PORCHESTER CAR PARK

PATRICK FINISHED HIS SHOPPING

IN THE SUPERMARKET OF HIS

HOME VILLAGE OF PORTCHESTER.

HE AMBLED SLOWLY IN THE

NOONDAY SUNSHINE INTO THE CAR PARK

BEHIND THE SHOPPING CENTRE

TO PUT HIS BAGS IN

THE BOOT OF HIS CAR.

AS HE MOVED TOWARDS HIS CAR

HE OBSERVED TWO YOUTHS,

DRESSED IN RED ANORAKS AND

WEARING RED BASEBALL CAPS,

STRUGGLING WITH THE LOCK OF A

WHITE NISSAN BLUEBIRD CAR.

PATRICK WATCHED THEM FOR A

FEW MOMENTS BEFORE SPEAKING',

YOU TWO SEEM TO BE HAVING TROUBLE,

HE SAID.

'OH, IT'S ALRIGHT',

REPLIED ONE YOUTH BRIGHTLY,

'THE KEY SOMETIMES GETS S

TUCK IN THE LOCK.'

'PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE

TO TRY MY KEY',

SUGGESTED PAT HELPFULLY.

'WHY ON EARTH WOULD WE

WANT TO DO THAT?'

SAID THE OTHER YOUTH

IN A SARCASTIC VOICE.

'BECAUSE IT'S MY CAR',

PAT RETORTED.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

THE YOUTHS RAN AWAY AND

PAT TELEPHONED THE POLICE.

WHEN PAT DESCRIBED THE YOUNG MEN

THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY

KNEW WHO THEY WERE.

TEN MINUTES LATER

THE BOYS WERE ARRESTED

IN THE LOCAL PUB

SOME 150 METRES AWAY

FROM WHERE THE ATTEMPTED CRIME

HAD BEEN COMMITTED.

THEY WERE STILL WEARING

THEIR BRIGHTLY COLOURED

ANORAKS AND HATS.