An attempted burglary of a Liverpool sports store was foiled after a vulture-eyed viewer of a Beatles-related webcam alerted police.

A Dallas man spotted the break-in while perusing an online feed from a webcam on Mathew Street, close to the home of the Cavern Club where the Beatles held many of their early concerts.

Three thieves were caught in the act after the man alerted Merseyside police. "We received a call from someone in Dallas who was watching on a webcam that looks into the tourist areas, of which Mathew Street is one because of all the Beatles stuff.

"He called directly through to police here," a Merseyside Police spokeswoman told Reuters. ®