Man arrested over burglary at home of Ben Stokes

PA Media Close up portrait of Ben Stokes wearing a black top. He has red hair and a beard and is looking slightly to the right. Behind him in the distance is a blurred crowd of spectators.PA Media
Stokes has been England's Test captain since 2022

A man has been arrested following a burglary at the home of England cricket captain Ben Stokes.

Stokes, who was in Pakistan for the recent Test series, said his wife and two children were at the property in Castle Eden, County Durham, when a masked gang broke in on 17 October.

Durham Police said a 32-year-old man from North Yorkshire was arrested overnight on suspicion of burglary.

He has been released on bail while the investigation continues, the force added.

Stokes, 33, said his family did not come to "any physical harm" but a number of "sentimental" items were taken, including the medal for his OBE, which he received in 2020 for helping England win the World Cup the year before.

Getty Images Ben Stokes in a suit with his OBE medal at Buckingham Palace.Getty Images
Stokes shared images of some of the items taken, including his OBE medal he received in February 2020 at Buckingham Palace

He posted pictures of the missing items on social media, which also included three necklaces, a ring and a designer bag.

The all-rounder, who also plays for Durham, said his "sole motivation" for sharing the images was "not the recovery of material items", but "to catch the people who did this".

A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said: "Officers continue to appeal for information and anyone who can help is asked to call 101, quoting incident number 543 of 17 October."

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