A HUSBAND was shocked to see a potential burglar standing in his garage.

Gary Taplin, from Witham, was going to put his car away on Monday evening when he noticed a middle-aged man.

Mr Taplin, of Blake Road, said: "I went around the corner and a guy came out of my garage.

"He looked stunned - he took some tools but I think I caught him in the act."

Mr Taplin said he had a stand-off with the man, who was claiming the garage belonged to someone over the road.

It happened on January 9 at about 5.55pm.

Mr Taplin was on his own at the time, waiting for his wife to come home.

He said: "I was shocked, my initial reaction was that I should have blocked him in.

"He sped away at 60 miles an hour down the road and nearly hit a car.

"If a child would have been walking along the road he would have killed them, he drove like a maniac."

His garage is at the back of the house, and the area is lit with a few street lights.

It surprised Mr Taplin that the man would attempt to steal from his garage with lights around.

He said: "I have to go out the back gate and walk around the corner to get to my garage, it's one on the end so it's away from the street lights.

"It was a cheek doing it when people come home from work.

"If he was five minutes later my wife would have seen him.

"We don't have enough police here in Witham now the station has gone."

Essex Police were made aware of the incident.

A spokesman said: "The victim went to his garage and found a man inside, he shouted at him and the suspect left in a Ford people carrier.

"A hinge on the garage door had been damaged and tools stolen.

"The suspect was described as white, aged in his 40s, of large build, with a round face.

"He had short hair and wore glasses and dark clothing."

Anyone who saw anybody acting suspiciously in the area is asked to call police on 101.