Quick-thinking schoolgirls helped catch a drunken motorist who drove his car through a building society window – and stood guard until police arrived.
Best friends Lucy Aldred and Georgia Hampson, from Walmer Bridge, near Preston, were on the way to an end-of-year concert at Penwortham Girls’ High School when the driver ploughed his car through the window of the Yorkshire Building Society in Liverpool Road, just days after it opened.
Despite being stunned by the incident, Lucy grabbed her phone and took a photograph of the car, driver and registration plate as the vehicle reversed on to the main road and sped off.
She dialled 999 and was so worried about looters she stood guard until police arrived, while her friends went back to school to explain why she would be late.
The swift action led to police finding the driver, who admitted the offence and has since appeared before magistrates and been charged.
Now bosses at the society’s agency have rewarded the girls by presenting them with flowers and gift cards and donating £250 to their school.
Headteacher Karen Pomeroy was “amazed” by the girl’s actions. She said: “We are so proud of them. What they did was just marvellous.”
Lucy, who turns 14 this week, said: “Me and Georgia are best friends and had just got off the bus from Walmer Bridge. We were waiting for another friend, Becca Taylor, and had been in Spar to get a drink and was just turning round to look for her when a man got in a car parked up on the front of the shop and drove through the window.
“He backed-up and then drove off. The window was smashed to pieces. There was literally no glass left.”
Lucy added: “I decided I had better wait there until the police came because I thought as it was a building society there was probably a safe inside. At first I just thought someone was having a laugh.”
Thanks to her actions police were able to track the driver within minutes and visited him at his nearby home.
She added: “I didn’t think it was that big a deal until we saw how happy the shop people were. It was a good thing we did.”
Georgia, 13, added: “I couldn’t believe it. I was a bit overawed by it all. Lucy wanted to stay and wait for the police.”
Agency owner Emma Roberts said: “We were devastated at the damage caused by the incident and are just very grateful and thankful that the girls were there to witness it and help bring the driver to justice,
“The girls were very quick-thinking and couldn’t have been more helpful in assisting the police with their enquiries.
“They are a credit to Penwortham High School and I wanted to thank them
personally and the school for coming to our aid.”
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