A SHOPLIFTER who was taken a police station in a Wisbech shopkeeper s van when officers failed to respond to 999 calls, was sentenced to a drug treatment order this week. Exasperated locksmith Mark Ward had waited for two hours and made four emergency cal

A SHOPLIFTER who was taken a police station in a Wisbech shopkeeper's van when officers failed to respond to 999 calls, was sentenced to a drug treatment order this week.

Exasperated locksmith Mark Ward had waited for two hours and made four emergency calls before making the decision to take Russian worker Raimonds Ludbarzs to Wisbech police station himself.

Ludbarzs had stolen a pair of £6 pliers from Anglia Locksmiths in Church Terrace shop. He was frog marched to the back of the shop, and held there for two hours.

At an earlier hearing, Ludbarzs, 39, of Artillery Street, Wisbech, admitted theft, and breaching an earlier community centre.

"It is perfectly obvious that there is a significant drug problem behind your offending behaviour," said presiding magistrate Alan Jones.

Ludbarzs' previous community order was revoked. He will be supervised by the probation service for the next 15 months, and must pay £75 costs.