A QUICK-THINKING member of the public helped police catch a burglar red handed.
Yesterday the person saw a male breaking into the house in Shakespeare Drive, Westcliff.
He phoned police and they caught a man.
Alan Savage, 40 of York Road, Southend appeared at Southend Magistrates Court this morning and pleaded guilty to the burglary.
Sgt Kirby from the South Eastern Priority Crime Team said: "This is an excellent result. It is always satisfying to be able to catch a burglar "red handed".
"As in this case, a 999 call from a member of the public can make a huge difference in a case. Police will always respond quickly to calls of 'suspects on premises' and I would always encourage other members of the public to immediately dial 999 if they see what they think is a burglary in progress.
"Sometimes these calls turn out to be honest mistakes where people have legitimate access to the property but we never mind as the genuine ones make it a very worthwhile incident to attend."
Savage has been remanded to await his sentence at the Crown Court.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article