Stratford thief jailed

A thief from Stratford has been jailed after being spotted on CCTV breaking into a car in the town.

John Lewis, 32, of Alcester Road, Stratford was spotted breaking into a car in Bridgeway Car Park on the evening of 24 September.

The CCTV operator from Stratford District Council contacted police who headed to the scene and spotted Lewis in Greenhill Street.

He fled but a short time later was located in Grove Road where he was arrested by officers.

The items stolen from the car had been dumped in a bin near the car park and these were seized by officers. They also seized cannabis from Lewis.

Appearing at Coventry Magistrates' court on 26 September, Lewis was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison after pleading guilty to theft from a motor vehicle and possession of cannabis.

PC Ethan Baggott said: "The quick actions of the CCTV operator and the prompt response by officers meant Lewis was identified and arrested within 15 minutes of breaking into the car. Hopefully this response will serve as a warning to other criminals."

Cllr Christopher Kettle, Legal and Community Safety Portfolio at Stratford District Council said: "Once again our excellent CCTV coverage and well-trained and dedicated operators have shown that when you commit a crime you can run but you cannot hide.

"CCTV is vital for reducing crime and the fear of crime across the district, helping to keep our residents safe. The recent up-grade programme has allowed us to provide high-quality images for evidential purposes, together with the continued diligence of our operators, which greatly assists our policing partners."