0:00:03 > 0:00:07According to police figures, more than 3,500 theft incidents
0:00:07 > 0:00:09are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13They stole part of my life.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14But have you ever wondered
0:00:14 > 0:00:17what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Thief Trackers tells the story of where they go.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22SIREN WAILS
0:00:22 > 0:00:25We are hiding satellite tracking devices
0:00:25 > 0:00:27inside a range of desirable everyday items,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30like cameras, smartphones and bicycles
0:00:30 > 0:00:33to trace the looters' footsteps.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35The thieves think they've got away with it,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37but we're tracking their every move.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41With secret filming, CCTV and police raid footage...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43'Police officers with a search warrant - open the door!'
0:00:43 > 0:00:46..we'll get an insight into the criminal mind-set
0:00:46 > 0:00:49and uncover the unseen journeys that our treasured possessions take
0:00:49 > 0:00:51when they're stolen.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Today, opportunist thieves steal two bicycles
0:01:01 > 0:01:04without realising they have GPS trackers on board.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08What a waste of a bike just for the whim of some lad.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10There's no accounting for some people.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14The knock-on effect from a senseless robbery
0:01:14 > 0:01:16that had more than one victim.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19The thief has ruined my 18th birthday completely.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21I was really angry.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Plus, trackers and the police are on the trail
0:01:26 > 0:01:28of clumsy heavy plant thieves.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31It moved a further two miles from the industrial unit
0:01:31 > 0:01:33to a very secluded leafy lane.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36It was quite comical the way it was found.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38It was hanging off the ramp. They'd missed.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46There are over 28 million bike users all over Britain,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49pushing bicycle sales to more than £745 million.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53But the number of bike robberies is just as staggering.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Former Metropolitan Police Inspector Keith Farquharson
0:01:59 > 0:02:02is helping us with our investigation.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Last year, almost 400,000 bikes were stolen across the UK,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07often in broad daylight.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09This is a really serious problem.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Across the UK, there are hot spots in university towns
0:02:13 > 0:02:16like Oxford, Cambridge and Southampton.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19But London has the highest bike theft figure of them all.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23There are three types of cycle thieves -
0:02:23 > 0:02:25those that steal for joyriding,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28those that steal for cash or drugs and those that steal to order.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29These are usually gangs.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Once a bicycle is stolen,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36it often disappears into the criminal underworld.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38They can be sold on the streets
0:02:38 > 0:02:40or on websites like eBay or Gumtree.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42They can be sold in excess of £250.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Police recommend that we should all take careful note of bicycle frame numbers,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51which are usually printed on the underside of every frame
0:02:51 > 0:02:54as a good way to track stolen bikes.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Another way to detect stolen property
0:02:56 > 0:03:01is to use a GPS tracking device, like this.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03The device can figure out its location.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05It can come up with a set of numbers
0:03:05 > 0:03:07that enable you to plot its position on a map
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and display that map on a computer screen.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12It does that by using GPS,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14the Global Positioning System.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19The basis of that technology is this device can make range measurements
0:03:19 > 0:03:21from here to satellites orbiting in space.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Those satellites might be 20,000km away.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Now, this device can be stripped down and made much smaller,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33so you could fit it into something like, for example, a bicycle seat.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36And that way, you can keep track of where your bike is.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40We are fitting our tracker right inside the saddle
0:03:40 > 0:03:42to make it invisible to a potential thief,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46though it could make for an uncomfortable ride!
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Fixing one underneath the saddle would give an equally good tracking fix.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55We're testing this GPS technology on not one but two bikes.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Both will be placed under our surveillance
0:04:00 > 0:04:01on the streets of east London
0:04:01 > 0:04:04in an area with a high bicycle theft rate.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07We chose to run this scenario
0:04:07 > 0:04:09between the boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12which have a combined total of 1,600 bike thefts in the last year.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14You don't want to park your bike here,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17unless it's got a very, very good lock.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19So where are we going to put our bikes?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Well, bike one will be chained to a lamppost
0:04:21 > 0:04:24in this alleyway off Valetta Grove,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27a busy cut-through that leads to Plaistow Underground station.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Bike two will be a few streets away,
0:04:32 > 0:04:33chained to these park railings.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Our objective isn't to confront thieves.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41We just want to see what happens to our bikes once they're stolen,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43by following their trails.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47They will be fixed in place with heavy-duty locks.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49They will not be unattended,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51as our team will be observing from close by.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56We will return to bike two shortly.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Bike one has been chained up for a while now.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05No surprise that it attracts a little more attention
0:05:05 > 0:05:07as the evening draws in.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Here come three lads.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Let's see if they're interested.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18No. Oh, hold on...
