Rotherham man who gave copper his bicycle so he could chase suspect is found and thanked by police

A bystander who helped apprehend a fleeing suspect by lending his bicycle to a police officer with a cheerful “go get ‘em” has been found and thanked by police.

Earlier this month, South Yorkshire Police shared footage from an officer’s bodyworn camera of a “strange” chase which saw a driver reversing a white Range Rover down 60mph roads before crashing and running from the scene.

However, the eyepopping footage hit new levels of drama when the officer went to give chase on foot - and a member of public decided he needed a boost.

The video shows the bystander dismounting his bike, handing it to the officer and pointing where the alleged offender ran, telling the copper: “Go get ‘em.”

As a result, the officer caught up with his quarry and a 25-year-old man was arrested in a garden on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle. He was later released on bail.

Now, following an appeal to find and thank the have-a-go hero, South Yorkshire Police say they have had the chance to meet him.

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A tweet from SYP’s official X (formery Twitter) page today (April 24) reads: “Earlier this month, we issued an appeal to locate a member of the public who gave their bike to our officer mid-pursuit, which resulted in the arrest of a suspect.

“We have now been able to make contact with this person and we are no longer appealing to find them.”

Earlier this month, Cherie Buttle, Chief Superintendent for SYP’s Operational Support Unit, said: "I would really like to personally thank the member of the public who gave up their bike to assist our officer in his pursuit of a suspect.

"Our dedicated officers go to great lengths to tackle crimes and bring criminals to justice, but we couldn't do it without the support of our communities.

"This person's quick thinking in offering up their bike without hesitation helped us detain a man on suspicion of theft of a vehicle and their assistance in this pursuit really was invaluable."