Bungling thieves dubbed ‘Dumb and Dumber’ for stealing gear too big for van

A pair of thieves have found themselves labelled "dumb and dumber" after they attempted a theft in a getaway van that was too small for their payload.

Kieron Heslop, 30, and Paul Stephenson, 31, had tried to make off with a road roller on the day of the Queen's funeral last year.

But they were stopped in their tracks after realising the machinery was too big for the back of their van, with the stolen vehicle worth £10,000 just too large.

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Heslop and Stephenson had chosen September 19 last year to make their thieving move because they believed there would be less people around due to Her Majesty's funeral.

The pair, who were spotted on CCTV before police were called, had stolen £300 of diesel and were caught after trying and failing to load the road roller.

Both were apprehended after a brief chase that left Stephenson with a bite from a police dog, and both later admitted to theft at Newcastle Crown Court.

Heslop, one half of the dumb and dumber duo, had 63 previous convictions to his name and received a sentence of nine months in prison, suspended for two years and an order of 150 hours of unpaid work.

Stephenson was handed a community order to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

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Northumbria Police have since released pictures of the duo, who were mocked relentlessly by members of the public labelling them anything from "dumb and dumber" to "the Chuckle Brothers".

One user made an apt comparison, commenting: "When the Chuckle Brothers meets Dumb and Dumber!"

Another added: "Lol dumb and dumber. Yet another slap on the wrist from the courts."

A third wondered how the duo felt when they realised the van would not fit, writing: "S**te van man! They must have been steaming when they realised it wouldn't fit."

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