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Our bike has definitely caught his eye.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And here he is again, scoping out the bike.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26He's probably checking the type of lock we've used
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and looking for CCTV cameras.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Thankfully, he didn't see ours.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Now he's sure the coast is clear, he's going for it!
0:05:37 > 0:05:39He's fiddling with the chain, trying to force the lock...
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Good thing we used a heavy-duty one!
0:05:44 > 0:05:45..but he won't give up.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Unfortunately, our cameras ran out of power at this point.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55We missed the moment when he stole the bike.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57All is not lost though,
0:05:57 > 0:05:58because the tracker is working well
0:05:58 > 0:06:00and we have a signal as it heads off.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04We'll monitor that bike's progress,
0:06:04 > 0:06:05but what about bike two?
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Well, it's had a chequered history.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14When we first put it out, it was targeted right away.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Watch these well-prepared sneaky bike thieves,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21who seem to have taken a shine to it.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29The thief obviously knows what he's looking for.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31He's got the spanner, he's loosened the wheels,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33got somebody else to help him...
0:06:34 > 0:06:38..and obviously taken those on for sale either by website
0:06:38 > 0:06:41or to take them on to a second-hand shop.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43He has stolen them very, very quickly.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Bike wheels are often taken just on their own.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Usually they're not padlocked up with the rest of the bike.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53They're very easy pickings, they are very easy to sell on
0:06:53 > 0:06:55either to bike shops, second-hand shops,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58or on the websites eBay or Gumtree.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00And you can usually pick up easily £20 for a set.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05So we bought a new set of wheels and put it out again.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09A few days go by...
0:07:09 > 0:07:11One Saturday afternoon,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15here's bike number two with its new wheels chained to the park railings.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17No interest to speak of,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19but suddenly there is a rise in footfall,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22mostly men, all going in the same direction.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24CHANTING
0:07:24 > 0:07:27By the sound of it, they're football fans, possibly heading to a game.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Wow!
0:07:33 > 0:07:34He's just ripped it off!
0:07:34 > 0:07:35CHANTING CONTINUES
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Look at that!
0:07:39 > 0:07:41He's grabbed it and the lock's given way.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44And after some encouragement from his mates...
0:07:46 > 0:07:48..he's off!
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Later on Thief Trackers,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55we'll see where our two bikes end up.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59The thief was either arranging for onward transport to the handler
0:07:59 > 0:08:00or to try to sell it on
0:08:00 > 0:08:02to an honest bona fide buyer.
0:08:06 > 0:08:1090,000-100,000 bike thefts are reported to the police
0:08:10 > 0:08:11each year in the UK.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Even so, they are not our most stolen items.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16That position is held by phones,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18around 300,000 each year.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23They often end up in second-hand shops, on market stalls
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and even at recycling companies.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29But a significant number are sold via the internet.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Buyers are tempted by the great value,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34but soon discover there's a sting in the tail.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38The thief has ruined my 18th birthday completely.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40I was worried I wasn't going to get refunded
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and I could not afford her anything for her 18th. I was devastated.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Meanwhile, the original owners must cope with the stress of a theft,
0:08:47 > 0:08:48the sense of violation
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and the need to be vigilant in the future.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Sunderland in north-east England
0:08:57 > 0:08:59is home to Marie Martin,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01a hard-working mum whose daughter, Shaunie,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05celebrated her 18th birthday early in 2015.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10I asked her what she wanted,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12if there was anything special she wanted,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and she asked for an iPhone 6.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Because I'd had one for two year,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19it had been smashed and everything.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21So I just wanted an upgrade.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23When my daughter come in,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25she asked if it had arrived
0:09:25 > 0:09:26and I told her it had.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29And she just begged me all day to give her it.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31You know, it was two weeks early,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33but, in the end, I give in.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I was over the moon.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39But when they tried to set up the phone,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41they got a nasty surprise.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46We charged it up and we switched it on.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49I've tried to log in to my iTunes account and it wouldn't let us in.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52When we plugged it in the computer,
0:09:52 > 0:09:53to see if we could do it that way,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56it come up that it was a stolen phone.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59A message come up with the number of the previous owner.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I was gutted, absolutely gutted.
