Dramatic moment West Midlands Police catch Birmingham car key burglars Khye Salmon and Callum Rivers

A gang of car-key burglars were caught red-handed by police bringing their five month crime spree to a juddering end.

The pair were involved with at least 17 burglaries across the West Midlands dating back to September 2017 - breaking into homes and taking owners’ keys to steal £250,000 worth of cars.

Dramatic dashcam footage of police pursuing Khye Salmon and Callum Rivers through Sheldon after their latest burglary of a car from Leamington Spa shows a high speed chase through red lights, over pavements and through bollards at 5am on 20 February in 2020.

The force told how their pursuing officer used all his advanced driver training to shunt the stolen Seat Leon’s rear wing and pin it against a fence in Church Lane in Sheldon - spinning it 180 degrees. Passenger Rivers is seen being thrown across the back seat as the stole car came to a halt.

Police explained: “It’s a controlled, approved tactical manoeuvre enabling us to bring reckless drivers to a stop if they pose a danger to other road users or pedestrians.”

As the burglars flee on foot, officers - armed with Tasers - run after them. One cop screams: “Police! Get on the ground now. Do not (bleeped) move. “Hands behind your back now.”

Driver Salmon, aged 20, and 21-year-old passenger Callum Rivers were arrested at the scene. Rivers had been arrested in similar circumstances just days earlier.

“On that occasion we pursued a VW Up – stolen in the early hours of 17 February from Fallowfields Road, Solihull – before using “tactical contact” to bring it to a stop in Admington Road, Sheldon,” police said.

“We found Rivers, a disqualified driver, behind the wheel and he was bailed while we carried out enquiries with neighbouring police forces into his suspected involvement in a widespread burglary and car theft conspiracy.”

Was anyone else involved in these crimes committed by Khye Salmon and Callum Rivers?

Detectives found the pair were involved in at least 17 burglaries at homes and shops dating back to 8 September 2019 when a Skoda Octavia and Ford Fiesta ST were stolen from a home in Haslucks Green Road, Shirley.

Fellow thief Anthony Ferrie, aged 26, accompanied them to commit some of their earlier offences.

The gang went on to force entry to more homes in Redditch, Stechford, Sutton Coldfield and Shirley before targeting several shops.

They smashed windows at a Spar in Hampton Lane, Solihull, at 2am on 30 October where they made off with a wheelie bin filled with cigarettes.

On 6 November they struck at One Stop in High Street, Knowle, followed by two more early morning shop raids on 10 November in Norwich Croft, Marston Green, and Alcester Road, Kings Heath, where cash and scratch cards were taken.

In total they made off with vehicles valued at up to £250,000 plus thousands of pounds worth of cigarettes and takings from shops.

How did police link all of these crimes back to the three crooks?

Detectives recovered DNA linking the men to the break-ins, including Ferrie’s on the Skoda’s airbag after it crashed during a pursuit three days after it was stolen.

They also seized phones linked to Salmon and Ferrie in the Skoda, plus found footwear impressions of rare North Face trainers at one crime scene that matched a pair owned by Ferrie.

Ferrie, from Ingoldsby Road, Northfield, and Rivers from Orpwood Close, Stechford admitted conspiracy to commit burglary.

Salmon, from Radleys Walk, Sheldon, initially denied involvement but pleaded guilty before his pending trial. He and Rivers were also convicted of dangerous driving.

What happened at court?

On 30 June at Birmingham Crown Court Salmon, who accepted involvement in six burglaries, was jailed for four years 10 months; he was also banned from driving for 28 months.

Rivers had already admitted taking part in five burglaries and jailed for four years four months in January.

Ferrie, who admitted involvement in 14 break-ins, is due to be sentenced on 14 July.

What have the officers involved with the case said about the crimes in their own words?

PC Mark Woodcock is one of the officers who caught up with the group. He said: “These are three dangerous men who thought nothing of forcing entry to people’s homes while they slept.

“At one attempted break-in at a petrol station (Texaco, Sutton Coldfield) they threatened a taxi driver with machetes when he drove onto the forecourt.

“During the pursuits we knew they were not going to cooperate and pull over… so we had to take decisive action at the right moment to stop them before they risked causing injury to other road users or pedestrians.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. BirminghamWorld is Birmingham’s latest news website, championing everything that is great about our city - reporting on news, lifestyle and sport. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going.