A hairdresser turned thief catcher when pickpockets struck outside his shop.

Danny Starling, helped by store supervisor Donna Atkin, played detective and after a week investigating, chased and nabbed the two offenders. At one point he put on hairdressers' rubber gloves to delve into rubbish bins to find evidence.

Police said it was one of the most remarkable "have-a-go" tales they could recall.

It started on June 13 when Mr Starling spotted a woman dipping her hand into an elderly woman's handbag outside his Mako Hair Designs in High Street, Shoreham.

He rushed outside, reassured the victim and challenged the offender. He grabbed her bag but found nothing and the offender drove off with her boyfriend.

Still suspicious, Mr Starling kept his eyes peeled for the rest of the week and on Friday he saw the boyfriend discard an item in a rubbish bin and walk into the nearby Co-Op store.

He grabbed rubber gloves, went through the bin, found a card and purse and called the police.

The couple had left the Co-Op but Mr Starling went in and asked Donna Atkin, the shop's supervisor, to view her CCTV and he would point them out.

He asked Miss Atkin to check the till receipts and see if the offenders had signed the name of the woman on the card he had retrieved. They had and a short while later the loser of the card rang police to report it stolen.

Mr Starling was still on the look out for the thieves the next day when he saw them again.

The boyfriend emptied a purse in a bin and joined his girlfriend as they walked into the Co-op.

Mr Starling sprang into action. He retrieved a stolen purse from the bin and found the woman owner inside the Co-op crying about her loss.

Miss Atkin recognised the two suspects and as they attempted to buy items with a stolen card she delayed them by saying she needed to have the card verified.

Police were called but the man and woman had become suspicious and left the shop.

Mr Starling, meanwhile, was outside, watching the scenario unfurl. He pointed the couple out to police and the woman was arrested but the man ran off.

Mr Starling took up the chase and ran half-a-mile before spotting the man and pointing him out to police who made the arrest.

The couple, Sharon Riddell, 34, and Lee Taylor, 37, both from Bournemouth, were jailed for four months for deception and theft at Worthing Magistrates Court this week.

Mr Starling and Miss Atkin were praised by police who have recommended the two for awards.

Mr Starling, married with a stepson, said seeing the elderly woman victim crying was motive enough for him to take action.

He said: "I was ecstatic getting the couple caught but I couldn't believe they kept coming back.

"I thought they would have stayed away after the first incident on Monday.

"It was a bit like a story book, starting on Monday and seeing it all the way through to a nice end on the Saturday.

"I'm really pleased with the result. I wish more people would take action against those they see acting suspiciously."

Miss Atkin, 25 and from Shoreham, said she, too, was pleased to help.

PC Cheryl Lewendon, who with Detective Con-stable Dave Stubbings investigated the offences, said: "Thanks to the quick-thinking actions of Danny Starling and Donna Atkin we were able to gather the necessary evidence to secure the convictions in a very short space of time."

Chief Inspector Sharon Rowe said: "I will be recommending them to receive a Good Citizen's Award."