Shrewsbury man jailed for stealing metal from house
A burglar caught in the act of stealing metal from a Shrewsbury home, has been jailed for six months.
Jamie Stephen Hampson, aged 36, from Ford, was arrested as he tried to steal metal items from an empty home in Hafren Road on Friday afternoon.
Suspicious neighbours alerted police and Hampson was arrested at the premises.
He was charged with entering the house as a trespasser and stealing copper tubing and lead piping.
Hampson admitted the offence when he appeared before Telford magistrates on Saturday and was jailed for six months. He was jailed for a further 28 days for being in breach of a suspended sentence.
A West Mercia Police spokesperson said today: "Members of the public can play a major role in fighting crime by reporting anything they see or hear which strikes them as suspicious.
"This is what happened in this case. A neighbour contacted the police immediately and we were able to check what was going on. As a result, a burglary in progress was discovered and we were able to quickly detain the offender and put him before the court.
"This kind of positive support from the public is something we encourage. If you discover something which seems suspicious, it probably is, co call the police on the non-emergency 101 number."
