Students help catch alleged burglar

Quick-thinking students helped police catch an alleged burglar who was spotted at a Dunedin flat.

A 26-year-old man acting suspiciously was spotted at a student flat yesterday morning by university students.

The students decided to follow the man on foot as he left the flat as they called the police.

The police found the man carrying stolen watches, wallets and electronics.

They were now making enquiries to find the owners of the property.

Acting Dunedin prevention manager detective inspector Steve Kelly said this was a fantastic work by the students involved.

"Their vigilance has helped us to prevent further crime from occurring and we really hope this outcome will bring about a reduction in the number of burglaries in the area.

"We're very grateful for the careful and considered approach these students took in responding to this incident," Kelly said.

"This is a timely reminder that people need to lock their valuables away and secure their home properly when they leave.

If you witness what you might consider to be someone committing a crime, telephone the police immediately like these students did." He said information from the public went a long way to catch criminals.