A 34-year-old suspected fuel thief from Ilford was found hiding in manure by police after he tried to evade thermal imaging cameras.
A search was launched in Wiltshire on Wednesday evening following reports that the Lithuanian man was driving a “suspicious van”.
After abandoning his van, officers on the ground and in a helicopter searched for him and he was discovered by a police dog in a manure heap on a local farm.
The suspect was hot from running and was visible on the helicopter’s thermal imaging cameras, according to police.
A 1,000 litre tank and pumping equipment were found in his van.
He was arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal but was cautioned and released without charge.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here