LOCAL officers welcomed 12-year-old Charlie to Grays police station this week to say thank you for helping them catch a repeat car thief.

Earlier this summer, Charlie was out with his parents when he saw someone acting strangely near some parked cars.

He felt something wasn't right and told his dad. Charlie's dad quietly took some photographs of the person and they reported what Charlie had seen to police straight away.

Thanks to the information officers were able to identify a man who had stolen several cars in the area.

He was later found guilty and sent to prison.

Inspector Dan Selby praised Charlie for doing the right thing, saying: "Doing what's right isn't always easy, but Charlie showed great awareness and bravery when he saw something that didn't seem right.

"Because of his actions, we were able to stop someone who was causing harm in our community. Thank you, Charlie!"