Watch as police catch 'would be thief' in the act at Peterborough car park

A man who was caught in the act trying to steal from a car in Peterborough city centre has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Footage of the swift action taken by the two police officers was caught on their body cameras as they swooped on the man.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Constabulary explained: “Neighbourhood officers were on foot patrol in the city centre on the morning of March 17 when they entered the Bull Hotel’s car park in Fitzwilliam Street and saw Ian Chowles, 44, leaning into the driver’s window of a car.

“The officers shouted to Chowles to stay where he was, and as they approached, they saw the window was smashed.

“He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and attempted theft from a vehicle, but claimed the window was already smashed and he was just taking a look inside.”

Chowles, of Elizabeth Court, Peterborough City Centre, appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (May 14) where he was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within the next year after pleading guilty to attempted theft from a vehicle.

PC James Cullimore, who made the arrest and is the dedicated City Centre PC as part of the Business Improvement District (BID), said: “Being on foot patrol gives us a greater opportunity to see what’s happening around the city centre, and in this instance, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time and managed to intervene before Chowles could steal anything.”