An opportunist off-duty detective has been praised for arresting a prolific Worcester burglar who had been on the run from officers for weeks.

Chief Constable for West Mercia Police, Pippa Mills, hailed the officer's 'brilliant' work after they spotted Nicholas Dutfield while shopping in a supermarket.

Dutfield, who is known as "Dutty", was wanted by officers for a recall to prison and theft and burglary offences.

Chief Constable Mills, said: "Brilliant work by an off-duty Worcester Safer Neighbourhood Team detective who spotted Dutfield while in a supermarket and arrested him."

West Mercia Police launched an appeal for information on Dutfield's whereabouts last week after a frustrating hunt.

The 50-year-old has now been charged with theft from a shop, theft of a pedal cycle, two counts of commercial burglary and one count of attempted commercial burglary.

He appeared in Kidderminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday, October 13.

Dutfield has previously been jailed for three raids last year which included a break in at a Worcester church and the theft of charity boxes. 

He has at least 37 convictions for 163 offences dating back to 1984.

Of those 163 offences, 124 are matters of dishonesty, the majority of those being non-dwelling burglaries or thefts.