Police officer drinking cider on a beach in Devon helps recover a stolen scooter in Leamington and Warwick

The witness spotted the scooter in the water and sent a message to the Warwickshire Rural Crime Team's Facebook page.

The message was picked up by an officer who was on holiday in Devon - and she was able to contact colleagues in the control room and Warwick Police Safer Neighborhood Team, who confirmed the bike had been stolen from the Warwick area the day before.

The owner of the vehicle was contacted and the bike has been recovered.

A spokesperson for the Warwickshire Rural Crime Team said this is just one example of how useful their Facebook page is, adding: "Last week one of our team was sat on a beautiful beach in Devon, enjoying some annual leave and maybe one too many ciders, when we received a direct message on Facebook from a concerned member of the public.

"They had spotted what they thought might be a stolen scooter dumped in a brook near Leamington.

"The officer was able to contact colleagues in our control room and Warwick Police Safer Neighborhood Team, who confirmed the bike had been stolen from the Warwick area the day before.”

The spokesperson added: "The RCT officer didn't even leave the comfort of his deck chair.

"We get loads of direct messages and we try to reply to all of them in a timely fashion, but remember you can also call 101 to report anything suspicious or use the online reporting link below."