The need to take a holiday is becoming serious work for young people.

Stopping a BMW towing a caravan in the north of England, police officers were surprised who was navigating the break away.

Crime in style

Despite its plush, spacious interior, high-tech amenities and smart vertical skylight, the Bailey Phoenix caravan is probably not that appealing to most young people.

However, there are always those who break the norms.

For detectives tracking down a stolen caravan soon found they were not just chasing your normal profile of caravan hustlers.

Hitched onto a black BMW and ‘stolen’ from a North Yorkshire holiday site, the vehicle was stopped  on the M1 about 40 miles away from the caravan park it was removed from.

They were ‘staggered’ to find that the driver of the car – a hefty four-wheel drive BMW X5, no less – was an 11-year-old child.

Alternative curriculum

Police tracked the luxury car, which was using cloned registration plates, travelling south on the A1.

About 45 minutes after the caravan was reported stolen, the vehicle was stopped.

Officers said they were “staggered” to find an 11-year-old boy sitting in the driver’s seat of the BMW.

When they searched the car, they found “equipment typically used by suspects to carry out thefts” and a selection of vehicle registration plates.

The boy was arrested on suspicion of offences including theft, burglary, going equipped for theft, and motoring offences including dangerous driving.

He was questioned and then released on conditional police bail to allow officers to investigate the case further.

Early start

The owner of the caravan has praised the ‘quick-thinking’ of police.

Janine Forth said she arrived at the caravan park in Thirsk to find her caravan hitched to another car that was driving away.

Writing on Facebook, Ms Forth said the “the amazing response from the police” had probably prevented and even more serious issue.

“God knows what would have happened’ said Forth.

Sergeant Paul Cording of North Yorkshire Police commented: “Even after over 23 years service, you come across things that you struggle to comprehend.”

The theft was reported at 3.30pm, suggesting the lad had either bunked off early from school for the extra curricular project.