Lorne Castle made a citizen’s arrest of a shoplifter in Dorset - Christopher Amey

A police officer who was sacked after arresting a teenage knifeman tackled a shoplifter to the ground on Thursday night.

Lorne Castle, 46, pulled a youth to the ground at the Castlepoint shopping centre in Bournemouth, Dorset, after he fled a Nike store with stolen goods on Thursday night.

Mr Castle, who was controversially dismissed by Dorset Police last month after arresting a knife-carrying teenager, was pictured holding the youth to the ground for 15 minutes before his former colleagues arrived to arrest him.

The manager of the Nike store later praised Mr Castle, who it was said had been “extremely pleasant and courteous” to the youth he had stopped.

It happened on the same day it was confirmed that Mr Castle would be appealing against the decision by Dorset Police to sack him for gross misconduct.

He was found to have used disproportionate force during the arrest of a 15-year-old in Bournemouth in January last year.

After tackling the boy to the ground, he held him down and told him to “stop screaming like a b----”.

Mr Castle, who won a national lifesaving award for saving an elderly lady from a flood in 2023, was said to have failed to show the youth “courtesy and respect” by threatening to “smash him in”.

The father-of-three has had strong public support since the misconduct hearing went against him. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to support him and his family has raised more than £120,000.

Lorne Castle was dismissed after failing to show ‘respect and courtesy’ while arresting a boy with a knife - Russell Sach

Norman Brennan, a retired police officer who was with Mr Castle before Thursday night’s incident, said: “The shoplifter ran out of the Nike store with a lot of gear and Lorne nicked him. It was a citizen’s arrest, because that is what he is now.

“The suspect was detained until the police turned up and arrested him. That’s the sort of police officer the public want.”

Chris Amey, a retired police inspector who worked with Mr Castle, said: “Come on, Lorne Castle. You really are making them [Dorset Police] look bad.

“This shoplifter literally ran into Lorne as he was entering the Nike store at Castlepoint in Bournemouth. The offender was detained by Lorne on the floor for 15 minutes, awaiting the arrival of police.

“We’re delighted to say that Lorne was extremely pleasant and courteous to the man concerned and actually very apologetic for detaining him.”

He claimed the suspect was arrested and “numerous items found in his possession were seized”, with goods returned to the store.

Lorne Castle, left, has had strong public support since the misconduct hearing went against him - BNPS

Members of the public took to social media to praise Mr Castle for his citizen’s arrest.

Phil Lee wrote: “You couldn’t make this up. Well done Lorne, you have the backing of tens of thousands who can clearly see where your dedication and devotion lie, unlike your previous employers.”

Peter Burnell said: “Wouldn’t it be great if Lorne was to be awarded a good citizen medal for this and the Chief Constable did the presentation.”

Speaking about the impact that his dismissal has had on him, Mr Castle said: “Dorset Police could have absolutely destroyed me and broken me.

“It was a very dark place and a sad moment in time, but my story seems to have touched the nation. I was sacked, left with no job, a family to look after and no job prospects. I want my name cleared. I feel that I have been treated really unfairly. I have been an exemplary officer for over 10 years.”

Dorset Police have been approached for comment.

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