Police launch public appeal for dangerous fugitive, found 10 minutes later in Greggs

Police launched an urgent public appeal yesterday to track down one of Essex’s most dangerous fugitives… only to find him 10 minutes later, casually enjoying a sausage roll in Greggs on Long Wyre Street in Colchester.

The suspect, 34-year-old Stevie Bakewell, had been on the run for weeks, evading capture with what authorities described as ‘highly sophisticated tactics’ which allegedly involved changing his hoodie and avoiding eye contact with officers.

The police, believing he could be armed and dangerous, issued a public warning urging residents to remain vigilant and report any sightings immediately.

However, the high-stakes manhunt took an unexpected turn when a member of the public, queuing for a steak bake, spotted Bakewell sitting comfortably by the window, halfway through his second sausage roll.

“I saw the police notification on my phone, then looked up and thought, ‘Hang on a minute, that’s him!’” said local resident Sharon Wilkins.

Upon arrival, officers found Bakewell in no rush to escape. When questioned about his decision to stop for a snack rather than continue evading capture, he reportedly shrugged and said, “I was hungry.”

Greggs employee Dave said: "He comes in most afternoons, to be fair. If he'd checked Twitter, he might’ve realised the whole town was looking for him."

After a brief back-and-forth, Bakewell insisted on finishing his pastry before being taken into custody. Officers, seemingly amused by the situation, allowed him to finish his meal under the condition that he cooperated peacefully.

Police later issued a follow-up statement, describing the arrest as “unexpectedly effortless” and reminded the public to avoid committing crimes if they intended to frequent well-lit, highly visible bakery chains afterwards.

“We anticipated a lengthy operation to track him down,” a spokesman said. “But in the end, a warm sausage roll proved to be more effective than any of our strategies. Let this be a lesson: you can only run so far before hunger catches up with you.”

Bakewell remains in police custody. Meanwhile, Greggs has remained tight-lipped on the incident, though some sources suggest they may be toying with the idea of a ‘Fugitive Feast’ promotional meal in light of recent events.