Drama as thief chased in town
A school was evacuated, a police helicopter scrambled and firearms officers flooded Cannock town centre in a bid to trap suspected thieves. The drama unfolded when a gang of men snatched a skimming device which had been discovered by a member of the public using a cash machine.
The drama unfolded when a gang of men snatched a skimming device which had been discovered by a member of the public using a cash machine near the Nationwide outlet in Market Place.
A police officer spotted the fracas and chased a man through the streets before being threatened with a blade.
Police from across the town joined the hunt for the men who had ran away across the town centre.
The dramatic events began at 1.15pm yesterday, after a man who had gone to withdraw money from the bulding society spotted a card-reading device had been fitted.
He removed it and went to take it inside to a member of staff but a group of men waiting nearby tried to grab it.
Inspector Mat Derrick, who was on his lunch break, saw the commotion and chased one of the men past the town's police station in Wolverhampton Road while shouting for assistance and was joined by a member of the public.
The man they were chasing turned and produced a bladed weapon, swearing at the inspector and telling him to go away.
Inspector Derrick said: "It's alarming that these people are out there targeting cash machines and that they will go to extreme lengths to try and get themselves away from trouble."
Three other men fled in a silver BMW which was followed by police towards Chase Academy school, in St John's Road. The school was then evacuated by police and searched thoroughly but nobody was found.
A man was arrested at Cannock Railway Station and is set to be interviewed by police today. Anyone with information should call Cannock CID on 08453 302010 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
By Michelle Pearson
