BIKER GANG MAKE CITIZEN ARREST OF THIEF ROBBING OLD WAR VETRAN

A BIKER GANG grabbed a pickpocket by his neck after he tried to steal a wallet from a veteran as he sold poppies.

The the Oxleather Motorcycle Club performed a citizens arrest on Steven Norman, 43, after he tried to rob the war veteran pensioner in Stafford, in the West Midlands, on Saturday.

Eye witness ex RAF serviceman Martin Burrows, who took pictures of the arrest, said thief Norman had been watching the victim from a hotel before he went on the attack.

He said: “Norman followed the victim up the high street towards us because that’s where he was coming. All of a sudden we hear a shout from a girl shouting, ‘stop, thief!’

“He turned and ran in the wrong direction, straight into the Oxleather Motorcycle Club which probably wasn’t the cleverest escape plan”

” they grabbed hold of him. I originally went up to him and gave him some home truths about what he’s done and reflect on it.” said Burrows.

Burrows went on to say “‘The victim is well known in the area and within the Poppy Appeal – He dishes out the boxes of poppies to the shops in Staffordshire. He’s a Irishman very, very funny, very good sense of humour.”

Another eye witness David Lewis said ” That taught the little scrote- the bikers sorted him out!”

The bikers handed the thief over to local cops who were shortly on the scene and carted him off to a weekend in the cells before appearing in special court first thing Monday morning.

Norman, of no fixed address, admitted theft at the Stafford magistrates’ court.

He was spared jail and instead handed an £80 fine, ordered to pay a £32 victim surcharge and £135 court costs.