The Mansfield Dairy Robbery 1985

The Chief Constable personally commended five police officers in 1987 for their part in arrests after a raid at a Mansfield dairy in 1985.

Commended were Inspector James Pitches, who was stationed at Mansfield, PC Jim Moody, who was stationed at Mansfield, Pc Mick Postles and Pc Andy Yates of Ollerton Traffic Wing and Det Sgt Robert Fraser, who was stationed at Mansfield. Chief Constable, Mr Charles McLachlan, made the commendations at Police Headquarters.

In September 1985 a dairy was forcibly entered and the offenders remained on the premises collecting cash from the roundsmen as they deposited their takings in what they thought was a secure area. Despite widespread enquiries neither the offenders nor the £22,000 stolen were traced. Seven months later a roundsman from the same dairy was attacked and robbed of £2,000. Again extensive enquiries failed to reveal the offenders. Then during the early hours of Saturday May 3,1986, Inspector Pitches, on duty in the Quarry Lane area of Mansfield, checked out a Morris Marina car. The five men in the car gave a plausible excuse for being there, but later the vehicle was seen on Rosemary Street when the driver asked directions to Sheffield.

About 4.45am Mick Postles and Andy Yates spotted the same car on Little Barn Lane, Mansfield, but the occupant was the driver. He was arrested after admitting being there to commit a robbery with others. A search failed to trace the men previously seen in the car. However Jim Moody, on his way to work at 5.40am and unaware of the event, saw four men on Quarry Lane. He spoke to colleagues at the station and realizing the significance, the officer, together with Jim Pitches, returned to Quarry Lane and two men were arrested in possession of a Dewsbury licensed taxi. Later officers who had been keeping the Marina under observations arrested the other two men on Southwell Road West.

All five were interviewed by CID officers. Others were implicated which led to eight people being charged with offences of burglary, robbery and conspiracy to rob. They appeared before Nottingham Crown Court in December 1986 and after pleading Guilty the sentences varied from four-and-a-half-years to nine months youth custody.