Burglar caught red handed hiding stolen goods in Kirkby is jailed

An eagle-eyed emergency worker heading home after a long shift helped stop a burglar hiding a stash of stolen goods.

The ambulance control room call handler noticed a man acting suspiciously - walking back and forth with holdall bags and rucksacks and hiding them in the bushes.

The man then reappeared with a small suitcase and hid it in the undergrowth, before trying to lift a bike over a fence towards the train tracks.

She called the police to report the incident on wastelands in Kirkby-in-Ashfield at 6am on Monday morning (30 March 2020).

Response officers swiftly attended and found the man in the field, who matched the description given by the paramedic.

Officers arrested 35-year-old Lee Clowes after catching him red-handed and seized the property, including power tools (pictured).

Following further enquiries it was enquiries around the area, it was established that a garage on Sorrel Drive had items stolen including power tools and a handbag from a car.

Clowes, of no fixed address, was jailed for 16 weeks after he pleaded guilty to burglary other than dwelling and theft and also two counts of theft from a motor vehicle when he appeared at Nottingham Remand Court on Monday (31 March 2020).

The ambulance worker, 35, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield said: "It amazing to hear that my call made such a difference.

"I had just finished my shift in the early hours working in the control room and I just spotted the man walking up and down the path with bags, rucksacks and suitcase and it appeared that he was hiding them. It was just bizarre to watch. I must have watched him for 10-minutes or so and then I rang police.

"Working in a control room myself, I knew what kind of details they wanted so I could help officers track the man down quite quickly.

"It feels quite unbelievable to get the news that he's now behind bars and that he didnt run off, he was literally caught red handed, so it's brilliant how quickly he was jailed. I'm sure everyone in the area will be delighted to have their possessions back.

"It's been a difficult few weeks for everyone I'm sure, so to hear this positive bit of news should cheer everyone up."

Police Sergeant Carl Holland said: "This was an excellent spot by caller, especially after a long and tiring shift, and without that call we wouldn't have Clowes behind bars today.

"Officers worked quickly to detain the offender, so to see him receive this custodial sentence is very satisfying.

“We continue to work with local shops and businesses in the area in order to reduce the number of offences occurring in our communities and in the current COVID-19 lockdown, the police are still very much tackling criminality as usual.”

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