In a stunt that would make Bananaman proud, a Tesco worker earned his superhero credentials by chasing and capturing an alleged thief while dressed as a giant banana.
Checkout worker Luke Summerhayes, 21, was wearing the 6ft 7ins outfit as part of a charity fancy dress day, but when the security alarms went off as he supervised the tills, he wasted no time in pursuing the suspect through the car park and holding him until police arrived.
Mr Summerhayes, who is also a special constable in the police force, said: ‘I don’t think the bloke could believe it when he realised who was chasing him.
‘He looked pretty surprised and he didn’t really look like he wanted to argue with me.
‘I was just doing my job really, I just heard the alarm go off and ran out of the store in pursuit.
‘Everyone at work found it hilarious – I guess I am the real-life Bananaman. I think it will definitely help towards my training for the force.’
He donned the yellow costume while he helped customers pack their bags – but was alerted by the shrill security alarm at around 10.30pm.
Mr Summerhayes said: ‘My girlfriend’s mum used to work at the store and wore the same banana costume – so I just thought it would be fun to put on.
‘I heard the alarm go off and had just seen this guy walking out. I ran out of the store and across the car park after him and caught him up.
‘He denied it but didn’t argue when I asked him to come back to the store.
‘He went through the security system and it went off again, so he was taken out the back of the store.
‘Police then arrived to arrest him. I even recognised a few of them because I work one-day-a-week as a special constable in Wells.’ Proud friends and family, including Luke’s girlfriend Eleanor Malcolm, 20, hailed him a hero after capturing the suspected crook.
The alleged stolen goods – a television aerial – was also recovered.
Mr Summerhayes now hopes to carry on his crime-fighting exploits by joining the police full-time as a PC.
A 22-year-old man from Wells, Somerset, has been charged with theft in relation to the incident and is due before South Somerset Magistrates Court in Yeovil on January 6.
