DETECTIVES have praised an alert taxi driver who spotted a man trying to break into a shop – after the offender was put behind bars.

Alan Clarke, 45, attempted to break into the McColl’s store on Park Lane, Sunderland, shortly before midnight on September 8 last year.

CCTV cameras caught Clarke loitering outside the store, which was closed, before hacking at the window with a brick in a bid to gain access.

But, after a taxi driver who was parked nearby spotted Clarke’s criminality, he picked up the phone and rang police. Officers were deployed to the area and subsequently detained the suspect and brought him into custody.

Now Clarke, of no fixed abode, has been convicted of attempted burglary after admitting the offence before magistrates in South Tyneside.

He was jailed for 10 weeks and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £122.

After seeing Clarke put behind bars, Detective Constable Alex Hadwin, of Northumbria Police’s Southern Burglary Team, praised the taxi driver who “did the right thing”.

He said: “Alan Clarke is a prolific offender who took the law into his own hands in an attempt to get hold of anything he could.

“This type of behaviour is unacceptable, and especially at a time when the city is really pulling together as we tackle the spread of Covid-19, it’s vitally important that the public know we’re still working around the clock to detect and disrupt crime, identify offenders and bring burglars to justice.

“I would particularly like to thank the taxi driver who was working in the area and saw something was not quite right. It would have been very easy for him to ignore what he had seen and drive away – but by picking up the phone, he helped us put a selfish burglar behind bars.

“This case proves once again that the public can be our eyes and ears – and I would always encourage anybody who sees a crime being committed, or becomes suspicious of anyone in their community, to get in touch with us."

In recent weeks, a number of prolific criminals have been convicted following thorough investigations carried out by the dedicated burglar hunters based at Southwick Police Station

Among those include Joseph Barnes, 48, who attempted to break into a house on Colin Terrace in the dead of night last summer.

After trying the back door, Barnes broke into the shed and snatched a Carrera mountain bike worth nearly £400 – but was spotted by the occupant who ran out of the property and apprehended him.

Barnes, of Salisbury Street, Sunderland, was subsequently arrested and charged with burglary and attempted burglary. He pleaded guilty to both offences at Newcastle Crown Court on March 11 and is due to be sentenced later this year.

Det Con Hadwin is part of a team of dedicated burglar hunters who review every raid that takes place across Sunderland and South Tyneside.

The detectives review prolific offenders and monitor hotspots so they can identify those responsible for burglaries in the area and prevent them from happening in the first place.