A man who absconded from prison and was believed to be on the run in Brighton has been arrested for a string of burglaries in the city.
Andrew Hollidge, 29, escaped from Ford Open Prison earlier this month, and Brighton police were concerned enough about his possible intentions they tweeted a warning to cycle shops not to let him take bikes for a test ride.
Yeseterday, Hollidge was apprehended by officers and taken in for questioning about a number of thefts and burglaries.
One of the break-ins he is being quizzed over is a raid at the Lucky Stone Music studio in Bloomsbury Place and Hartleys wine shop in St George’s Street, which were burgled in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Some of the goods stolen have now been recovered.
The burglar was caught on camera loading up his loot, including two guitars, into a taxi before making his getaway.
I’ve lost everything I’ve worked for over the last 3 years in one night. pic.twitter.com/XyNdcJGN2A
— 𝕶𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝕿𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖊 (@mandalakitten) March 25, 2018
Kate Barnard of Lucky Stone Music said: “They looked at the CCTV that points down the road. He went up there carrying two guitars and a sack of stuff. He asked the people in the Co Op to call him a cab at about 5 or 6 am but they didn’t.
“He called up a cab himself and he loaded up the taxi in front of the CCTV camera there and went down there loaded up the taxi there and left.
“We are having renovations and he used the power tools there to get into Hartleys.
“When I found out, I was gutted but we didn’t initially think that we had anything much taken – the big stuff was still there.
“But then when we got in there, we discovered that the smaller expensive stuff was gone.
“We could be faced with closing because of the losses.”
In a statement, Sussex Police said: “The 29-year-old, from Brighton, was arrested in New Steine, Brighton, on Monday (26 March), following a report by a member of the public.
“Among the offences he is suspected of committing is a burglary at Lucky Stone recording studio in Bloomsbury Place on 25 March. Several items stolen during this incident have since been recovered.”
