Jumper thief collared by officer

A thief who stole a jumper from the back seat of a car was arrested by a police officer who recognised the faded sweatshirt as his own.

Sergeant Ted Butcher was embarrassed when his car was ransacked while it was parked near his police station in Middlesbrough.

Two days later a man was brought in connection with an unrelated car crime and Mr Butcher was considering giving him bail.

I looked at him and thought 'That's my sweatshirt he's wearing'

Sergeant Ted Butcher

But the custody sergeant realised the 20-year-old man was wearing his faded Reebok jumper and led him off to the cells at Middlesbrough police station.

Mr Butcher, 41, said: "I booked him in, took all his details and then I suddenly realised.

"I looked at him standing there in front of me and thought 'That's my sweatshirt he's wearing'.

"It was just an old Reebok top I had left in the back seat. He hadn't taken anything else.

"The man had been brought in for another offence but it was very obvious that it was my sweatshirt."