Milkmen in Courier country are cream of the crop when it comes to catching criminals, according to a Fife dairy.
Delivery staff for McQueens Dairies have caught offenders from manhole cover thieves to drink drivers.
Depot manager Calum McQueen (29) said he was so proud of his staff he was thinking about getting them superhero capes.
He said: “It’s amazing what you see through the night. One of the worst ones was in February 2011, in the Trinity area of Edinburgh.
“While the delivery driver was out of the van making a delivery, he heard a lot of banging. He saw a car heading down the street that had banged off five cars.
“He stood out in the middle of the road and the guy stopped. When the driver got out of the car he could barely walk. He was hammered.
“The milkman stayed with the guy until the police arrived. If the guys out delivering milk to houses see someone breaking into a garage, they take it seriously and report it to the police there and then.
“Other things that have happened are bikes being stolen from back gardens and all sorts of things. It’s a wee bit of common sense, but we do try to train them up to be aware of these things.
“It’s very important when you are out and about making deliveries to help protect the community. We should really get capes with McQueens Dairies on the back!”
Milkman Tommy Carr said: “Last winter I was delivering in Dunfermline When I went round the back I saw a back light on. It looked a wee bit strange, so I checked when I got back to the depot and confirmed with our notes that they were away.
“I phoned the police and a few weeks later we were told that the house had been broken into.”
Chief Inspector Angela McLaren of Fife Constabulary said: “We are always grateful for all information and assistance provided by members of the public including early morning workers such as milk and postal delivery staff.”