- Patrick Crerand, 51, and Steven Green, 49, were caught red-handed by police
- Pair were seen on CCTV smashing a shop window in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
- They admitted stealing Gilette razors worth more than £300 on April 25
They almost escaped by a whisker – but two hapless burglars were instead dramatically caught red-handed just moments after stealing £300 worth of razors from a shop thanks to eagle-eyed police operators.
Patrick Crerand, 51, and Steven Green, 49, were seen on town CCTV breaking into Savers in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, in the early hours of April 25.
Dramatic footage shows the brazen pair – who were both wearing hoods to hide their faces – throwing what appears to be a rock at the store window before using a hammer to further break the glass, causing damage to the property.
Within seconds, one can be seen ransacking the shelves, while the other places dozens of stolen Gilette razors worth £301.86 into a large bag.
As the men began to make their escape, a police car suddenly arrived on the scene – and Crerand and Green can be seen trying to flee.
Patrick Crerand, 51, and Steven Green, 49, were seen on town CCTV approaching a Savers store in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, on April 25
The pair then appear to use a rock and hammer to smash the glass of the store window
After damaging the window, the men are seen ransacking the shelves and stealing Gilette razors
After taking the stolen items in a large bag, the men begin to run down the street to escape
But having caught them on CCTV, police officers are sent to arrest the men causing them to flee
Officers quickly caught up with one and tackled him to the ground – while the other burglar was caught cowering behind discarded boxes in a dark alleyway strewn with rubbish.
Crerand and Green were arrested and later admitted a charge of non-dwelling burglary.
Green also pleaded guilty to possession of heroin.
A photograph shows the damage to the store window after the men smashed the glass
The men managed to steal £300 worth of Gilette razors from the store in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
Police finally caught up with the second suspect in an alleyway strewn with rubbish
The police officer ordered the man to sit on the ground and show his hands before he was arrested and charged with non-dwelling burglary
The men, both from Wisbech, appeared at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court last Friday, where they were sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.
They were also ordered to pay £200 in compensation to Savers.
Inspector Michael Basford, from Fenland’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), said: ‘Thanks to the quick actions of CCTV operators and our response colleagues, Crerand and Green were caught in the act and the stolen goods were recovered.
‘Tackling crimes against our businesses is a priority for the Wisbech NPT as we know the significant impact it is having in the area.’