Published at 10:36, Saturday, 05 May 2012

A HERO foiled two thieves who stole £2,000 from a security guard.

Barrow man Mark Lockley was having a meal with friend Dave Beveridge outside a Nando’s restaurant at a retail park in Preston when he heard some scuffling behind him.

He turned round and spotted a thug running away with a cash box in the direction of a nearby KFC. Mr Lockley, 37, chased after the thief who dropped the box, abandoned his getaway bike and fled.

Mr Lockley, who lives on Barrow Island and works for a shipyard contractor, said his heroic actions had been “instinctive”.

He said: “We were having a meal at Nando’s at Deepdale Retail Park on Thursday afternoon, then went outside to have a drink because the weather was nice and I heard a scuffle behind me so I turned around and saw this guy attacking a security guard.

“I legged it after him... he knew he would get caught so he dropped the box and legged it when I was about eight metres away.”

As the yob fled empty-handed, Mr Lockley claimed he shouted to a second assailant for a gun.

He said: “He was shouting ‘get me a gun’ and I found out from Dave there was another guy there but whether there was a gun, I don’t know.”

Mr Lockley said his only concern was to try to stop someone doing wrong.

He added: “It was just instinct. It’s just helping somebody out, you don’t want people getting away with that sort of stuff.”

Police later said the security guard had been leaving Costa Coffee with the cash box when he was ambushed by two men, who grabbed the cassette, which activated the security smoke.

Det Insp Keith Lee, of Preston police, said: “Fast-thinking members of the public who showed bravery were able to foil the robbers and prevent anything being stolen.”

He added: “I would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and witnessed the incident then I would ask them to contact the police.”

l An 18-year-old man from Salford has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk