A wanted man told police he “didn’t fancy spending a night in the cells” - but that is where he ended up anyway

Police paid a visit to the 32-year-old’s home in Bishopsford Road, St Helier Estate, to arrest him for breach of a court order.

The man was not home but they spoke to him on his mobile phone when he told police he would not come to the police station as he did not want to stay overnight.

However, the same evening, Monday, February 24, the wanted man drove a transit van and triggered an alert on an automatic number plate reading camera and was arrested by a police officer in Merrymeet Road, Banstead, at 9.20pm.

He was arrested for breaching his night time curfew which starts at 9pm, for the fourth time.

The man spent an evening in police cells and appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court the next morning on Tuesday, February 25.