A POLICEMAN borrowed a teenage boy’s bike to chase a suspected thief.

Sgt Fraser Weller asked the cyclist to lend him his mountain bike when he spotted a man fleeing officers in Didcot on Thursday.

Ten officers and police community support officers, and a helicopter were deployed in the hour-long chase, which began shortly before 1.20pm.

A 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were later arrested on suspicion of theft after approximately £1,000 of mobile phones were stolen from the O2 store in Orchard Street.

Sgt Weller said pedal power meant he arrived on the scene in time to assist with the arrests.

He said: “I was coming out of Cow Lane on to the main road and a young lad was coming along the road on his bike from the other side.

“I saw the suspect crossing the road by Sainsbury’s.

“I just asked the lad if I could borrow his bike and he said ‘yes’. I said: ‘wait here, I’ll bring it back’.”

“There was no way I could have caught up with the suspect otherwise.

“I brought the bike back and said thank you to him. The saddle could have done with being a bit higher though.”

Sgt Weller added officers’ stab vests and boots often made it difficult to keep up with criminals on the run.