Insurance worker Newton Adcock last night played down his heroics after he chased an alleged bank thief for three miles through the streets of Hamilton before helping Police to arrest him.

Marathon runner and triathlete Mr. Adcock, 51, sprinted after the suspect after about $5,000 was snatched from a cashier at the former Bermuda Home premises, the mortgage department of Bank of Bermuda, on Bermudiana Road at around 11 a.m. yesterday.

Mr. Adcock chased him along Church Street and Trott Road towards the Old Colony Pub and down a thick embankment before pursuing him towards the Bull's Head car park.

Other members of the public assisted Mr. Adcock with directions when the alleged thief went out of sight, enabling him to keep on his tail.

The sprinting insurance man then asked a woman at a lunch wagon on Canal Road to dial 911 and inform the Police which direction the suspect was heading in, and soon after a response car came by and picked Mr. Adcock up.

Moments later Constables Arthur Dill and Kim Roberts, who were travelling in a separate Police car, raced to Bernard Park at the tennis stadium and arrested the suspect about 12 minutes after the raid had taken place.

Mr. Adcock, who works for BF&M Insurance, said the three-mile sprint was all in his usual day's activities.

added the suspect seemed more than a little shocked to find someone chasing him for so long.

He said he was at the loan department of the bank to see a client when he heard a woman scream that someone had taken her bag of money.

The runner said he got a description of the man and then set off after him, without giving his own safety a thought.

"I just turned around and my instinct was to run after him," said Mr. Adcock.

"We ran through the traffic, up Church Street and up through Trott Road. A scooter tried to block his way, but he managed to get around him."

Mr. Adcock continued after the man, stopping only to find out from passers-by which direction he had gone when he went out of sight.

He added: "He was a pretty good runner but when he turned around in Church Street and saw me behind him I think it scared him. I think that's why he jumped over a fence and fell down the embankment.

"This kind of thing doesn't happen in Bermuda very often, but the good in people comes out when everybody works together."

Mr. Adcock said he was not out of breath after his mammoth chase, but his shirt was soaking wet with perspiration.

On his arrival back at the bank, where staff and customers had been waiting concerned for his safe return, they handed him a clean T-shirt to wear and thanked him for his heroics.

Mr. Adcock last night said he wanted to thank everyone who had helped him along the way, each playing a part in helping the Police to make an arrest.

Bank of Bermuda head of retail client division Alan Richardson said: `'The incident, of course, was very distressing for a number of staff, but I can't thank enough Newton Adcock who bravely and courageously helped with the apprehension and detection of the individual."

The office remained closed yesterday as Police combed the premises and improved security.

Some of the cash was lost during the chase, but Police yesterday recovered around $4,000.

Police are appealing to members of the public who find stray $100 bills to hand them in at their nearest Police station.

A 33-year-old Pembroke man is expected to appear at Magistrates Court this week in connection with the incident.