A Co-op customer tackled an alleged shoplifter and pinned him to the floor for 20 minutes until police showed up.

Steve Neale, 37, sprung into action when he realised a man was trying to leave a shop in Kirk Sandall, Doncaster, ‘with a full shopping basket’.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said Peter Holmes, 42, has since been charged with three counts of theft.

Steve said he looked over to see an elderly member of staff try to wrestle the basket from a man on Sunday evening.

Recalling the incident, he said: ‘I had just walked into the shop and as the doors opened, I saw the guy and he had hold of the basket.

‘An elderly lady who works there was wrestling the basket off him and I just thought he was stealing from her.

‘I just walked straight in and within two steps, I grabbed hold of him and we were wrestling. I threw him to the floor and then I sat on him.’

The culprit is said to have tried to break free at first, but then stopped when he realised he couldn’t escape.

Steve said: ’I sat on him for about 15 to 20 minutes while another member of staff was ringing the police.

‘He was wriggling at first but then I told him to stop moving and he did.’

Steve’s friend Dale Walker, 56, happened to walk into the shop to find Steve sat on top of a man.

But he said he ‘wasn’t surprised’ at the usual sight.

‘I had figured out what had happened straight away’, he said. ‘But it didn’t surprise me to be honest because Steve is the kind of guy who would do something like that.

‘He detests people who are thieves and robbers and he’s always said that. But in a weird way, it didn’t surprise me.’

A Co-op spokesperson said: ‘Our priority is always the safety of our colleagues and customers, and we can confirm the police attended an incident at our Kirk Sandall store last week.’

Holmes appeared at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court on 28 February.

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