QUICK thinking from a member of the public led to two men being caught red handed with lead they stole off of the roof of a house in Malmesbury.

A passerby raised the alarm with police after spotting two men taking lead from the house on Park Road.

After realising they had been seen, they jumped in a Mercedes Van and drove away, but the good Samaritan took down the licence plate number and called the police.
Officers checked the number and visited the vehicle owner's address in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, where lead was found in an outbuilding.
A 17 year old from Stroud, Gloucestershire and a 42 year old man from Tetbury were arrested on suspicion of theft and are currently in custody at Gablecross Police Station.
Inspector Mark Luffman said: "This was good work by our officers thanks to the quick thinking by the member of public to note down the vehicle's registration number. 
"Lead thefts can result in a lot of damage to the building in question - not only through the actual process of ripping the lead off the roof but also the possible subsequent water damage which can result due to rain leaking in.
"As with this theft, I would urge anyone who spots any suspicious activity on or around a building to call us on 999 immediately if the crime is in process or 101."