A hypnotist commended by a judge for catching a purse-snatcher has told of the bizarre chain of events that led to his arrest.

The entertainer, whose stage name is Poldark, is to receive an official letter of thanks after Judge Gerald Coles at Bradford Crown Court heard how he foiled the thief.

Poldark, who lives in the Apperley Bridge area and regularly appears at Queen's Hall, Bradford, said the drama unfolded last autumn in Idle when, as he parked his car near a newsagents, he saw a man run out of the shop chased by an upset woman.

"I grasped an idea of what was going on. He took off down the side street and I drove down there."

He drove to where he thought the thief would reappear at the other side of the cricket club - and he found he had guessed right.

"I got out of my car and ran after him a bit. I said: 'Drop that purse' and he did."

But when he returned the girl had gone and he was left with the purse.

He flagged down a passing police car and handed it over and the officer said he would be driving back to Eccleshill Police Station. Then with perfect timing, the girl arrived back.

"As he drove off the young girl appeared in hysterics," said the entertainer, but when he offered to give her a lift to the police station she refused because she did not know him and ran to fetch her fiance.

"Five minutes passed and I got in the car and we all drive to the police station. On route, who do we bump into but the guy who took the purse! He was calmly walking across the road as if nothing had happened."

They caught the thief and, seeing a second set of police officers attending a separate incident, they marched him over to them.

"I thought it was unbelievable," he said. "If he had laid low for ten minutes he would have got away with it."

"The police then collared me and I had to give a statement and had to cancel a gig in Brighouse. I lost £275."

Simon Pollard, 25, of Montserrat Road, Tong, who was convicted of theft, was put on probation for 12 months.

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