A pub landlord and his assistant have caught a suspected thief breaking into cars at a garage opposite their pub.

Mark Day, licensee of the Mount Bay Inn in Nuneham Courtenay, was taking his dogs out for a walk at about 11.45pm on Friday night after he closed the pub.

He heard a noise coming from Brewers Garage at the Oxford Trade Centre opposite the pub and spotted a man wearing a balaclava helmet.

With the pub's assistant manager, Simon Moore, he chased and caught him before calling police.

Mark Day and Simon Moore

Mr Day said: "I heard a noise among the cars at the garage opposite.

"I ran back into the pub to get my assistant manager Simon and we went across the road.

"We saw him there going between the cars and he was wearing a balaclava helmet because of the CCTV cameras on the site.

"We challenged him, he dropped a claw hammer, and ran off. As he jumped a fence he fell into the middle of the road. We restrained him and called the police."

"We have had a fair amount of trouble with people damaging and breaking into cars.

"We want this message to go out that we are constantly on the watch - and they will be caught."

A spokesman for the Oxford Trade Centre opposite the pub said: "They did a very good job.

"We have had £50,000 worth of damage done to cars over the last few years.

"Since we installed cameras it has lessened, but there is still far too much of this going on.

"Mark and Simon are to be congratulated."

Thames Valley Police confirmed the incident had taken place. A man had been released on police bail while further evidence was gathered.

**Picture: Richard Cave