A MONMOUTH fireman says he made a “split second decision” to chase down a suspected thief in Monmouth last week.

Sam Harding, 34, who works as a fire officer, pinned a suspected thief on the ground for 10 minutes while waiting for the police to arrive.

The incident took place on Monnow Street last Wednesday (29th August) in the middle of the day.

“I was driving through town with my wife when I saw it,” he says.

He was greeted by the sight of a man attempting to rip a bag from a woman, who was using crutches.

Initially he thought he’d intercepted a bag snatching, but later realised the woman, who Sam thinks was in her 50s, was herself attempting to prevent the man and a woman from getting away from what is thought to have been a robbery.

“This man was trying to rip the bag off a disabled woman,” he adds.

Sam continued: “I jumped out of the car, and asked what was going on. She said he’d been stealing so I made a decision to go after him.”

Sam ran down the street and chased the man, and pinned him to the ground until the police arrived.

After his heroics he was later interviewed at the police station in Monmouth.

Sam works as a full-time crew manager in Malpas, Newport and as a part-time crew manager in Monmouth.

A man was arrested and has been charged with theft by Gwent Police.