What do you do if on the run from the police? Write to the local paper of course

The Sheffield Star reports:

A fugitive criminal from Sheffield has written to The Star – to correct a ‘mistake’ police made in an appeal for information about his whereabouts.

Burglar Darrell Burbeary has been on the run for 11 days after escaping from Moorland Open Prison in Doncaster.

South Yorkshire Police said they believed he could be heading for his home in Heeley.

But now stickler-for-detail Burbeary, aged 43, has contacted The Star by letter to say: “You wrote a statement about me saying my home roots were Heeley.

“You couldn’t be further from the truth.

“My home roots are the Manor estate of Sheffield.”

Burbeary added he could not disclose his current address ‘for obvious reasons’ – but did provide his telephone number in the letter.

“If you do any more write-ups about this please contact me,” he wrote.

“Any doubts you may have, I will correct you. So please do not hesitate to phone me.”

But he later thought better of it and realised the number might lead to him being traced – because he scribbled the digits out.