This is the moment police officers found a suspected burglar hiding under a bed in South Gloucestershire. The 43-year-old man is connected to eight burglaries in Winterbourne, Hambrook and Yate.
He was found during a police operation across South Gloucestershire. Officers targeted the biggest community concerns from across the area from Wednesday, September 25 to Monday, October 7.
They gathered intelligence on the alleged burglar and arrested him at a property in Coalpit Heath on Tuesday, October 1. He is suspected of stealing garden machinery, power tools and bicycles from garages and garden sheds. Police said he has since been bailed pending further investigation.
As well as arresting the alleged burglar, Avon and Somerset Police officers also carried out a mix of plain-clothed and uniformed patrols at locations including Kings Chase Shopping Centre, Emersons Green Retail Park, Downend Hight Street, The Mall and Cribbs Causeway Retail Park to help tackle shoplifting issues. They managed to catch a teenager shoplifting who was also in possession of cannabis.
Police operation
Police said their other activities during the operation included:
- Motorcycle theft – on Wednesday, September 25, activity targeted motorcycle theft and motorcycle-enabled crime in the Yate and Chipping Sodbury areas following a rise in reported thefts. Roads policing officers assisted neighbourhood policing teams throughout the day, successfully recovering two stolen motorcycles and seizing a van linked to motor vehicle theft.
- Road safety – while conducting proactive patrols, officers arrested a driver for driving under the influence of alcohol in Yate on Wednesday, October 2.
- Exploitation – individuals identified as vulnerable were visited across locations to provide support and advice. This led to the arrest of a suspect wanted on warrant for being involved in the exploitation of a vulnerable person.
- Drugs – plain-clothed and uniformed officers worked together to disrupt low-level drug dealing in Thornbury and Lyde Green.
- Community engagement – PCSOs attended several events and stores across the week, including at Co-Op in Downend, providing crime prevention advice to local residents.
Neighbourhood Inspector Dudley Bond said: “These days of targeted action have been an opportunity for us to use additional resources from across Avon and Somerset to achieve some great results for South Gloucestershire.
“We wanted to prioritise the areas of highest concern affecting our communities, including business crime and burglary, motorcycle theft and exploitation.
“If you have information related to any of these issues, we urge you to get in touch. In the meantime, our officers will continue to work hard every day to ensure South Gloucestershire remains a safe place for everyone.”
Avon and Somerset Police: “To report a crime, please visit here or call 101. In an emergency, always call 999.”