A man browsing the internet in America has foiled a burglary 4,600 miles away in Britain. The armchair sleuth was at home in Dallas, Texas, when he looked at a webcam set up in Mathew Street, the heart of the Beatles quarter in Liverpool. A few moments later he was astonished to see signs of activity as three dark-clad figures set up a ladder and began climbing through the first-floor window of an outdoor clothing store. Realising that he was watching a burglary, he found a number for Merseyside police and rang their control room. Officers arrived at the city centre location in time to arrest the unwitting webcam stars as they tried to escape in a car.Yesterday Insp Damian Walsh, of Merseyside police, said: "We were amazed when we were informed that the person who reported the offence lived in the US. But it shows how vital our camera system is to reduce and prevent offences." Detectives believe that the American had been browsing the Mathew Street website in anticipation of the area's annual music festival.
Chris Parkinson, a supervisor at the store, said: "The area is well covered with cameras and there is one opposite the window that was broken. We've got all the clothing back and it's good to know that even our friends in the US are keeping an eye on things for us."
Three men from Liverpool have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and have been granted bail pending further inquiries.