Man jailed for stealing protective equipment from ambulance

A man has been jailed for stealing equipment from an ambulance.

Mark Manley, 35, of no fixed address, was jailed for six months at Croydon Magistrates Court on Monday for stealing equipment from a stationery ambulance and assaulting a security guard.

He had pleaded guilty to the offences.

Police were called just before 9.20pm on Saturday to reports of a man having stolen from an Ambulance at St Thomas Street, Borough.

When challenged by security staff, Manley assaulted one security worker and racially abused another.

He had taken a bag containing personal protection equipment (PPE) from the vehicle.

Items taken included masks, paper suits and hand gel. Some of the items were rendered no longer usable due to contamination.

Manley was detained by the security guards and patrolling British Transport Police.

Officers from Southwark attended and he was arrested on suspicion of theft, actual bodily harm and a racially aggravated public order offence.

He was taken to a South London police station where he was subsequently charged with theft from a motor vehicle, a section 4 Public Order Act offence (causing fear or provocation of violence) and a racially aggravated Public Order Act offence.

He was also charged with assault against an emergency worker in relation to the security guard who sustained facial injuries which were not life threatening.

Top: Manley stole the equipment from an ambulance, like the one pictured top