The shirtless man, who had allegedly stolen coffee and a bottle of cream, was eventually captured as he attempted to ride away on a scooter.
Sergeant Matt Lee, of Dunedin, said police were contacted by Gardens New World at 10.25am yesterday after a 22-year-old man left the store without paying for items.
The man was followed on foot by one of the store’s security guards ‘‘and in an attempt to get away from them, the male removed some clothing and swam through the Water of Leith,’’ Sgt Lee said.
The man left the river near Brook St and police located the now ‘‘shirtless male" riding a scooter on the other side of the river.
‘‘It looks like he’s gone through the gardens, seen the New World people following him, taken all his top layers off . . . swum through the Leith . . . and then jumped on a scooter and tried to ride away,’’ Sgt Lee said.
His clothes were returned to him and Sgt Lee said the man admitted to stealing some coffee and a bottle of cream.
He was referred to the Te Pae Oranga community panel for his shop-lifting offending, Sgt Lee said.
