A man has been jailed for 12 months following an attempted burglary.

Alexander Prentice, 26, of no fixed address, was spotted acting suspiciously with another man in Elmfield Road in Potters Bar on December 22 last year.

A quick-thinking member of the public saw the men and called the police. Prentice was promptly arrested in Baker Street.

The other man was acquitted, following the hearing at St Albans Crown Court.

Hertsmere Chief Inspector Steve O’Keeffe said: “We were able to arrest Prentice thanks to a member of the public who thought the men were acting suspiciously.  Their quick-thinking helped prevent Potters Bar residents being burgled just before Christmas last year.  Prentice will now spend his summer behind bars.”  

Hertfordshire police offer the following advice.

  • Invest in additional security measures including house alarms, CCTV and web-based security cameras and doorbells.
  • Securely lock PVC doors and shut all windows when you go out or go to bed and give your home the ‘lived-in’ look.
  • As jewellery has been targeted in some offences, make sure you keep valuable or sentimental jewellery securely locked away and out of sight, especially when you go on holiday.
  • Securely lock away gardening equipment in garages or sheds
  • Join Neighbourhood Watch where you will receive free emails                  about crime in your local area 

If you see a crime in progress, call 999.  If reporting something retrospectively, call the non-emergency number on 101.