This is the moment a pair of suspected crooks escaped a police raid by squeezing out of a toilet window – right under the noses of the dozen oblivious cops trying to smash down their front door.
Two squads of Dorset Police officers stormed Weymouth’s Chapelhay Heights estate on Friday afternoon after learning that a three-bed ground floor flat was being used as the headquarters of a steal-to-order shoplifting gang.
But neighbours were left comparing the scene to a sketch from the Benny Hill Show after the two men easily outsmarted the waiting officers and sprinted to freedom as onlookers yelled ‘they’re getting away’.
Nicole Williams, 22, filmed the getaway after hearing a commotion outside her window.
A pair of suspected crooks escaped a police raid by squeezing out of a toilet window
They fled under the noses of the dozen oblivious cops trying to smash down their front door
Two squads of Dorset Police officers stormed Weymouth’s Chapelhay Heights estate on Friday
The mum-of-one, who only moved in three weeks ago, told MailOnline: ‘I just heard banging and shouts of ‘it’s the police’ and could see about 20 of them waiting by the front door.
‘Then these two guys just hopped out the window and sprinted off.
‘They were banging on the door but if any of them had taken one step to the left they would have seen them.
‘Somebody shouted that they were getting away and the police chased after them but still went the wrong way. Everybody is laughing about it. People keep sending me the video, it’s funny but it’s pretty ridiculous they were able to get away.’
Another neighbour who witnessed the escape said: ‘I can’t imagine top brass will be very impressed with that. You could’ve put the Benny Hill theme music to it, that would have been perfect.
‘Clearly the cops thought they had the only exit covered but they forgot it was a ground floor flat.’
Pictured is Weymouth’s Chapelhay Heights estate
When MailOnline visited this weekend, the door to the flat had been taken off its hinges
When MailOnline visited the estate this weekend, the outside door to the flat had been taken off its hinges. An occupant declined to comment.
Dorset Police said they raided the address in connection with alleged drug dealing and stolen goods and the two men were later tracked down by officers.
A spokesman said: ‘Officers from the Neighbourhood policing team and the force support group conducted a section 8 PACE warrant at an address in Chapelhay following community reports about drug dealing and stolen goods being within the address.
‘Officers forced entry and as they did two individuals decided to leap out of a window to make their great escape.
‘Two were detained shortly later, with drugs being located on their person.
‘As a result of this warrant, a quantity of drugs have been located within the address and have been taken off the streets of Weymouth.’