How public helped police catch sex offender Thomas Joshua Bird

It started when a woman rang 999 immediately after she had been attacked from behind by a masked man in black who didn't say a word as he sexually attacked her in a prolonged incident when she was taking her morning exercise.

He was a complete stranger to her.

All police had to go on was her description of a stockily built man, wearing a blue surgical face mask, a black woolly hat folded over at the bottom, black trousers and a black top.

Still of Thomas Joshua on the prowl for a woman to sexually attack

Police trawled publicly owned CCTV in the area and put out a public and press appeal for information, and private CCTV and dash-cam from vehicles in the area at the time.

They got what a press spokesman described as an "outstanding" response with dozens of sighting, reports with information, and CCTV and dash-cam footage.

A team of detectives from York and Selby CID – supported by North Yorkshire Police's major investigation team – steadily worked through the evidence until they were able to identify and arrest Bird within ten days.

Crucially, they were given CCTV of Bird 30 minutes before the attack and 1km away from the attack scene.

Still of Thomas Joshua on the prowl for a woman to sexually attack

He was walking towards where another woman was on her own. She stopped to talk to a fisherman - and Bird turned round and went to his car. Police and the judge who sentenced Bird believed her decision to have a chat saved her from being his victim.

The CCTV led to police identifying how the sex offender moved about the area - in his Vauxhall Astra - and they were able to track its movements through automatic number plate recognition.

Identifying the car also led police through insurance records to Bird.

After the police's operational support unit arrested Bird, detectives searched his home and found CCTV footage showing him leaving it dressed in fluorescent orange trousers in time to be at the scene of the attack when the victim was there.

He was released while the investigation continued, including police examining his home CCTV footage.

It was later shown to the jury as was a series of CCTV compilations of his car and him moving about the village, heading towards the attack scene behind the woman, and of his actions afterwards.

It also showed when he changed from the orange trousers into the black clothing and vice versa while in the car as it was parked.

He did both changes twice - once when he followed the woman who stopped for a chat and once before and after attacking the victim.

Still of Thomas Joshua on the prowl for a woman to sexually attack

The CCTV compilation concluded with footage of Bird going back to his home and disposing of the black clothing in a work's vehicle. By then he was, once again, dressed in the orange outfit.

He was rearrested on July 20, charged and sent to York Magistrates Court. He has been remanded in prison ever since.

He did not answer questions when interviewed by police and he declined to give evidence at his trial.

He also refused to let police examine his phone - which would have allowed them to check his movements on the day.

Judge Simon Hickey gave commendations to members of the team at the end of the trial for their work.