0:10:02 > 0:10:0418 is a very special birthday.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Seeing her smile on her face and then having to take it away
0:10:09 > 0:10:11was... Yeah, it was horrible.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The thief had ruined my 18th birthday completely.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Me mam was absolutely devastated that she'd put out
0:10:17 > 0:10:20all that money for my 18th birthday just to make it special
0:10:20 > 0:10:24and I couldn't enjoy the present that she was getting us.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26I was really angry, really angry.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Marie's first thought was to find out what had happened.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31I e-mailed the seller,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33I told him that this phone is stolen.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I believe the seller knew it was stolen.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39He sounded worried and, in his e-mails,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42all he was interested in was getting that phone back to him.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46When I didn't answer him, he would send another one and another one.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48So I do believe he knew it was stolen.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50But she's a lot smarter than that
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and had other plans.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58I was able to track the owner of the phone through the number left on the screen.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00When I phoned the owner, I said to her,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03"Do you know anything about an iPhone 6?"
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Straight away she told me that hers had been stolen.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10She was screaming down the phone, "Thank you, thank you!"
0:11:10 > 0:11:14The phone was stolen in London in December 2014.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Extraordinary that it should have ended up in the north-east,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20a journey of around 300 miles.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24The theft victim was so traumatised by the experience
0:11:24 > 0:11:26that she asked to remain anonymous,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28so we'll call her Jane.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31She'd been out partying in London
0:11:31 > 0:11:35and at around 9pm was on her way home to south-east London
0:11:35 > 0:11:37on a train out of Charing Cross.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40I took the 9.30 train.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44By around 10.00, I was at Westcombe Park station.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48I was using my phone, just texting my friend
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and when the doors opened, I saw a guy come in.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56He...
0:11:56 > 0:11:58sort of leaned over where I was sat.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I was sat, sort of, by the door.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05He encroached my personal space so I obviously leaned away.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08And then, it's almost like in slow motion,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10his hand sort of took my phone.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15And then, just before the door closed, ran off.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20A lot of people witnessed it
0:12:20 > 0:12:23so everyone in the carriage sort of saw what happened.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25They told me what to do,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29because at that point I was just panicking.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Fortunately, I had my work phone with me so I phoned the police,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35got home, bawled my eyes out.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37From there, it was a police investigation.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Initially, I was just surprised.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44I couldn't believe that it happened.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46I mean, I was on the train!
0:12:46 > 0:12:49After the incident happened, I became distrustful
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and a lot more cautious.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53At the very beginning,
0:12:53 > 0:12:58the thought of taking a train late at night
0:12:58 > 0:13:00would cause me severe distress.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Luckily for Jane, her phone was safe in Marie's hands
0:13:04 > 0:13:06and Marie knew just the right thing to do.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11I was very grateful, very elated.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12If she was standing in front of me,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I'd have given her a big hug and taken her out for dinner.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17She could have hidden the phone away
0:13:17 > 0:13:19or reset it or not told me.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25To give up what would effectively be an 18th birthday present
0:13:25 > 0:13:28for someone very special to you, your daughter,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30is amazing on her
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and she must have a special heart
0:13:33 > 0:13:35and I am just terribly grateful.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Not only did Marie reunite Jane with her phone,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41but she helped to nail the smartphone vendor,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44once she passed the information about his auction account
0:13:44 > 0:13:45to the police.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Obviously, all his details were on there - name, address, everything.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53The thief, to me, is just lowlife.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Just no good.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Justice was done.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The seller was tracked down and eventually sent down.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Since her ordeal, Jane is now more mindful of her surroundings.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Be wary of strangers behind you,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12in front of you, beside you.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15It can come from anywhere and from anyone.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Thieves will try to always be one step ahead of you.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22In this case, Jane was one step ahead of the crook.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25By reporting the theft to her phone supplier,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28they were able to block the phone and display a message
0:14:28 > 0:14:30to inform future innocent buyers
0:14:30 > 0:14:32that the phone had been stolen.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35We consumers can help in the fight against phone theft
0:14:35 > 0:14:38by enabling any in-built tracking apps
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and keeping a record of phone serial numbers and IMEI numbers,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44so that stolen handsets can be blocked.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Always alert the police with these details
0:14:48 > 0:14:50so that they can tackle thieves on our behalf.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Let's return to our undercover surveillance operation
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and a story of thief tracking in a city with a high crime rate.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Earlier on, we fitted two bicycles with GPS trackers.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13We chained the bikes up in two separate areas of east London.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20A would-be thief tampered with bike one before it was stolen...
