An eagle-eyed CCTV operator led police to a man suspected of stealing from a charity box in a St Albans church.

A description of the individual was issued by police after he was seen behaving suspiciously at St Peter’s Church, in St Peter’s Street.

Less than an hour later, the suspect was arrested after a CCTV operator spotted him near shops half a mile away.

Merlin Sarson, age 50, of no fixed abode, was charged with theft following the incident. He is due to appear at St Albans Magistrates Court on Tuesday, September 26.

St Albans City and District Council has a CCTV system that covers the city centre, among other locations. 

Operators support the police and alert them to any criminal activity they spot on screen. The recorded footage can be used as evidence in court. 

Among other CCTV successes this year was the arrest of four suspected shoplifters in separate incidents that were not noticed by the stores.

The technology also helped catch three men who had allegedly just committed a robbery, one man seen tampering with a cash machine, and a drunk driver.

Beric Read, the council’s portfolio holder for business and the community, said: “Our CCTV operators do an outstanding job in supporting the police and making our streets safer. In this case, the operator managed to track down a suspect just from a description.

“It is another example of how effective a CCTV system can be.”