Off-duty Leeds policeman helped catch wanted robbers while doing his weekly shop – then caught them again when they fled the court

Pc Neil Masheder ran towards danger despite having no protective clothing or weapons when he saw a car leave a supermarket car park in Leeds which he knew was being driven by three robbers who thought they were playing "a real life game of Grand Theft Auto".

The Leeds officer has now been nominated for a National Police Bravery Award for the spontaneous act of heroism.

He had parked in the car park to do his weekly shop on September 10 last year when he spotted the Seat Leon parked in a disabled bay with two occupants inside, which he instantly recognised as the same car reported stolen and used in two knifepoint robberies.

The car had been used in the knifepoint robbery of a man and a robbery at a convenience store in Kirklees, as well as a burglary in which two other cars had been stolen.

In the convenience store robbery, the men had dragged two female shop staff into the office threatening to hurt them to get them to open the safe and hand over cash.

The burglary meanwhile involved the men threatening to stab a woman as they took her car keys and jewellery at her Gildersome home. Her cars were found later that afternoon, but the men in the Seat Leon remained at large with a false number plate to avoid detection.

Now it was parked right in front of Pc Masheder, who immediately alerted his on-duty colleagues.

As he did, the driver returned to the car and began to drive off.

Pc Masheder quickly tried to stop the car from leaving, getting into a violent struggle with the driver as the two accomplices fled the scene.

Getting the driver under control, on-duty officers arrived on the scene to arrest him. The two accomplices were also found and arrested.

Pc Masheder helped to catch the three men again, after they were convicted following a nine-day trial at Leeds Crown Court in March and jumped the dock, escaping from the court building.