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21 Jan 2026
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21 Jan 2026
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A car thief who hid inside a giant teddy bear has been jailed for nine months.
Joshua Dobson, 18, from Spotland, Rochdale, was wanted by police for stealing a car and not paying for fuel.
Officers searched for him at an address in Rochdale.
Dobson was nowhere to be seen, until the officers noticed that a large teddy bear was breathing.
#JAILED | When we saw this large bear breathing during a hunt for a thief we thought something wasn't right… then we found our suspect stuffed inside!
Joshua Dodson (18) stole a car while disqualified & filled up for fuel without paying. He's sentenced to nine months in jail. pic.twitter.com/cwAGO7PvIw
— GMP Rochdale (@GMPRochdale) August 10, 2022
When they opened it up, they found the teenager hiding inside.
In a statement on Facebook, GMP Rochdale said that Dobson had been “stuffed behind bars”.
“He’s now stuffed behind bars after being sentenced last week for theft of a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified, and making off from a petrol station without payment,” the force said.
“Hopefully he has a bearable time inside…”
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