Volunteers catch serial offender

Members of volunteer security group Shomrim have helped bring to justice a habitual burglar who broke into a warehouse.

Shomrim was called by a Jewish businessman over a disturbance at his Stoke Newington premises in October. They held John Vanner until the arrival of police, who identified him as one of Hackney’s most wanted men. Officers found a crowbar down the back of Vanner’s trousers, as well as credit cards taken from the warehouse office.

The 48-year-old, of Northumberland Park, Haringey, was jailed for four years at a sentencing hearing at Wood Green Crown Court last week. The court took into consideration a total of 79 offences, including attempted burglary, affray, shoplifting and breach of a suspended sentence order. He received a three-year sentence for the warehouse burglary.

“This is the kind of thing we do on a daily basis but we do not always get the recognition,” a Shomrim representative said. “This incident happened in the middle of the night. Our members are ready to act at all times.”