Bungling thieves who tried to steal a £10,000 roller on the day of the Queen's funeral made one small mistake - it was too big to fit in their van.
Kieron Heslop and Paul Stephenson struck at a construction site where artificial pitches were being laid at a Newcastle sports ground, knowing it would be quiet on the bank holiday on September 19 last year. But a security firm monitoring CCTV at Bullocksteads, behind Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club, saw what they were up to and informed police.
Having broken a padlock to gain entry, they stole £300 of diesel from a container and were in the process of trying to load the rolling machine into the back of a van when officers turned up. They tried to run off but with the help of a police dog, which bit Stephenson, both were arrested.
