Suspected Hucknall shoplifter detained by off duty police officer

An off-duty police officer interrupted his DIY-shopping to detain a suspected shoplifter from Hucknall.

The officer was perusing the paint aisle at Homebase in Mansfield Road, Arnold, at around 3.30pm on Tuesday (28 June) when he heard a disturbance at the tills.

After speaking with staff, he detained and searched a suspect accused of stealing goods.

Wayne Lee, aged 52, has been charged with two counts of theft – the second of which relates to an unrelated incident at a supermarket in Hucknall on 5 June.

Lee, of Chatsworth Drive, Hucknall, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court today on Wednesday and was bailed to appear again on 2 August.

Sergeant Rob Palethorpe, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Shoplifting offences can have a significant impact on local businesses and are taken very seriously by Nottinghamshire Police.

"As was demonstrated by (the) person involved in this case, police officers may be off-duty but they are always ready to spring into action if and when they need to."