Thief chased near New Otley Road Medical Practice by teen

Mason Sutcliffe, 16, was leaving New Otley Road Medical Practice on Saturday, March 25, when he heard a woman's cry for help.

The teen, who lives with his family on Woodside estate, sprung into action in a matter of seconds.

His actions earnt him the title of “hero” among pharmacy staff and patients when he returned with a stolen phone in his hand. 

Mason, who attends Appleton Academy, said: “We started driving round and we saw this woman screaming, ‘thief, thief!’. He was running up this road and I said to my mum, I said to my mum, ‘Let me jump out, I’ll go chase him’. 

Mason Sutcliffe, pictured (Image: UGC)

“I thought, I best go find him. I was sprinting up this street to go get him as he turned the corner.

“As I ran over he was sprinting away fast, I tried grabbing him but he was running as well. I tried to grab him, he fell and I picked him up and pinned him up against the fence. 

“He was proper out of breath. He was shouting like, 'I haven’t done owt'. 

“My mum drove up after me and videoed her shouting at him, asking what I took off him. He had a phone, I said to him, ‘If this is your phone what’s your password?’. He eventually told us he doesn’t know the password. We figured out it was the woman’s.”

Claire drove her son back to return the phone to the woman in the pharmacy, where the door had been locked up in fear. 

“She was over the moon,” Mason said.

Mason Sutcliffe, pictured (Image: UGC)

“She was hugging me, and everyone in the pharmacy came out, they were calling me a hero. 

She kept repeating ‘thank you’ over and over.”

Mason, who attends Sedbergh Amateur Boxing Club and runs regularly as part of his training, said his hobby helped catch up to the man. 

“It helped me catch him to be honest,” Mason, who hopes to become an electrician, said.

“Boxing, it’s always kept me occupied. Finding a hobby keeps you occupied. 

“I might stick to amateur.”

His mum Claire Dixon said: “I’m so proud of him.

“He’ll help anyone. He’s so popular. He just gets on with everybody.”

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "Police have taken a third party report at 12.08pm on March 25 of this incident which was reported to have occurred at 10.30am."