In a bizarre turn of events, a burglar in Wandsworth, London, attempted to outsmart the National Police Air Service (NPAS) by pretending to be a solar panel.
The thief lay flat on a roof, hoping to blend in with the surroundings and evade the watchful eyes of the police helicopter above.
However, his unconventional escape plan failed to take flight as NPAS spotted him with little difficulty.
Taking to Twitter, NPAS London shared details of the incident, stating,
“They’ll never find me if I just lay here and pretend I’m a solar panel! Wrong!!”
In a puckish tone, they also offered some tongue-in-cheek advice to burglars who may be following them on social media:
“Pretending to be a solar panel on a roof will not fool us or our camera!!… you’re welcome!”
According to NPAS London, this is not the first time a burglar has resorted to such ridiculous tactics to avoid capture.
They posted another photo of a suspect hiding under some wood on a roof with the humorous caption:
“This is not the first time someone has tried to hide from us on a roof! ‘If I can’t see them, they can’t see me!'”
The amusing tweets garnered much attention from the public, who found the burglars’ ridiculous attempts to hide rather amusing.
Some users commented on the ineptitude of the criminals, while others praised the NPAS for their vigilance and good humour.
As Londoners continue to be amused by the antics of these bumbling burglars, one thing is clear: the NPAS is always one step ahead, leaving no stone (or solar panel) unturned in their quest to keep the city safe.
Image credit: NPASLondon / Twitter.
Join our WhatsApp community!
ESN is now on WhatsApp, and we want you to join our communities.
To join, you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is click the link and press 'Join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up, and no one can send messages except the ESN team.
Joining our WhatsApp channel is a great way to help support our work and best of all, it is free!
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Before you read or leave a comment...
In an age where mainstream media often overlooks the sacrifices made by our emergency services personnel, Emergency Services News is a critical voice you can trust
While we persist in our mission, we need your help to continue. Your donation directly enables us to produce high-quality content that elevates the stories and challenges faced by the men and women who serve, stories that are often ignored elsewhere.
We deeply appreciate your support. Your contribution empowers us to keep shining a light on the remarkable, yet often overlooked, individuals who serve our communities every day. Thank you for standing with us.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
I don’t think a police helicopter to catch a burglar is the best use of police resources. When there are hundreds of knife attacks, riots, rapes and murders with a depleted police force I would have thought a police car and a couple of bobbies should be enough..
The cost of catching this bandit was huge. Please can he be locked up for a good long time so as to save the law abiding his unwanted attention.