DUBLIN’S LORD MAYOR Nial Ring apprehended a suspected burglar who was running away from gardaí this afternoon. 

Ring was in his car just off Peter Street in the capital when he heard a commotion coming from inside a building. 

As he got out of his car, he saw a man running towards him. Ring, who is a councillor for the Ballybough area, apprehended the suspect. 

Gardaí, who were in pursuit at the time, had the man in handcuffs 20 seconds later. 

Staff at Marsh’s Library in the capital witnessed the whole ordeal. 

Its account tweeted: “Wow! Our staff just spotted and chased an *alleged* burglar coming out of a neighbouring building. Running up Peter Street the guy was arrested by none other than the Lord Mayor of Dublin, @nialring who happened to be in the area.  Guards on the scene within 20 seconds.”

The Lord Mayor, who was not wearing his official chains of office at the time of the incident, described how he stopped the suspect. 

He told TheJournal.ie: “We were driving along and a guy was shouting at this young fella who was running down, I don’t even know the name of the street, and I got the driver to go up a bit so I got out in anticipation of him [young lad] coming down.

“It wasn’t tackling, the three of us just surrounded him, that’s all that happened. We were saved having to hold him on the ground, the gardaí were there in 10, 20 seconds. I got out just to block his way.”

“He was up to no good.”

Gardaí confirmed the incident. 

A spokeswoman said: “Gardaí in Kevin Street are investigating a burglary which occurred shortly before midday on 12th February 2019, at Cannon Court, Bride Street.

“A male in his twenties entered a premises. The suspect was subsequently detained and arrested by gardaí on mobile patrol.”

With reporting by Cónal Thomas