Man who was hunted down by police helicopter for ‘stealing’ waste from skips appears in court

Chorley man Mark Holden will no longer face prosecution after walking away from Blackpool Magistrates’ Court with just a caution after being charged with ‘theft by finding’ last month.

The 41-year-old was arrested after Lancashire Police used the force helicopter to search the grounds of the household waste recycling centre in Saltcotes Road, Lytham on January 4.

Officers followed a Vauxhall Vectra to the site, believing the driver to be involved in an attempt to steal electrical equipment left at the tip by members if the public.

He reportedly left his vehicle and disappeared into the grounds but officers were unable to find him.

The National Air Police Service radioed patrols and asked if support was required. The chopper – already airborne after completing another job in Darwen that evening – was deployed to the site for around an hour.

The helicopter crew used thermal imaging tech to search the grounds and a man was later found hiding within the compound.

Holden, of Beaconsfield Terrace, Chorley was arrested, taken into custody and later charged with attempted theft and ‘theft by finding’.

Police said they believed electrical items were being taken from the tip and sold, or sold as scrap metal.

The force has not said how much the helicopter search cost.

What happened at court?

At Blackpool Magistrates’ Court, defence lawyer Andrew Nottingham said Holden had not been in trouble for many years and asked the Crown Prosecution Service to consider a different disposal of the case.

The CPS agreed, saying it would consult with Lancashire Police and ask the force to consider administering a caution to Holden, instead of pursuing prosecution.

The case was adjourned until Wednesday, February 22 whilst the court awaits confirmation that the matter has been dealt with.