A Northumbria farmer has been praised and awarded by the police for catching a paedophile committing a crime near his land.
Farmer George Common, from Northumbria, has been praised by a Chief Constable after he was recognised for acts of bravery at a national awards ceremony.
On the afternoon of Saturday, October 7, 2017, Mr Common was checking his land and livestock when he noticed a car parked in a remote lay-by.
The 60-year-old approached the car, and he saw a man in the company of a young naked school boy.
He confronted the man and tried to pull the young boy from the car.
However, Mr Common was nearly knocked to the ground when the man attempted to drive off, ramming into the farmer's Landrover three times before speeding off from the scene.
He was able to take down the car’s registration number and give officers descriptions of the man that proved critical to police identifying the suspect.
Louis Murray, 22, was later arrested and jailed for 11 years after admitting a string of child sex offences.
Mr Common said: “When I saw the car parked up, I was conscious that something wasn’t right.
“Hearing all of the stories in the room last night – some of them sad and upsetting – made me feel privileged to have been invited.
“It was out of this world and I’ll never forget it. It was great to hear all about members of the community working with the police to be their eyes and ears,” he said.
