Bungling thieves who attempted to steal a £10,000 roller on the day of the Queen's funeral made a small mistake - not checking it could fit in their van. Kieron Heslop and Paul Stephenson targeted a sports ground where artificial pitches were being laid.
With eyes on the Queen's funeral on September 19, the pair knew the Newcastle sports ground would be quiet. But a security firm monitoring CCTV at the site spotted what they were up to and informed police, reports ChronicleLive.
Having broken a padlock to access the site, they stole £300 of diesel from a container and were trying to load the rolling machine into a van when officers arrived. They tried to run off but, with the help of a police dog that bit Stephenson, both were arrested.
