A hapless would-be thief got a frosty reception after diving into an ice cold river to escape police.
Police in Castleford caught the man trying to steal a digger at around midnight on Tuesday. (Feb 12)
In an effort to escape justice, he jumped into the River Aire on a night when temperatures dropped well below zero.
But the thief quickly changed his mind and decided to swim back towards the waiting officers.
A spokesman for the Castleford Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “He was arrested and taken into police custody to dry out in a prison cell. He has this morning been charged with the offence and will be appearing at court at a later date.”