Loughton car thief's crisp clue provides police with full DNA profile
A careless thief taunted by police for leaving his soft drink, tools and a balaclava at the scene of a crime has been identified through his DNA.
The man dropped his bag when he was disturbed while trying to break into a car in Loughton, Essex, on 3 May.
Essex Police senior crime scene investigator Ryan Howell, who tweeted messages directed at the suspect, said the lab found a full DNA profile.
"We've got a suspect and officers are actively searching for him," he said.
When the man's bag was first discovered, Mr Howell tweeted a series of tongue-in-cheek messages, including one which revealed the crisps left at the scene had been eaten.
"We've also got your balaclava and glass hammer, but we need those for the time being," he wrote to the thief at the time.