NORTHUMBRIA Police have arrested 60 of their "most wanted" fugitives in just five days of activity.

The force revealed last week that they had launched a week of action to track down suspects across Newcastle and Gateshead.

Intelligence officers spent a large amount of time pulling together a picture of the suspects as part of Operation Bastion.

From last Monday, response officers were joined by Motor Patrol and Dog Section officers to conduct searches for fugitives on the run across Tyneside.

Detectives have now revealed that 60 people were arrested for a range of unsolved crimes, including burglary, assault, and drug offences.

Chief Inspector Kelly Hetherington has overseen the activity and praised the efforts of officers and staff.

She said: “These fugitives had been identified as some of the highest risk suspects in our region and I am delighted that so many have been arrested.

“They have been purposely avoiding police and it is thanks to the tenacity of officers working on Operation Bastion that they have been brought into custody.

“We have had support from Departments across the Force, as well as our Special Constables who have volunteered their own time to come in and search for these individuals.

“We have also had some fantastic support from our partners in Newcastle and Gateshead and I want to extend my thanks to them.

“This may well have been a week of activity but I want fugitives in our region to know that we will never stop looking for you.

“You should always be looking over your shoulder and always be expecting a knock on your door – it’s only a matter of time before we find you.”

Out of the 60 people arrested, 55 are men and five are women. A number of those arrested were escorted directly to the next available court.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of an individual who is wanted by police can contact officers by calling 101.