This is the moment three middle-aged women Christmas shoppers helped catch a wanted man as he fled from police.
The have-a-go heroines helped catch the fugitive by tackling him after 21 police officers had been chasing him for six minutes through a busy city centre and across a river bridge.
>> Watch the CCTV footage here
Now police are appealing for the three women to come forward so they thank them for their courageous efforts.
The women intervened by hitting the man with their Christmas shopping and blocking his path. Uniformed and plain clothes officers were pursuing him through Worcester city centre last Friday, when:
HEROINE 1: Barred his way on the pavement, as he sprinted on to the bridge forcing him to run into the road.
HEROINE 2: Ran into the road, hit him with her bag and tussled with him, slowing him down and making him change direction again.
HEROINE 3: Ran into the road and challenged him as ‘Heroine 2’ followed up from behind, jointly forcing him away from his intended course.
The fugitive had been at large for six days wanted on a warrant issued by Cheltenham Magistrates Court in connection with possessing an offensive weapon and assaulting three police officers.
The frustrated man then ran across both lanes of the main road and was caught and held by a van driver on the opposite side of the bridge. Seconds later officers caught up and he was taken away in a police vehicle.
A police spokesperson said: "We want to thank the courageous trio through the media, but would also like to do so face-to-face.
"The three women did not know each other and were walking over the bridge some distance apart when they each realised, in seconds, that a man was being pursued and was heading straight for them.
"They had very little time to make up their minds what to do and react. Almost acting in unison, they each responded in exactly the same way - they tried to apprehend the man, not knowing whether he was armed or could have injured them.
"Although we have concerns for the consequences of their actions, we fully endorse them and applaud their courage."
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