an emergency always dial 999. Visit our website to view our 'Community Management Guidelines'. Offensive comments will be removed. A comment will be considered offensive if, for example, it contains foul or abusive language directed at either the constabulary or other users, or implies that someone is guilty of a crime. We reserve the right to ban those making offensive comments.

🕵️‍♀️Ever wondered what’s involved in a missing person’s investigation?A/Detective Sergeant Andy Denham took part in Rep...
28/05/2026

🕵️‍♀️Ever wondered what’s involved in a missing person’s investigation?

A/Detective Sergeant Andy Denham took part in Reported Missing’s new series following a very unusual case of an international student who was reported missing in Edinburgh.

Police Scotland colleagues believed the 19-year-old had travelled to Durham City and the case only got more bizarre from there.

🎥Watch how the case unfolded on iPlayer now at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002wxss/reported-missing-series-5-2-extortion?seriesId=b08mp809-structural-5-m002wxr4 or catch it on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday, June 4.

Blast Films

Police are aware of community concerns regarding the use of illicit ‘Mazza’ v**es over recent days, particularly in the ...
28/05/2026

Police are aware of community concerns regarding the use of illicit ‘Mazza’ v**es over recent days, particularly in the east of the county and amongst young people.

A ‘Mazza’ v**e is often sold purporting to contain THC but commonly contain other dangerous and synthetic drugs and additives.

Several suspected Mazza v**es and v**e liquids have been seized this week after members of the public raised concerns that they may contain traces of fentanyl.

Officers have since carried out tests on these liquids, and the results have shown no traces of fentanyl or anything illicit.

Despite these results, we would like to remind parents and young people that illegal v**es and v**es of unknown origin can be extremely dangerous.

It is illegal to sell v**es to those under the age of 18, or to buy a v**e for anyone under the age of 18.

If you have any concerns about the supply of v**es to children, you can contact Trading Standards here: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office

⚖️A man who stabbed a fellow occupant in the back at a supported accommodation has been jailed. Jason Blackett calmly we...
27/05/2026

⚖️A man who stabbed a fellow occupant in the back at a supported accommodation has been jailed.

Jason Blackett calmly went to his kitchen picked up a knife before approaching the victim from behind and plunging the knife into his back at his home in Shildon, last September.

Another man at the address called 999 while Blackett picked up his mug off the coffee table and left the house, telling a witness outside that he’d just stabbed someone.

The 45-year-old was arrested and the victim taken to hospital where he was treated for the stab wound and thankfully made a full recovery.

Blackett refused to answer any questions in interview but was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and remanded into custody.

He was initially due to stand trial but changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to 80 months in prison when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court on May 14.

🗣️DC Lovelass, who led the investigation, said: “This was a horrendous attack that seemed to come out of the blue and left the victim in understandable shock.

“After a thorough investigation, we were able to pursue an evidence-led prosecution and bring Blackett to justice.”

WantedHave you seen Damien Devlin?Officers would like to speak to him after failing to appear at court.The 55-year-old i...
27/05/2026

Wanted

Have you seen Damien Devlin?

Officers would like to speak to him after failing to appear at court.

The 55-year-old is believed to be in the Newcastle area but has previous links to Durham, Spennymoor and Consett.

If you have seen him, or know where he is, please don’t comment here.

Instead, call us on 101.

A drug dealer who led a luxury lifestyle funded by the profits of his illegal activity has been jailed for more than ten...
27/05/2026

A drug dealer who led a luxury lifestyle funded by the profits of his illegal activity has been jailed for more than ten years.

Police officers discovered bundles of cash in Tony Fisher’s car after he was involved in a collision on January 9, 2021.

This led officers to carry out a search of his house in County Durham where they located 100grams of co***ne, which had a street value of nearly £10,000.

The 39-year-old’s mobile phone, which was seized during the search, showed messages arranging drug deals, and photographs and videos of drugs and cash were also found.

During searches of the property, invoices were found showing purchases for several cars, car insurance, a caravan and cosmetic procedures, which together with the cash found totalled more than £250,000.

Many of these payments were done so in cash and during a time in which Fisher had been unemployed for a significant period.

Officers were already investigating Fisher in September 2020 after intelligence suggested he may be involved in illegal activity and during that visit to his house more than £10,300 in cash was found.

At Durham Crown Court earlier this month, Fisher was jailed for 126 months after pleading guilty to possession of criminal property to the value of £252,661 between January 2016 and August 2022, possession with intent to supply Class A drug co***ne on January 9, 2021, and being concerned in the supply of Class A drug co***ne between October 2018 and January 2021.

Stephen Millward, of Durham Constabulary's Economic Crime Unit, said: “Drugs bring misery to our communities so we will always do everything in our power to stop and disrupt those supplying and dealing these substances.

“No one should be able to benefit from the money made from this illegal activity. Fisher thought he could live a life that was beyond his legal means but during our investigation it was clear to see what he was up to.

“It has been a lengthy, but thorough investigation to get uncover his criminal activity but now he can reflect on his actions behind bars.”

❌ Don’t speed, it’s really that simple. Earlier this month, we carried out speed enforcement checks in Bishop Middleham ...
27/05/2026

❌ Don’t speed, it’s really that simple.

Earlier this month, we carried out speed enforcement checks in Bishop Middleham following complaints from residents who were concerned that people were speeding through the village.

Over three days, officers from Durham Roads & Armed Policing checked more than 350 vehicles which were travelling on High Road – a 30mph road through the village.

