Officers sit on suspect following alleged break-in at OAP’S home

POLICE have been praised for quickly detaining a man suspected of breaking into an elderly man’s house in Bishop’s Cleeve, near Cheltenham.

It happened in Littlecote Close, which is close to the A435 bypass in the village.

During a struggle near the scene of the alleged break-in, a female police officer had to sit on the suspect to stop him getting away before he was arrested.

Gloucestershire police confirmed that the incident happened at about

4.10am on Sunday, April 3.

The victim was in bed upstairs when the offender allegedly broke in through the front door. The householder then rang 999.

Luckily a police patrol car was passing close by and two officers, one male and one female, were there within a couple of minutes.

They caught the suspect coming out of the front door and he ran off towards nearby Kingsclere Drive.

The officers chased after him and got him on the floor.

But he struggled and the female officer had to sit on him to stop him getting away before he was arrested.

A Gloucestershire police spokeswoman said: “Officers arrested a 59-year-old man from Gloucester on suspicion of burglary and he has since been released on bail pending further enquiries to return to police custody at the end of April.”

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “It was a shocking incident for us here in what is normally a quiet and peaceful area.

“But we were very impressed with the police response.

“The officers were quick and decisive in their action.

“The police often get criticised but certainly on this occasion they deserve to be praised.”