AN OFF-DUTY police officer chased and arrested a criminal despite having already run nearly eight miles on his way into work.

Pc John Quinney was on his way into Coventry city centre to start his shift when he spotted a bizarre crime unfolding.

He was running along Walsgrave Road, in Ball Hill, when he saw a man finish his drink and lob a pint glass over his head. The empty glass hit a 52-year-old woman on the head.

When he realised he had hurt the woman, the 24-year-old drinker ran off, but Pc Quinney chased him down Clements Street.

The attacker ran to a nearby pub and Pc Quinney waited nearby for backup to arrive.

But the man then left the pub leaving the Coventry officer with little option but to arrest him.

A struggle ensued and the man was eventually arrested with uniform officers handcuffing him and taking him away.

Even with the attacker in custody Pc Quinney’s work was not done, as he found the T-shirt the attacker had been wearing in the pub.

The drama happened on Saturday, September 29, at about 4.30pm.

PC Quinney said: “At the time of the arrest I was in training for the Coventry Half-Marathon so running to work gave me the opportunity for some last-minute preparation.

“I was about a mile away from work when I saw the incident and only had to take a slight detour and eventually apprehend the man.

“Colleagues who were working an early shift were soon on the scene to take the man into custody, where he remorsefully admitted his guilt.

“Thankfully, the lady, who was a complete innocent bystander in all of this, only suffered minor injuries.

“I’ve been a police officer for seven years and this is certainly one of the most eventful journeys to work and the first time I’ve arrested someone before my shift has started.”

The 24-year-old admitted assault at Coventry Magistrates Court on Monday. He will be sentenced at the end of the month.

Pc Quinney, who ran the Coventry half marathon with a colleague for the Alzheimer’s Society, finished 270th out of 2000 runners.