How do you say "You're nicked!" in Polish?

Avon and Somerset Police report how building international relationships with police forces in other countries has helped lead to the arrest of a violent criminal from Poland.

A year ago Avon and Somerset Police played host to a number of police officers from Poland. This programme included a three month secondment to Staple Hill.

While out on a plain-clothes patrol, one of the Polish police officers spotted a man who she believed was wanted in Poland.

Investigations were undertaken which led to a European Arrest Warrant being issued in Poland.

On December 23, the man was arrested from his home in Yate on suspicion of aggravated robbery, a mugging and absconding from prison. This week, he was interrogated by the Extradition Court in London.

It was Polish police officer Agnieszka Izdebska who spotted the man while on patrol.

She said: "This is material proof of how important this kind of co-operation between police forces is, and how important this programme of secondment of Polish police officers was."

Chief Superintendent Tony Oliver, who was based at Staple Hill when the Polish police officers were seconded there, said: "This goes to show that it is a very small world, and that by building relationships with our overseas colleagues, we can work together to bring offenders to justice wherever they are.

"It also sends a strong message to offenders that even if you flee your country, you are not necessarily going to escape justice.

"It was a valuable experience for us working alongside our Polish colleagues, sharing ideas and information, learning from each other.

"It was commendable that the officer had the powers of observation to spot this individual.

"She was not proactively looking for him and had no idea that he would be in that area.

"It was a chance encounter, but one that came about because Avon and Somerset Police can see benefits in building relationships with forces in other countries."