0:15:24 > 0:15:27..while bike two was pulled from the railings by football fans
0:15:27 > 0:15:29and ridden off.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Random acts of robbery like this can leave victims feeling violated and nervous.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Ash Morin's bicycle was stolen in early 2015,
0:15:39 > 0:15:40right outside a cycle shop.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47We tied both our bikes with two cycle locks
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and we went into the store,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51spent less than five minutes
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and as we got out of the store,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55I realised, "Where are the bikes?"
0:15:57 > 0:16:00We start getting frantic at that moment
0:16:00 > 0:16:03because there was no bike outside there.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05I was really upset.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08The locks were thoroughly slashed.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I mean, it was not a knife or a chopper or something,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15it was something really hard, just like a bolt cutter.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17In five minutes, it's just gone.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19I was really devastated.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22When Ash went home, she had the bright idea
0:16:22 > 0:16:25of trying to track down her bike on internet auction sites.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29There it was. It popped up on screen.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31It was, like, over the moon! We were like,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34"That's our bike! Oh, my God, that's our bike!
0:16:34 > 0:16:35"What do we do? What do we do!"
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Ash contacted the police who took up the investigation.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Amazingly, they tracked down the bike to an innocent buyer
0:16:44 > 0:16:46400 miles away in Scotland!
0:16:47 > 0:16:50I was quite shocked how far my bike went.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53My bicycle went to ride in Scotland before me!
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I did not get to ride in Scotland yet.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00It's unlikely that our two stolen bikes will have travelled THAT far.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03But where have they gone?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Our built-in GPS trackers soon revealed
0:17:06 > 0:17:08the routes along which they were trafficked.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Let's take a look at bike number one.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14The tracking data shows the thief cycling north,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16taking a meandering route
0:17:16 > 0:17:18and then heading back south,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21coming to a halt half an hour later.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Keith is on the trail.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27The data shows that the bike moved to the Dickens Road area,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31approximately two miles away from the original site of the theft.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33We decided to sit tight,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36to wait and see what the thief's next move might be.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39My guess is that the thief was either arranging
0:17:39 > 0:17:41for onward transport to the handler,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44or to try to sell it on to an honest bona fide buyer.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Our patience paid off.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Four days later, the tracker suddenly signalled again.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53We tracked it for five miles out into Essex,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55where it came to rest on Staines Road in Ilford.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Well, it could be in one of two properties,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01but the GPS isn't quite accurate enough
0:18:01 > 0:18:03to be able to pinpoint which particular property
0:18:03 > 0:18:05the signal's coming from.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07The signal remains constant for the next two weeks.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11My guess is that it has been sold to an honest member of the public.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13We approached both properties
0:18:13 > 0:18:16to see if they knew anything about our bike.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19One is owned by an elderly resident with no knowledge of its whereabouts.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23The other house is occupied by students.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27We informed them that our stolen bike was fitted with a tracker
0:18:27 > 0:18:29that led us to their door,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32but they were not interested and chose not to appear on camera.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36All we could do was leave the matter in their hands.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39So what about our second stolen bike?
