Police praise brave Wimbledon man
Brave Stephen Morris has been praised by police after chasing after a man who he suspected of burgling his neighbour's Wimbledon flat before setting it on fire.
Mr Morris actually chased the man down the street after he saw the man emerging from the ground floor window of the Boundary Road flat. He held onto him until police arrived.
He had first alerted police when he heard noises coming from the flat, and knew his neighbour was on holiday.
He then saw a man climbing out of the window, carrying property including an Apple Mac computer. He also noticed smoke coming out of the ground floor flat.
After the emergency services arrived to arrest the suspect and deal with the fire, an investigation revealed the curtains had been deliberately set ablaze.
As a result, Edward Bale, aged 25 and from Wimbledon, was charged with burglary and arson with intent to endanger life. He was remanded in custody to await an appearance at Kingston Crown court.
Darren Williams, Police Borough Commander for Merton, said: "The actions of Stephen and his girlfriend were extraordinary. I have already spoken to him to tell how grateful we all and to thank them for their help making Merton a safer place."
May 3, 2013