A suspected robber was arrested in Dudley town centre on Sunday night after an eagle-eyed PCSO spotted a car that had suspiciously sped away from him two days earlier.

He was able to conduct some checks and found the black Ford Fiesta had been stolen in a robbery where the victim was threatened with a needle in Birmingham. PCSO Roger Wright immediately called the incident in and officers made their way to the derelict car-park on Trindle Road in the town centre.

They were on the scene within minutes, but the suspect sped off as soon as he saw them. An area search was conducted by the team who swiftly found the vehicle - which has been involved in twelve other thefts and bilkings (taking fuel without payment) across Birmingham and the Black Country - unattended in Moncrieffe Close.

A short time later the suspect was stopped on Owen Street. The 36-year-old from Billesley, Birmingham tried to give false details, but a letter in his pocket gave away his true identity. He was arrested on suspicion of robbery, bilking and failing to stop for police. He was taken into custody and will be questioned in connection with the crimes today. Chief Inspector Laura Jones, from Dudley Police, said:

“The swift actions of PCSO Wright and local officers means that a suspected violent offender is in custody this morning, rather than committing further offences in the Dudley area.

“Car crime is a priority for us and you can help us to tackle it in a number of ways. If a crime is happening now and the offenders are nearby call 999. If you spot unusual or suspicious activity or have information that can help us arrest offenders let us know - we will investigate.”

You can contact police via their new Live Chat facility at west-midlands.police.uk (between 8am and midnight), by calling 101 anytime or by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. To stay updated and get involved in what is happening in your local community you can sign up for neighbourhood policing alerts at wmnow.co.uk.