Pensioner who foiled gems raid dies

A pensioner who made headlines when he thwarted two thugs as they tried to raid a jewellers with sledgehammers has died aged 85.

William Grove, then 84, tackled one of the teenage robbers outside a branch of Ernest Jones in Richmond, pulling a balaclava from his head, shouting: "I've got your DNA." The thugs fled and the mask proved to be a vital piece of evidence to secure convictions.

Mr Grove, who was the only person to intervene in the raid in front of a crowd of shoppers, later said he had just been "a responsible citizen".

His death was discovered on Friday when his milkman noticed milk on his doorstep had not been taken in since Monday. Police found his body inside the house in Richmond.

His local vicar, the Rev Cate Irvine of St Matthias church, said: "It was lovely for him to have that moment of glory. We were all very proud of him."