This is the dramatic moment the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police personally stopped a suspected shoplifter in his tracks after a chase through the streets.
Sir Stephen Watson had just finished attending a passing-out parade for new recruits in Bury yesterday when he saw officers pursue a man accused of stealing from a shop and assaulting a security guard.
Video footage shows officers running towards the suspect with Sir Stephen stepping forward to block the suspect’s escape, moving ahead of him.
As he is detained, within seconds, the man was handcuffed, protesting: ‘I’ve done nothing, I didn’t do no theft!’
Two others, a man and a woman, were also arrested nearby. All three, aged in their 30s, remain in custody on suspicion of theft.
The incident comes amid a renewed crackdown on shoplifting. GMP is currently bringing almost 500 suspects to justice every month.
As he is detained, within seconds, the man was handcuffed, protesting: ‘I’ve done nothing, I didn’t do no theft!’
Video footage shows officers running towards the suspect with Sir Stephen stepping forward to block the suspect’s escape, moving ahead of him
Sir Stephen, who began his career in Lancashire in 1988, has held senior roles in Merseyside Police, the Metropolitan Police and Durham Constabulary, and previously served as Chief Constable of South Yorkshire
In the year to September 2025, the force solved more than 6,000 shop theft cases – up from fewer than 1,000 before Sir Stephen took charge in May 2021.
Sir Stephen, who began his career in Lancashire in 1988, has held senior roles in Merseyside Police, the Metropolitan Police and Durham Constabulary, and previously served as Chief Constable of South Yorkshire.
He has led GMP, the second-largest force in England and Wales, since 2021.