A "brazen" thief who was seen stealing a cattle trailer was caught months later - after overtaking a police car.

Edward Conory has been given a six and a half month jail sentence for his part in the theft of a cattle trailer from a farm along the A355 in Coleshill on October 26 last year.

At around 3pm that day, witnesses watched people in a green 4x4 hitch up a cattle trailer and drive away with it.

But 14 minutes later, police found the trailer attached to a green Fiat Sedici parked in a layby on Copperkins Lane.

Two people inside fled before police could arrest them, but officers found the 4x4 had fake registration plates.

Conory likely thought he had got away with the theft, because it wasn't until February 7 he was finally caught.

While police were on patrol in Slough at around 2.30pm that day, they were overtaken by a blue VW Touran.

They pulled the Touran over and the driver - Conory - did not have a driver's license.

He was arrested and charged with one count of theft of conveyance other than a motor vehicle or pedal cycle, one count of driving while disqualified, and one count of using a motor vehicle on a road/ public place without third party insurance.

Appearing at Wycombe Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, February 8, Conory, 31, of Oxford Road in Gerrards Cross, pleaded guilty to the crimes and was given six and a half months in prison.

PC Matt Cumming of the Neighbourhood Policing team, based at Amersham police station, said: “This case involved a very brazen theft of a cattle trailer from a working farm.

“These crimes have a huge impact on our rural communities and we are pleased to have been able to secure a conviction and custodial sentence in this case.

“I would like to reassure the farming community that Thames Valley Police take these offences seriously and we will continue to strive to bring a stop to this type of offending.”