A thief who stole a collection box during a funeral had to flee empty-handed – after he was tackled by a footballer.
Peterhead defender Scott Hooper, 25, who works at Jardine’s chapel of rest in Dumfries, chased after the lowlife and rugby tackled him.
Undertaker Mark Jardine said: “Scott managed to stop him getting on the bike he had waiting at the bottom of the lane.”
Scott, who used to play for Queen of the South, was unable to hold on to the man, who ran off, leaving the bike behind.
All of the money, donated by mourners for the renal unit and ward eight at Dumfries Infirmary, was recovered.
But the collection box, which went flying through the air, smashed when it hit the ground
Mark told our sister paper the Dumfries & Galloway Standard the incident left the bereaved family “even sadder” and his staff shaken.
He said: “The family was speechless that someone could stoop so low.”
The chapel has handed over CCTV footage of the incident to police, who are investigating.
