A heroic councillor has been commended after chasing and nabbing a shoplifter.
Fianna Fáil's Joe Flaherty was praised for helping Gardaí to successfully apprehend a man who had allegedly stolen from a shop in Longford town on Thursday.
Longford county councillor Flaherty helped Gardaí track down and arrest the suspect at around 5.30pm following a suspected theft at local fashion retailer DV8 on Longford’s Ballymahon Street.
Cllr Flaherty was alerted to the incident by a local publican who told him what had happened, before taking off in chase of the culprit towards Longford Railway Station.
He said: "I had already been in contact with the Gardaí at that stage and spotted a man acting suspiciously as he went into the station."
Moments later, the suspect appeared from the toilets before fleeing towards the Park Road area of town.
With Cllr Flaherty still in pursuit, an off duty sergeant arrived on the scene and arrested the man, who is believed to be from the Ballymun area of Dublin and brought him to Longford Garda Station.
He was later charged with three theft related offences and is due to appear at a sitting of Longford District Court next month.
It’s not the first time Cllr Flaherty has been involved assisting gardaí in the course of their duty.
Earlier this year, he helped local officers apprehending a male suspect who had allegedly stolen a handbag in broad daylight.
Cllr Flaherty, however, was keen to deflect his own involvement in Thursday’s heroics and instead acknowledged the continued efforts of gardaí in their ongoing fight against crime.
“They (gardaí) must be praised for their swift response,” he said.
“It is vital that we, as a public, engage with them and act as their eyes and ears on the ground.”
