Five rookie cops returning from policing a football match were part of a team who thwarted an attempted robbery.

A total of 13 Sutton police officers responded within minutes to reports of a robbery in progress near a bank in Central Road, Worcester Park, on Wednesday, January 27.

Eight of the cops were in a police carrier vehicle returning to Sutton after policing a Chelsea Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.

Five of the officers were probationer PCs who had only been based at Sutton for five weeks after completing their 17-week police training at Sunbury.

Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson last week congratulated the officers for their work in securing the arrest of four men for attempted robbery.

Sir Paul said: “You may not believe it, but the Met management board was buzzing about this because they are all cops at heart and they love good cop stories. It’s great when officers, who are very young into the service, get things spectacularly right.”

Borough commander Chief Superintendent Guy Ferguson said he was very proud of his officers. “This was great work and a real lesson in working as a team within the borough and also in maintaining evidence and passing over the investigation in a seamless way to the Flying Squad. The Flying Squad said it was the best handover they had ever had.”

Four men appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court on Friday, January 29, charged with attempted robbery and have been remanded in custody.