Yellowknife (Sep 24/04) - A 40-year-old man has been detained by RCMP following a Wednesday morning break-in at The Carving Shack in Old Town.

A thief apparently made off with more than $5,000 worth of carvings from the workshop.

According to an RCMP release, an "alert citizen" spotted a man walking away from the store around 7 a.m., carrying a cardboard box. The citizen called police and they responded to the area.

The man was found carrying a knapsack containing three carvings. Outside the shack, near a cardboard box, RCMP found several other carvings.

The front door of the workshop had been breached.

Eight carvings have been recovered so far, with a value police estimate to be "well in excess of $5,000."

Charges are pending against the apprehended man.

In the release, RCMP Sgt. Steve McVarnock called the assistance of the alert citizen "a classic example of the police and the community working together to solve crime in their community."