TWO teenage boys have been arrested after they were allegedly discovered hiding in a North Lambton backyard after leading police on a chase in a stolen car.
Newcastle police officers were backed by the force's dog squad as they searched for the 17-year-old and 15-year-old in the early hours of Wednesday.
The older boy has been hit with the new "post and boast" charge, relating to property crime activity being posted online.
It marks one of the first times Newcastle police have levelled the charge.
Police were patrolling Newcastle Link Road at Cameron Park just before 3am when they tried to pull over a Holden Captiva.
Officers allege the car failed to stop and a pursuit was sparked, which continued towards Wallsend and Shortland.
Investigations revealed the car had been stolen from a Wallsend address between 6pm on Friday night and 7.30am on Saturday morning, police said.
Officers lost sight of the Holden at Waratah West and the chase was called off.
Police discovered the Holden abandoned on Verulam Road at North Lambton just a short time later.
They launched a search of the area, assisted by the Dog Unit, and the two teenage boys were allegedly found in the backyard of a property on Acacia Avenue.
The two boys were arrested and taken to Waratah Police Station, where they were both charged with being carried in a vehicle that had been taken without the consent of the owner.
The older boy was charged with "commit a section 154A offence and disseminate", known as a "post and boast" charge.
Both were refused bail by police to front a children's court today.
It comes as a police operation targeting property crime and the groups of people scaring residents and stealing their cash and cars has been making inroads in Newcastle.
There are strike force detectives dedicated to investigating offences like break-ins and vehicle thefts across the Hunter, working under Operation Mongoose, sharing intelligence between police districts and backing local officers.
Newcastle Police District's crime manager Detective Inspector Steve Benson told the Newcastle Herald last week that proactive measures and the hard work of cops on the ground had netted results in recent weeks.
"The investigations are going well and I'm really happy with the results they've achieved, but it's an ongoing challenge," he said at the time.
At least seven teenagers were arrested across a few days last week alone, after alleged pursuits with stolen cars.
