Northamptonshire Police has praised the “quick-thinking” and “good old fashioned policing” of one of the force’s officers after a cycling copper, who borrowed a bicycle from a bystander, set off after a drug dealer on two wheels, before ramming them to the ground, arresting the suspect and ultimately helping to see them jailed.

Police responded to a report from a member of the public in Northampton town centre on August 23, at around 11.45am, that there was a possible drug deal taking place near Commercial Street, the suspect Sean Christopher Prosser fleeing by bike as officers arrived at the scene.

However, PC Lewis Marks drove to Beckets Park where he was pointed in the direction of and then spotted the suspect cycling across the park towards Bedford Road. Switching transport with the help of a man cycling along the route, the officer is heard in the video asking to use the bike before setting off after Prosser.

CCTV footage then shows the officer intercepting the suspect opposite St John’s car park, ramming him to the ground.

“I’m going to get this back to its owner, I’ve just grabbed it off a member of the public,” PC Marks can be heard saying in footage captured by his bodycamera once the suspect has been caught.

Returning to the park he then found the bike’s owner, shook his hand and said: “Mate, I caught him, wouldn’t have caught him without your help, really appreciate that.”

Prosser was searched and found to be in possession of “a large quantity of cash and phones with messages related to drug supply”. A CT scan the following day showed “a plugged Kinder Egg toy case” which contained wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, as well as escaping from lawful custody, acquiring/using/possessing criminal property, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and being concerned in the supply of heroin.

Returning to Northampton Crown Court on Friday he was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

“This incident was an example of good old fashioned policing where our officers and members of the public worked together to take down a man whose actions were a blight on the community,” Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Beth Warren commented.

“The quick-thinking of PC Marks ensured Prosser was arrested swiftly and I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank the member of the public who let us borrow his bike.

“Tackling drug harm is a matter of priority for Northamptonshire Police and I hope this case demonstrates how quickly we act on community intelligence in order to make our town a nicer place to live.”

In January, Northumbria Police said one of its officers had borrowed a bicycle and caught up with a motorist, who fled on foot after police suspected him of dangerous driving, leading to an arrest.

In April 2021, a Greater Manchester Police officer who was chasing suspected car thieves grabbed a folding bike from a cyclist who was riding the Fallowfield Loop.

The officer set off on the borrowed bike after the suspects, who were travelling in a Toyota Prius which had been taken in a robbery in Longsight. The chase ended when the suspects crashed into a lamppost and were arrested – with the bike then safely returned to its owner.