0:18:40 > 0:18:43First it had its wheels pinched.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Then, with a new set of wheels,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47it was dragged from the railings by this park.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53One lad pulls on the bike and the chain breaks surprisingly easy,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56considering the amount of force used on it.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59However, this doesn't excuse the theft of the cycle.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05The tracking data shows that it made its way around the local streets
0:19:05 > 0:19:07for a good few minutes.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10The bike ends up at the rear of a pub.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12It's a constant signal for the next two weeks.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14However, the signal then stops.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16The bike might still be there.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19For legal reasons, we can't name the pub, but we spoke to the manager
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and showed him a photo of our missing bike.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24He didn't want to be identified
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and said he had no knowledge whatsoever
0:19:26 > 0:19:28of the bike ever being there.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29What a waste of a bike
0:19:29 > 0:19:32just for the whim of some lad
0:19:32 > 0:19:35that decided to pick it up, ride it to the pub
0:19:35 > 0:19:36and dump it there.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39There's no accounting for some people.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41So our two bikes were stolen.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42One was taken to Essex
0:19:42 > 0:19:45and is probably in the ownership of an innocent buyer,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48the other was held at a pub within 15 minutes' walk
0:19:48 > 0:19:50of the theft site.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52One thing's for sure,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55we have clear footage of the bike thieves in action
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and the authorities are welcome to take a look!
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Thieves often strike where their victims least expect it.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12This is the village of Iver in Buckinghamshire,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15which turned out to be the scene of a devious roadside robbery.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Our initial reaction is time being of the essence.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24How quickly can we try and recover that roller?
0:20:24 > 0:20:25The thieves had a head start
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and tracking them turned into a race against time.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33That's the opportunity to start stripping assets down.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Thanks to modern tracking technology,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38the police closed in on the crooks during a ham-fisted getaway attempt.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I can only equate it to a child
0:20:41 > 0:20:44trying to stick the triangle shape through a circle
0:20:44 > 0:20:45and make it fit.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52This company supplies heavy plant machinery all over the UK,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56the kind of vehicles you'd see trundling around
0:20:56 > 0:20:57at your local roadworks.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59And they don't come cheap.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05In the company as a whole, we have about 1,000 rollers.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06They range in price.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09The small ones which average about one tonne,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12they cost about £10,000,
0:21:12 > 0:21:13right up to 20 tonne,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15which can be as much as £80,000.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17A mother lode of temptation
0:21:17 > 0:21:21for organised crime gangs intent on stealing high-value vehicles
0:21:21 > 0:21:25to sell on at maximum profit, often overseas.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28We suffer between 25 and 50 thefts in any one year.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31The rollers tend to sit at the side of the road
0:21:31 > 0:21:33until the job is complete,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35so it is a bit susceptible to being stolen.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41More than 2,000 of these big machines are stolen each year,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43costing hard-working businesses
0:21:43 > 0:21:46an estimated £1 million a week.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49That's why plant hire firms look to set-ups
0:21:49 > 0:21:51like Gary Stockton's tracking company
0:21:51 > 0:21:53to help recover their assets at home and abroad.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57We've tracked them across to Poland, to Hungary,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59to Bulgaria in the past.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02They're used for tarmacking your drive in the middle of the summer,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05to some poor unsuspecting old-age pensioners and what have you.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11And some of them are just actually stripped down and sold for parts.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Certain areas of the UK that are the more high-risk...
