A burglar who was wanted for stealing items from The Range and Heron Foods got his comeuppance after he was intercepted in a kids' ball pit.

Jack Conroy, from Newcastle, is now behind bars after stealing items from The Range and three different branches of Heron Foods between September 2021 and March 2022.

Conroy, of Ellesmere Road, was spotted by an off-duty cop in a children’s soft play area while on the run from police last July.

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The off-duty officer called in police teams who were on the scene within minutes and discovered 23-year-old Conroy on the top level of a climbing frame within a ball pit.

He was arrested, taken into custody and later charged and convicted with five counts of burglary and one count of theft.

Appearing before Newcastle Crown Court last Thursday (January 26) Conroy was sentenced to 17 months behind bars.

Chief Inspector Dave Carruthers, of Northumbria Police, said: “Following outstanding work by our off-duty officer, Conroy, who was at the time one of the most wanted suspects in the Force area, was apprehended and is now behind bars.

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“The officer’s actions that day show that they are never truly off-duty.

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“Their colleagues were on the scene within minutes to arrest Conroy swiftly and safely with a minimum of disruption to members of the public.

“This also helped to start the process which has ultimately led to him being convicted for his crimes.

“This case should serve as a reminder to criminals that although you may try to evade capture, we will always be looking to chase you down and bring you to justice.”