A decorated police officer who was sacked over the arrest of a knife-carrying youth has been praised for tackling another teenager, suspected of shoplifting.

Former Dorset officer Lorne Castle pulled the teenage suspect to the ground at a shopping centre in Bournemouth on Thursday evening.

A photograph of the 46-year-old pinning down the young man has been circulating on social media, with members of the public and former colleagues praising his bravery and selfless actions in performing a citizen's arrest.

The former police constable was controversially dismissed by Dorset Police last month after an internal investigation found him guilty of gross-misconduct during the arrest of a knife-carrying teenager in Bournemouth in January last year.

Former Dorset officer Lorne Castle pulled the teenager to the ground

Although a disciplinary hearing found that he had not used excessive force in arresting the youth, senior officers ruled that he had failed to treat the boy with "courtesy and respect".

Police body worn camera footage had shown the former officer shouting and swearing at the teenager as he made the arrest.

A search of the 15-year-old, who had been suspected of involvement in an assault, discovered he was carrying a knife.

Castle's latest decision to make a citizen's arrest happened on the same day he learned he had been given leave to appeal the decision by Dorset police to sack him.

Lorne Castle previously appeared on GB News

The incident happened at the Castlepoint Shopping Centre on Thursday evening, after the youth was seen fleeing a Nike store with stolen goods.

The former cop tackled the teenager to the ground and held him there for 15 minutes until former colleagues arrived at the scene and made a formal arrest on shoplifting charges.

The manager of the Nike store said Castle had been "extremely pleasant and courteous" to the young suspect as he held him down.

Former police officer Norman Brennan, who is now a prominent anti-knife campaigner, was with Castle before Thursday night’s incident. He said: “The shoplifter ran out of the Nike store with a lot of gear and Lorne nicked him. It was a citizen’s arrest because that is what he is now.

He continued: "The suspect was detained until the police turned up and arrested him. That’s the sort of police officer the public want."

During his almost decade long service with Dorset police, Lorne Castle won a national lifesaving award for rescuing an elderly lady from a flood in 2023, as well as receiving other commendations.

The married father-of-three has had strong support from many serving and former officers, as well as members of the public, since the misconduct hearing found against him.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to support him and his family and has raised more than £120,000.

Former senior Dorset officer Chris Amey, who helped train Castle, posted on social media: "Come on, Lorne Castle. You really are making them (Dorset Police) look bad.

"This shoplifter literally ran into Lorne as he was entering the Nike store at Castlepoint in Bournemouth.

"The offender was detained by Lorne on the floor for 15 minutes, awaiting the arrival of police.

"We’re delighted to say that Lorne was extremely pleasant and courteous to the man concerned and actually very apologetic for detaining him."