Peter Davison makes citizen's arrest

Peter Davison spent three years as Dr Who in the 1980s

Former Dr Who star Peter Davison made a citizen's arrest on Wednesday after an armed youth allegedly stole his video camera.

Davison, 50, chased and caught the 15-year-old after his car was broken into in Belsize Park, north-west London on Wednesday evening.

I just wrestled him to the floor, and basically sat on him for 10 minutes

Peter Davison

The actor, also well-known for his role as Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small, dragged the youth to the ground and held him down until police arrived and arrested him.

Davison had spent the day at the Royal Free Hospital in nearby Hampstead where his girlfriend Elizabeth Morton had just given birth to a baby boy.

The video camera he recovered contained pictures from his day at the hospital.

'Flailing'

Davison, who lives in Belsize Park, told the Evening Standard how he chased the thief through Belsize village into a dead end after his new Chrysler car was broken into.

"He was flailing about with what I thought was a knife for quite a bit but I looked down and couldn't see any blood so I just wrestled him to the floor, and basically sat on him for 10 minutes.

"He said he'd give the video camera back - it was then I realised the pictures from all day at the hospital were on it," said Davison.

The drama came just days after Davison filmed a long chase scene for The Last Detective, an ITV police drama.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "Police were called at 7pm last night to Belsize Mews regarding a man detaining an armed youth who had allegedly broken into his car.

"The man, a 50-year-old actor from the Belsize Park area, gave chase to the suspect and made a citizen's arrest after finding his car broken into and items missing."

The spokeswoman did not immediately know what kind of weapon the suspect was carrying.

The spokeswoman added that a 15-year-old youth was being questioned at a north London police station.