Store owner has to drive shoplifter to police station

When a customer was spotted apparently stealing from his shop, Mark Ward knew the drill - apprehend the suspect, call the police and wait for help to arrive.

But after a two-hour wait in which he made a total of four 999 calls, the locksmith had no option but to bundle the man into his van and hand him over personally at the local police station.



During the increasingly desperate calls, Mr Ward was told that officers were too busy to respond and was furious to be advised at one stage: 'You can let him go if you like.'

Cambridgeshire Police has since issued an apology and blamed the incident on a trainee call-taker who was working in the 999 control room. A spokesman said: 'Unfortunately, an error of judgment was made whilst prioritising several incidents at once.