A THIEF caught with help from Gazette readers has been jailed.

British Transport Police released CCTV pictures of Darren Cairns on a train, moments before he stole a woman’s handbag.

Witnesses came forward after an appeal in the paper and Cairns, 21, was arrested.

He was jailed for 12 months when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

Judge Charles Gratwicke told him the message must go out that thieves will be jailed.

Cairns had denied robbing the woman, but the court heard how his plea to a lesser charge of theft was acceptable.

The 59-year-old woman was on a Colchester to Walton train on June 18, 2008, when Cairns wrenched her bag from her shoulder.

She was going home at the time when Cairns, and some other youths, got on the 6.10pm train at Great Bentley.

She had her bag over her shoulder, but Cairns managed to get it from her.

British Transport Police investigated and released CCTV images on the first anniversary of the theft.

This resulted in witnesses coming forward and Cairns, of Nursery Gardens, Weeley Heath, was arrested.

Noel Casey, prosecuting, said the investigation was helped by a picture of Cairns taken from the train CCTV being published in the Gazette.

Two passengers on another train had also overheard Cairns boasting about the incident, the court heard.

David Aston, mitigating, told the court Cairns was a changed person from the one who committed the theft.

After the hearing, Det Con Alan Reed, from the British Transport Police, said: “Thanks to the appeal for information in the Gazette, witnesses came forward, helping us to bring this to a successful prosecution.”