Balaclava-clad thugs stole a tractor and drove it ‘full throttle’ through a living room wall into a family home.
The red Massey Ferguson was stolen from a farm nine miles away before it was rammed through a living room wall of a mid-terraced home in Middlesbrough at around 1.40am today.
Neighbours were woken by a series of loud bangs and watched as the tractor – with a baler still attached – was reversed and driven into the front of the house a second time before the two men fled into a waiting getaway car.
Residents described hearing the tractor and seeing its yellow flashing lights before it drove into the property, as neighbours were forced to evacuate as a precaution shortly after the incident on Priory Road.
The house was unoccupied when the attack took place.
One resident, who filmed the incident on his phone, said: ‘I heard it and felt it. It reversed into a car and drove back in again. They were all in balaclavas and hoodies. It was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen.’
And in the aftermath of the collision, farmer Ian Tate arrived at the scene to find his vehicle still wedged in the front wall with its engine ticking over.
‘There was no key in the ignition,’ he told The Mail on Sunday. ‘This was a good ten hours after the crash. I don’t know if they can hotwire these modern tractors or not.’
Farm camera footage showed the thieves had first attempted to steal a crop sprayer before turning their attention to the Massey Ferguson.
A stolen tractor smashed into a house before a masked gang fled the scene in a getaway car
Neighbours were forced to evacuate after the vehicle smashed into the property on Priory Road, Middlesbrough, at around 1.40am today
Residents described hearing the tractor and seeing its yellow flashing lights before it drove ‘full throttle’ into the brickwork
‘These machines are complicated to handle and complicated to drive,’ Mr Tate said. ‘Someone had to know what they were doing.’
Police cordoned off the road as officers remained at the scene.
Detective Chief Inspector John Bonner, from Middlesbrough CID, said: ‘Shortly after 1am on Saturday (May 9) police received reports of a tractor being driven into a house on Priory Road in Middlesbrough.
‘The property is unoccupied therefore no one suffered any injury however neighbouring properties were evacuated as a precaution and will return once it has been deemed safe.
‘We are currently treating this as deliberate, and a scene is in place while the investigation is ongoing. I’d ask members of the public to avoid the area where possible.
‘Additional patrols will be carried out in the area over the weekend to provide reassurance to the community.’
The North East Ambulance Service confirmed no one required hospital treatment following the incident and crews were later stood down.
A spokesperson said: ‘We were called to an incident on Priory Road, Middlesbrough at 1.40am on 9 May.
‘We dispatched a duty officer and a double-crewed ambulance but were stood down at the scene by our police and fire colleagues.’
Anyone with information, dashcam or doorbell footage of the tractor stolen from Yarm has been urged to get in touch quoting reference number 087639.
Alternatively, those who wish to report anonymously can do so by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.’
