Two members of the public have been praised by Police for their efforts in chasing and catching a suspected thief as he ran down a road.

The man was being pursued by a distressed woman who moments before had struggled with a thief she found rummaging through her parked car.

The suspect?s attempted escape was foiled when a passing motorist stopped his truck to assist the woman as she chased the man down Southcote Road and into South Road in Paget yesterday morning.

Another motorist also spotted the commotion and stopped to join the chase. As a result of their actions a 37-year-old Pembroke man was detained by two members of the public at the entrance of Elbow Beach until Police arrived and took the suspect to Hamilton Police Station.

The incident began after a 38-year-old Paget woman parked her car in Southcote Road and went into a residence there at 9.30 a.m. but when she came out she saw an unknown man searching inside her car. The woman shouted at the man to get away from her car, but the man ignored her and continued to search the vehicle.

Police said the woman then approached the man who was by this time holding her handbag. As she tried to wrestle the handbag from the suspect a struggle ensued and the man picked up a rock and tried to hit the Paget woman before breaking free and fleeing west along Southcote Road and into South Road. It was then that the two passing motorists saw the woman chasing the suspect and shouting for help. The motorists stopped and gave chase on foot finally catching the suspect.

Bermuda Police Service has said it wishes to commend the two individuals who stopped to help the victim, praising their quick thinking and willingness to lend a hand. In a statement the Police Service said: ?Their actions prove that the public?s assistance, by providing information to the Police or taking action to deter crime, is a vital part of the ongoing partnership between the community and Police which helps keep Bermuda a safe, secure and peaceful place for all.?