Youth arrested after T&A reader calls the police after pictures of suspect published

The teenager was detained by police on Tuesday following a phone call from a member of the public who had seen CCTV images of the suspect in the T&A the previous day.

Police had released shots of a man using a hammer to hit counters, display stands and a till during alleged robberies at two shops in West Bowling on consecutive days in December. The shops involved were the Potraviny Dunko store in Gaythorne Road, and the Nawaz General Store in Rigton Street.

In the first incident, in Gaythorne Road on Sunday, December 11, the raider escaped with packets of cigarettes. The alleged robber in the second incident, on Monday, December 12, left empty-handed after the shopkeeper chased him with a golf club and stepladders.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said yesterday: “Following information from the public, a 14-year-old male from West Bowling was on Tuesday arrested in connection with both offences and has been charged with robbery and attempted robbery.

“He will appear before Bradford Youth Court on Friday, January 27.”

Police said the call to police came as a direct result of the appeal in the T&A.

A police spokesman said: “The front page article in the Telegraph & Argus had a significant effect in encouraging people to come forward with information.

“As a direct result of the publication, we were quickly able to make an arrest and subsequently bring about a charge for these robberies. We would like to thank both the paper and its readers for their continued support.”

Zuzana Gaborova, owner of Potraviny Dunko, who was alone in the shop at the time of the raid, said she was pleased to hear an arrest had been made.

She said: “I’m grateful the story was in the paper. One day it was in the paper and the next day someone was arrested. It’s thanks to the public and the Telegraph & Argus, otherwise I don’t think an arrest would have been made. I’m surprised that the person arrested was only 14.”