0:22:13 > 0:22:17and we tend to suffer more losses than other parts of the country.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22With millions of pounds' worth of stock at the mercy of roadside robbers,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25David's company had all their diggers and rollers
0:22:25 > 0:22:27fitted with hi-tech trackers.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31This has integrated RF, GPS and Cell Site positioning.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34We are not at liberty to actually discuss the places
0:22:34 > 0:22:35where we do install them,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38however, they actually have to totally strip
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and find the actual unit to remove it.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Their tracking technology was put to the test in February 2015,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51when a gang of thieves spotted a roller working on Iver Road,
0:22:51 > 0:22:52just outside the village.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57They obviously knew what they were looking for.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59They knew how to start the machine.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03They were obviously organised in what they were doing.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06The brazen thieves were undeterred by the size of the machine,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08worth £19,000.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13They loaded their three-tonne treasure into a Transit van,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15before heading west with it,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18unaware that their every move was being signalled by the tracker.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22This ought to have been a simple recovery mission,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25but when the robbery was reported,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27the tracking company staff had a surprise.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29As we interrogated the data,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32we did notice it had been moved two days previously.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35So that gives the thief the opportunity
0:23:35 > 0:23:38to start stripping assets down.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42That 48-hour head start meant that Gary and his team
0:23:42 > 0:23:45had to act fast to recover the roller in one piece.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48From the tracking data, they were able to look back
0:23:48 > 0:23:49over the previous two days
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and work out where the roller had been.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57It travelled two miles here to this residential area here,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02where we suspected that the criminals were lying in observation.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05They put it somewhere to see if it's hot or whether it can cool off.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09At this point, the theft still hadn't been discovered.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11So, thinking the roller was cool,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15the gang took it to what they thought would be a safe hideout.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17The following morning,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20the robbery was reported and the tracking team picked up the trail.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25It was actually moved to this industrial area here.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27It's here we lost its last GPS position
0:24:27 > 0:24:30because it was actually put inside a container.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32That didn't stop the trackers,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36who had other ways of pinpointing the roller's location.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38We actually switch on an RF locator beacon,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40which we can track down with a physical wand.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Once the trackers' RF beacon had been activated,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47the tracking team went to the industrial park
0:24:47 > 0:24:50to pick up its trail using this RF wand.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56This is very, very accurate down to 1m.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58We have actually tracked things down where
0:24:58 > 0:25:01they've actually been buried underground.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04On this occasion, we verified it and we was able to identify
0:25:04 > 0:25:07which unit from an RF point of view.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Now they knew where the roller was hidden,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13it was time to call in the police.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17PC Phil Thomson was on duty when the call came in.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I heard the transmissions over the radio,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22that the roads policing car
0:25:22 > 0:25:24was tracking a stolen road roller
0:25:24 > 0:25:26and it was here in the village.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29He joined his colleagues in the search for the roller,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31down at the industrial estate.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32But they hit a snag.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37We had no power to enter without a search warrant
0:25:37 > 0:25:39to any of the various parts to try and find it.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43So we had a discussion back here as to how we were going to approach it,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46until we had another call,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49after the roads police unit had left the yard,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51that whoever was in there with the road roller
0:25:51 > 0:25:53knew that we were there, looking.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Thinking the police were closing in at the yard,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58the thieves decided to move the roller again.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02My feeling at this time was,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04"Oh, dear, are they going to get away with it?"
0:26:04 > 0:26:06But again, the tracker was still intact.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08We were still receiving a signal.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And that was the undoing of the thieves.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Moving the roller out of the container
0:26:14 > 0:26:17allowed the GPS element of the tracker to send signals again.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20These were picked up by Gary's team.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23It moved a further two miles from the industrial unit
0:26:23 > 0:26:26to a very secluded leafy lane,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28which is here.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30It must have been hard to look inconspicuous
0:26:30 > 0:26:34transporting a big yellow road roller around a quiet country village
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and it was only a matter of time before suspicions were raised
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and a local resident informed the hire company.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43They are quite a close community and they're very aware
0:26:43 > 0:26:45when something's not right.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48It's not the sort of occurrence that happens every day.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Therefore, they notified the client.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53By that time we had already notified the police,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56notified the client and they were sending a recovery crew to this area.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Knowing the police were on their trail,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02it seems the robbers panicked as they tried to move the roller.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It was quite comical the way it was found.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07It was hanging off the ramp.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08They'd missed.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12I can only equate it to a child trying to stick the triangle shape
0:27:12 > 0:27:14through a circle and make it fit.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17They must have had quite a few attempts
0:27:17 > 0:27:20to the extent where the neighbours noticed and called us
0:27:20 > 0:27:22and then they gave up and left both vehicles.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27This particular find, it was five hours in total
0:27:27 > 0:27:29from being notified.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31We've actually tracked a device for a number of days,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34weeks, even months sometimes
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and then we've always, actually, recovered the asset in the end.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41It's a shame we didn't get to catch the people involved, but...
0:27:41 > 0:27:43I'm sure that we'll meet again in the future.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Another victory for the trackers.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51However, the hire company are trying to remain realistic.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54It's very much a game of cat and mouse at the moment.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56I'd say, at the present time,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59we are very much the winners,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02but, as with everything in life, you cannot be complacent.