A police officer who vaulted a wall while chasing down and catching a teenage offender who tried to run from him has been praised for his dedication on social media.

The chase, which was captured on the officer’s body-worn camera, began when the suspect sprinted away while he was being spoken to in Colchester, Essex.

He had been found with a knife.

The officer gave chase, running down an alleyway, closing him down across a housing estate and vaulting a wall after him.

The chase ended in a field when the suspect stopped and gave up after just over a minute of running.

The officer, barely out of breath, calmly told the offender as he put him in handcuffs: “You’re under arrest, alright.”

The 18-year-old, from Walthamstow in east London, later admitted possessing a knife in a public place and was sentenced on Monday at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court to four months in prison suspended for 12 months.

Essex Police posted the body-worn camera video of the chase on its Facebook page and social media users were quick to praise the officer.

“That’s one bloody fit Bobby,” wrote one, with another adding: “Hats off to that policeman.

“Running with all his gear on and catching the guy.”

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said the officer showed “persistence and dedication” to catch up with the offender.