Suspect burglar tried to hide in Harecastle!

HARECASTLE Tunnel is not really a good place to escape from the police, but one suspect burglar thought so.

The suspect was being chased by police so took to the towpath by the western end of Harecastle Tunnel, then realising there was nowhere else he could go, jumped into the water and waded into the tunnel in an attempt to escape, Keith Gudgin reports.

Shivering in the water

But the police simply stood guard at both ends, not knowing if he was a good swimmer, called the fire people, who arrived complete with inflatable boat, so after around 45 minutes the rescue boat entered the tunnel finding the suspect shivering in the water a short way inside.

Luckily for the man there were no boats passing through at the time bearing down on him, it being early morning. The police entered the tunnel with the fire people in the boat and arrested the suspect, and brought him out. Photograph courtesy of Staffordshire Fire Service.

The paramedics who were also on the scene treated the 29 years old man for suspected hypothermia, after which he was taken to hospital for treatment accompanied by the police.