'Prolific' criminal jailed after taxi driver spotted attempted break-in at Sunderland shop

Alan Clarke, 45, attempted to burgle the McColl’s store on Park Lane, Sunderland, while it was closed – with CCTV cameras catching him outside, hacking at the door with a brick.

A taxi driver, parked nearby, contacted Northumbria Police after seeing what was going on. Officers were then deployed and they brought the suspect into custody.

Clarke, of no fixed abode, has been convicted of attempted burglary after admitting the offence before magistrates in South Tyneside on Friday, March 27.

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

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.

“We will never tire of putting individuals like Clarke before the courts, and we will not apologise for our zero-tolerance approach towards burglary.

“Over the coming weeks, as ever, we’ll be doing all we can to make sure anybody who commits crime is dealt with swiftly and robustly.”

The incident happened shortly before midnight on Sunday, September 8.

Burglar hunters

In recent weeks, a number of criminals have been convicted following investigations from the dedicated burglar hunters based at Southwick Police Station

These include Joseph Barnes, 48, who attempted to break into a house on Colin Terrace last summer.

After trying the back door, he broke into the shed and snatched a Carrera mountain bike worth nearly £400. He was apprehended by the person living at the house.

Barnes, of Salisbury Street, Sunderland, admitted burglary and attempted at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, 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.

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