Of these:

📍 Nine drivers were issued with Traffic Offence Reports for speeding over 40mph, with 47mph being the highest speed recorded.

📍 One woman was handed a Traffic Offence Report for careless driving after overtaking at speed and contravening a central island.

📍 Another driver was reported for court action for travelling at 42mph and having no tax or insurance.

📍 Words of advice were also given to 15 drivers.

Disappointingly, most of the drivers who were stopped for speeding were locals who actually lived in the village.

Speed limits are there to keep people safe and it’s in everyone’s best interest for drivers to ensure their speed is appropriate for the road they are travelling on.

Being local to the area and knowing the roads doesn’t mean you can speed.

A pedestrian hit at 30mph has a one in five chance of being killed. This rises to a one in three chance if they are hit at 35mph.

Please, just slow down.

Thank you to everyone who shared our appeal to find Linda from Darlington.We are pleased to say she has been found safe ...
27/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who shared our appeal to find Linda from Darlington.

We are pleased to say she has been found safe and well.

A moment of poor judgement can have lasting consequences.On Sunday afternoon, emergency services responded to a serious ...
26/05/2026

A moment of poor judgement can have lasting consequences.

On Sunday afternoon, emergency services responded to a serious incident in Durham City involving two men believed to be intoxicated.

During an altercation, one of the men entered the water and quickly found himself in difficulty, while the other was unable to help.

🛟Fortunately, concerned members of the public alerted emergency services. Police officers responded quickly and threw a safety ring to help keep the man afloat until further support arrived.

Specialist teams from the North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS), including a HART team, attended alongside County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service. Fire crews deployed a raft into the river and safely recovered the man.

A 50-year-old man was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham for treatment after spending time in the water and was discharged the following morning.

A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of common assault but was later released without charge.

While incidents like this may begin as social drinking, they can quickly escalate into life-threatening situations. This serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with alcohol consumption near open water. We will also take action where offences are identified, and arrests will be made.

We urge the public to remain vigilant around rivers and waterways. Incidents of this nature place significant demand on emergency service resources, including specialist teams whose availability is critical.

⚠️ As temperatures are forecast to remain high this week, please take care near open water and speak with your children about the risks if they are out and about this half term.

In an emergency, do not hesitate to call 999.

Remember: Phone, Float, Throw to help someone in the water.

💙 A big thank you to our amazing force control room who worked tirelessly over the bank holiday weekend. From Friday to ...
26/05/2026

💙 A big thank you to our amazing force control room who worked tirelessly over the bank holiday weekend.

From Friday to Monday, our call handlers answered more than 1️⃣,5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ emergency 999 calls, working around the clock to coordinate responders and support those in need.

While many of us were out enjoying the sunshine, they were behind the scenes making sure help was there when it mattered most.

As always, if you need us we’re here.

For non-emergency incidents please contact us on 101 or Live Chat.

For emergencies please dial 999.

Happy Bank Holiday weekend from PDs Baxter, Louie and Demi, our specialist search dogs 🐾Earlier this week, the team took...
24/05/2026

Happy Bank Holiday weekend from PDs Baxter, Louie and Demi, our specialist search dogs 🐾

Earlier this week, the team took part in a routine training exercise at the Stadium of Light.

☀️ If you’re heading out to watch the final games of the season unfold, whether to the ground or a beer garden, enjoy yourselves, look out for one another and never drink and drive.

Sunderland AFC

Two Durham Constabulary officers have been nominated for a national Police Bravery Award after their decisive actions he...
22/05/2026

Two Durham Constabulary officers have been nominated for a national Police Bravery Award after their decisive actions helped bring a violent knife attack to a safe conclusion and potentially save a life.

PC Andy Docherty and PC Josh Laddie were on night shift last year when they responded to a report of a shoplifting incident at a local store. After carrying out initial enquiries, the officers resumed patrol nearby. A routine drive back past the area quickly escalated when they spotted two men engaged in what appeared to be a serious altercation in the road.

Approaching the scene, the officers initially believed both individuals may have been armed. As they moved in to intervene, they identified that one of the men was holding a large kitchen knife with a six-inch blade.

Despite repeated instructions to drop the weapon, the suspect attempted to move away. Faced with an immediate threat, PC Docherty discharged his taser, successfully stopping the individual. The weapon was swiftly secured, and the suspect was detained with the support of PC Laddie.

Only once the situation was under control did the full severity of the incident become clear. The second man had sustained stab wounds to the chest area. Both officers immediately provided first aid at the scene before the injured man was taken to hospital, where he was treated and later discharged.

Reflecting on the incident, both officers emphasised the speed at which events unfolded and the need to adapt to changing circumstances.

PC Docherty said: “At the time, I was just focused on doing my job. It’s only afterwards you realise it could’ve been a lot worse.”

PC Laddie added: “You deal with what’s in front of you. If the threat changes, you adapt – that’s policing.

The officers also highlighted the importance of teamwork in achieving a safe outcome, with PC Docherty expressing that coordinated action was key in managing the risk posed by the suspect.

The nomination acknowledges their bravery, instinctive actions and commitment to protecting the public, reflecting the standards demonstrated by officers across the force every day.

PC Docherty and PC Laddie will represent Durham Police Federation at the national Police Bravery Awards later this year and we couldn't be prouder of the pair.

Address

Police Headquarters, Aykley Heads
Durham
DH15TT

Website

https://www.durham.police.uk/police-forces/durham-constabulary/areas/about-us/about-us/how

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