Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh was left utterly baffled during a recent broadcast after viewing what she dubbed the "worst burglary attempt of all time." The ITV show aired astonishing CCTV footage of a hapless robber's botched raid on a petrol station in County Durham.
The Bungled Break-In
The incident took place in the early hours of October 21 last year at a service station in Ouston, Chester-le-Street. Andrew Pickering, 50, of Marx Crescent, Stanley, gained entry by creating a hole in the roof. Once inside, he ransacked the shop, causing an estimated £3,219 in damage and loss.
However, Pickering's escape plan spectacularly unravelled. Returning to the storeroom to flee via his makeshift entrance, he repeatedly failed to climb back out. The CCTV footage, later released by Durham Police, shows him falling from the ceiling hole a total of four times in a desperate and clumsy bid to escape.
A Bloody and 'Inspirational' Failure
After his fourth fall, Pickering finally abandoned his rooftop exit strategy and opted to leave through a door. A forensic examination of the scene revealed a significant amount of blood, which was later confirmed through DNA to belong to the injured burglar.
Durham Police shared the footage on social media with a tongue-in-cheek caption referencing the robber's persistence: "'It's not about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up.'... His inspirational efforts... were captured on CCTV." The force's humorous take on the event mirrored the reaction of many viewers.
Sentencing and Social Media Reaction
Pickering was subsequently charged with two counts of burglary. Last week, he appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced to 12 months in prison. An accomplice, 46-year-old Daniel Reay of no fixed abode, was also charged and handed a community order requiring alcohol treatment and rehabilitation activity.
Social media users were quick to mock the footage. One Facebook commenter wrote, "Congrats to the interviewers, prosecutors and the jury for not breaking out laughing," while another joked, "If only he had a ladder that extends. Oh wait." The clip provided a moment of comic relief, highlighting a crime that was more farcical than fearsome.
Concluding the segment on Good Morning Britain, a bewildered Ranvir Singh asked viewers, "Finally from me – is this one of the worst burglary attempts you've seen of all time?" Given the evidence, many would likely agree.
