Crimewatch Appeal leads to arrest over Newport bank robbery
Police have arrested a 49-year-old man in connection with an armed robbery at Newport bank in June following a televised nationwide appeal.
Martin Dawson was featured on the BBC Crimewatch programme on Monday night as being wanted by West Mercia Police for questioning about a robbery at the Britannia bank on Newport High Street on 29 June.
He was arrested at around 5pm last night by armed officers from West Mercia and Staffordshire Police after a car he was driving was stopped in Truro Place, Bentilee, Stoke-on-Trent.
Detective Inspector Billy Scott, of Telford CID, said today: “Martin Dawson was featured on Crimewatch earlier this week and as a result of information received from a number of calls, he has been successfully traced and arrested.
“He is being held on suspicion of the Newport armed robbery and an armed robbery at a bank in Macclesfield during August and is currently in custody at Malinsgate police station in Telford.”
DI Scott said he was grateful to members of the public who had responded to the Crimewatch appeal for information concerning Dawson’s whereabouts.
During the robbery, a cashier was forced to hand over cash to a man who appeared to be holding a handgun. The cashier put the money into a carrier bag provided by the man, who then walked out of the premises. No-one was hurt.
CCTV footage of the incident was shown on Crimewatch together with a picture of the suspect.
Dawson has been on the run from Sudbury prison in Derbyshire after absconding on 24 June. He was serving a life sentence imposed at Manchester Crown Court in October 2000 for robberies, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and attempted escape from lawful custody.
