DEVONSHIRE residents gave a whole new meaning to community policing when they chased a suspected thief right into the hands of police officers.

The suspect, a 32-year-old Sandys man, found himself being pursued by residents from the scene of a break-in at a Garthowen Road home.

Police spokesman Robin Simmons said: "It appears that some residents spotted this man acting suspiciously and chased him away from the scene. They ended up chasing him right into police hands.

"This was a very good piece of work by these residents, who clearly did the majority of the work leading to the apprehension of the suspect."

The man was arrested near Jubilee Road in Devonshire and was taken to Hamilton Police Station where a search revealed cash and several items of jewellery.

The break-in at Garthowen Road happened some time between 8.30 a.m. and noon. Jewellery and $500 in cash were stolen.

Counterfeit Bermuda $50 bills are increasingly appearing around the island, the Bermuda Police Service warned yesterday. A police statement said the fake money should be easy to spot as the counterfeiting is of a poor quality and possesses none of the imbedded security features of genuine currency.