A have-a-go heroine who chased and caught a shoplifter has branded his sentence as "an absolute disgrace".

Amanda Sheridan chased the shoplifter as he ran off with a rack-full of children's designer wear from the Aristokids boutique in Bingley Road, Saltaire.

With the help of a passing motorist Amanda managed to catch the thief and a passing milkman called the police on his mobile phone.

But now Amanda, 34, who runs the children's clothes store, is seething that he has escaped a jail sentence and walked free from court.

The shoplifter, Darren Owthwaite, 28, of Cobden Street, Allerton, received a 12- month conditional discharge. "It is absolutely disgusting. What kind of deterrent is that? It's a disgrace," said Amanda.

Amanda said chasing the thief had been like a scene from American cop show Starsky and Hutch.

"At the time I had been upstairs and was coming downstairs when I saw this man running off with a rack of clothes," she said. "From the bottom of my boots a voice screamed out 'Stop!' and I just went tearing after him."

Amanda, who has been running the Saltaire shop with a partner for three years, flagged down a passing motorist, Brian Judd, and the pair managed to catch the thief who had stuffed items of clothing worth more than £350 down his jumper.

Amanda said: "Without the help of Mr Judd I would not have been able to catch the thief, but I do feel very disappointed that, after all, he has got away with it."

Since the incident Amanda says she is terrified to be in the shop and installed a lock on the door straight after it happened. "It got to the point where customers couldn't get in without me unlocking the door,'' she said.

Amanda wrote to Mr Judd to thank him.

"He is a true gentleman. I enclosed some money but he returned it, saying, 'Get yourself a bottle of wine and put your feet up.' I am very grateful to him," she said.

Councillor David Herdson (Con, Shipley West), joint chairman of Shipley Constituency Anti-Crime Partnership, said: "I am very concerned about this. The sentences do need to reflect the severity of the crime and also act as a deterrent.

"We need to send a strong message that shoplifting is a serious offence."

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