A PUBLIC-SPIRITED and alert British expatriate couple helped police catch an Indonesian man who was trying to steal from cars at the multi-storey car park in Clarke Quay on Monday night.

Mr Howell Laurence John, a telecoms manager and his wife Sheri were heading to their car at basement one of the carpark after dinner when they spotted a man loitering suspiciously.

Sensing something amiss, they kept a discreet lookout and saw the suspect meddling with the door handles of several parked cars.

They immediately drove their car to the security counter on level one and alerted security guard Sathis Kumar who was on duty then.

The three of them went to the basement and detained the suspect who was still hanging around there.

Mr Sathis then called the police and the Indonesian was arrested.

Police also seized footage captured by the CCTV in the carpark.

The suspect will be charged in court on Wednesday for loitering with intent to commit theft from vehicle.

If convicted, he can be jailed up to three months or fined up to $2,000, or both.

Superintendent Paul Lim, Commander of Tanglin Police Division, commended the couple and Mr Sathis for their public-spiritedness, alertness and prompt action which led to the arrest of the suspect.