A MEMBER of staff at Colcot Sports Centre has been praised for intervening in a suspected theft.

Nathan Connell heard noises coming from behind a locked changing-room door shortly after a football team had left to play a game and became suspicious after noticing an occupied car with its engine running in the car park.

Mr Connell confronted a man who had left through the changing room fire door and made a note of the car registration number.

Mr Connell said: “It looks like the person responsible entered through the fire door and hid in the toilets until everyone went to play the match then came out.

“I went outside and a car had its engine running and was causing an obstruction. The woman inside said she was waiting for her partner, who had gone in to meet a friend.

“I confronted the person and asked what he was doing. He said he’d got locked in by accident.

“That could well have been true so there wasn’t much I could do. He came out of the centre into the car park and the car drove away.

“Then we found out that the changing room door had been forced open.

“One of the guys who played for the team said he was really grateful because afterwards they found a bag containing clothes and trainers belonging to the players.

“They had been left in the centre. If they’d been taken things could have been much worse.”

Although some items were stolen, the Vale council believe the crime could have been much worse has Mr Connell not intervened.

Vale council cabinet member for visible, leisure and regulatory services, cllr Gwyn John, said Mr Connell’s quick-thinking has enabled police to “promptly address this unfortunate situation”.

Cllr John said: “He has clearly prevented this incident from being far worse than it could have been.”

Police inspector Robert Miles said: “This was an excellent response by the member of staff concerned who acted as soon as his suspicions arose. He spoke to the suspects and took details of the vehicle registration.

“We are continuing our investigations.”

Call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 1600486065, with any information.