An opportunistic thief was caught after police teamed up with operators at the borough’s CCTV control room.

Residents called 999 to report a suspicious man in Ravenswood Road, Balham, who was looking into parked cars at 6.15pm on October 9.

The thief was seen to get into an unlocked van and put something into a bag before walking across Balham High Road towards the Lochinvar Estate.

PCs Mehul Patel and Tim Yates and PCSO Matthew Smith, from Nightingale safer neighbourhoods team, immediately called Wandsworth council’s CCTV headquarters to obtain a full description of the thief and within minutes made an arrest.

The thief turned out to be a woman who had snatched a sat-nav system.

Sergeant Kirsty Payne said: “Nightingale Snt has been conducting pro active plain clothes patrols in order to identify offenders.

“The officers, the vigilant member of public and the council CCTV control room have shown an excellent team working relationship within the community we serve.”