The Shropshire Star can today reveal the name of the man caught on CCTV trying to steal a charity box – and the business owner has branded the decision not to prosecute him as “ridiculous”.

Tony Barlow, owner of Mount Service Station, Shrewsbury, revealed police have named the man, in an e-mail to him, as serving prisoner Anthony Mark Wilks – despite officers still refusing publicly to name him.

Wilks, 35, was out on licence when a police officer spotted him in the pictures released to the Shropshire Star by Mr Barlow.

He was caught on camera running from the service station being chased by a member of staff Rob Fox and leaping over a bike he had arrived on.

Forecourt assistant Mr Fox tripped over the bike and was left with cuts to his face.

Wilks is now back in HMP Shrewsbury but has not been charged with the attempted theft of the Barnardo’s box from the Mount last August.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to proceed as charges would not have added more time to his prison term and so was “not in the public interest”.

An angry Mr Barlow has written to MP Daniel Kawczynski about the matter.

He said today: “I feel from the e-mail that even the police are frustrated by it all. How can we have satisfaction when we know that people who commit a crime when out on licence are not being punished?

“Everyone is of the same opinion that it is ridiculous.”

Mr Barlow is donating a £100 reward to identify the would-be thief to the Lingen Davis Cancer appeal.

Police spokeswoman Maria Hawkaluk today said police would not confirm the name of the man because he had not be charged.

Wilks was sentenced to serve two-and-a-half years in jail in 2005 for offences including burglary, theft, wounding, possession of class A drugs and driving whilst disqualified.

By Steve Todd