A police officer who grappled with a burglar has won praise from a judge.

Det Con Charles Cadwallader - chased burglar in his pygamas

Bowls club members looked on in amazement as Det Con Charles Cadwallader, wearing only a coat and pyjamas, burst into their meeting grappling with another man.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Det Con Cadwallader had been asleep when he heard a noise and went to investigate. He saw an arm through the broken window of his door.

The man and two others ran off but the court heard, yesterday, how Det Con Cadwallader gave chase over a muddy field.

It ended when Det Con Cadwallader and 19-year-old Dean Harfield stumbled into Wrabness Village Hall during a meeting of the bowls club committee.

Harfield, of Hamilton Street, Parkeston, and Ionel Petroman, 24, of Tyler Street, Parkeston, denied two charges of burglary and one of theft but were convicted after a trial.

A third man, 29-year-old Justin Bond, of Milton Keynes, admitted the two burglaries and asked for another seven matters involving thefts from cars to be considered.

Judge Alasdair Darroch jailed Bond for 30 months, Petroman was jailed for two years and Harfield was sent to a young offenders' institution for nine months. The court heard both Bond and Petroman had previous convictions.

The judge also commended Det Con Cadwallader for his actions.

He said: "It is reassuring to the public to know that even when off duty and in danger, officers can be trusted to act in a very public spirited way."

The trial heard that a bottle of communion wine was stolen after All Saints' Church, Wrabness, was broken into on December 5 last year.

Later that evening, Mr Cadwallader was in bed at his home nearby when he heard a noise.

When he saw the arm through his door, the 6ft 2in tall officer donned a coat over his pyjamas and chased after the man.

David Ryman, mitigating for Harfield, said the incident had been a "one off" which he now regretted.

John Cooper, for Petroman, said his appalling upbringing in Romania had left him with problems.

And John Donnelly, for Gage, said he regretted what he had done

Published Thursday November 29, 2001