0:00:02 > 0:00:03Bag snatches, robberies and street crimes.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05According to the latest police figures,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08more than 3,500 incidents of theft
0:00:08 > 0:00:11are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13The bike had gone.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16And I was absolutely gutted.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Thief Trackers shows who takes them and where they go,
0:00:24 > 0:00:29hiding trackers inside items like cameras, smartphones and bicycles...
0:00:30 > 0:00:32..to trace their every move.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34The thieves think they've got away with it
0:00:34 > 0:00:36but we've got them under surveillance.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Using undercover footage, CCTV and tracking technology,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47we'll get an insight into the criminal mind...
0:00:48 > 0:00:50..and uncover the unseen journey
0:00:50 > 0:00:53that our possessions take when they're stolen.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Today, the Thief Trackers undercover team
0:01:03 > 0:01:04are on the trail of a stolen camera...
0:01:04 > 0:01:06He's taken the bag.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09..snatched by an opportunist thief who makes a quick getaway.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11He's on a bike.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13- Right.- There he is. - That's the bike right there.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Just keep following.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Plus, TV and West End star Tom Chambers falls victim
0:01:18 > 0:01:21to unscrupulous motorbike thieves.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23The bike had gone.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25There is, you know, five-and-a-half grand
0:01:25 > 0:01:26being driven off down the road.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28But he's one step ahead of the crooks.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30I phoned the police, I said,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33"My bike's just been stolen but I know exactly where it is."
0:01:33 > 0:01:37And a heartless burglar steals from charity...
0:01:37 > 0:01:41We didn't know whether anybody else was still in the building,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43which was a bit creepy.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47..unaware he's been tagged by cutting-edge tracking technology.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50But it was just so clear to see where they'd walked
0:01:50 > 0:01:55and where they'd hidden and where they'd looked into the cashbox.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57It's not a nice feeling.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08The UK is one of the top tourist destinations in the world,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11welcoming over 35 million visitors a year,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13to enjoy our country's iconic sites.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16But for unscrupulous criminals,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20every visitor to Britain is a potential target.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Considering they spend almost £22 billion per year,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27the tourist hot spots can provide rich pickings...
0:02:28 > 0:02:30..as well as in busy transport hubs,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34where people are coming and going on the trains, buses and tubes,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36often in a hurry and not paying attention.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Helping the thief trackers with their investigation
0:02:42 > 0:02:45is our specialist crime adviser Alex Stewart.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47He was assigned to some of the toughest areas of London,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50both on patrol and as an undercover officer,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53in his time on the force with the Metropolitan Police.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56From theft, to drugs, to violent crime,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58he's seen what life is like on the streets.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Organised criminal gangs know what they're after and who to target,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06often stealing to order.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Once stolen, these items are easily concealed
0:03:09 > 0:03:11and then moved out of the area using
0:03:11 > 0:03:14back streets or public transport.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17They're then often sold for cash in second-hand shops,
0:03:17 > 0:03:18or on the internet.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23We fitted a GPS tracker into a camera.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25We won't tell you where - that would give the game away -
0:03:25 > 0:03:28but if it's stolen, we can track down the thieves
0:03:28 > 0:03:30by following the signal on a phone tablet,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32just like your car sat-nav.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Watching their every move is the Thief Trackers undercover team,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42who will be mounting a covert surveillance operation.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45For their safety, you won't see them,
0:03:45 > 0:03:46but you'll hear their voices.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Keep your camera on these guys.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03One of the undercover team gets into position
0:04:03 > 0:04:06outside a cafe on a busy crossroads
0:04:06 > 0:04:10with a camera bag by their feet no more than a few inches away.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Distracted by chatting on the phone and texting -
0:04:12 > 0:04:14it's something we all do.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17The tracker in the camera bag goes live.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Time to watch and wait.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20OK, everyone. Here we go.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25And it's not long before someone shows interest in the camera bag.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41This guy has been hanging around for some time now.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28He's grabbed the camera bag, but for some reason, he's changed his mind.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Still, it's likely there's more than one thief on these crowded streets
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and it's not long before a different person
0:05:37 > 0:05:40shows an interest in our camera bag with the tracker in it.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53But not for long.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Later, the thief trackers are in pursuit...
0:06:37 > 0:06:39We're following a tracker right now. They've a bag that's been stolen.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42..tracking the thief as he makes his escape.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- There he is.- Right there.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54It doesn't matter how rich, poor or famous you are.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59Criminals will steal from anyone, anywhere, at any time,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02usually when you feel at your safest, at home or at work,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04which is what happened to actor Tom Chambers.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Tom has been a regular face on British TV for many years,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13most recognisable from his role as hospital registrar Sam Strachan
0:07:13 > 0:07:14in Holby City.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19I never had you down for a liar and a coward.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22She rang you 20 times.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Was that not a clue that something was up?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- Didn't ring me 20 times. - Oh, so she's lying now?
0:07:26 > 0:07:2914. 14 times!
0:07:29 > 0:07:3114 times!
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Is that what it's going to be like for Grace?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36You know, sink or swim, and sod the consequences?
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Aside from acting, one of Tom's passions is his motorbike.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44So, I've always been a bike lover, really.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46When I was aged six, I grew up on an old farm
0:07:46 > 0:07:50in Derbyshire and loved bikes.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53So I ride my bike pretty much every day.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54I do use it really as a workhorse.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57It is my get-to-work when you know you've got to guarantee
0:07:57 > 0:07:59to be somewhere on time.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05So, since 1999 until 2009, I had a moped
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and it was actually pinched a couple of times.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Then I moved out of London,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and that wasn't going to really work on the motorway,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18so I got a big bike - lovely bike, Triumph Street Triple.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23When you have something stolen, you do really lose the value
0:08:23 > 0:08:27and it might be your love and joy, your pride.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31It's more about the emotional attachment you have to the bike
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and the other is the fact that you never get a full pay-out,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37so I thought I'd like to try a tracker.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42To protect his £5,500 bike, he turned to
0:08:42 > 0:08:44one of the longest-established tracking companies out there.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47I actually bought the company in 2004
0:08:47 > 0:08:50and it was around about that time
0:08:50 > 0:08:54that we started to really get into vehicle tracking.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58We've got an in-house R&D facility.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01We actually design the products here
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and we manufacture the products here in the UK.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09We would regard ourselves as one of the market leaders,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11if not world leaders, in this technology.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17A motorbike really is very stealable.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22The Yamaha R1, Ducati Panigale,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Triumph Street Triple, which, in actual fact...
0:09:27 > 0:09:32..is the motorcycle that one of our celebrity clients,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Tom Chambers, rides.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38You know, these are things that have quite high value,
0:09:38 > 0:09:44a lot of appeal, easy to move on, either for parts, or as a whole.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45And having fitted a tracker,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Tom was impressed just how easy it was to operate.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52If your bike starts to move, just move very slightly,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56you get a text on your phone saying, "Your bike's moving."
0:09:56 > 0:09:59It's immediate. Within seconds.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03And his decision to fit a tracker proved invaluable
0:10:03 > 0:10:06when he transferred his acting talents to the stage,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08treading the boards in the West End,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10starring in the Olivier award-winning adaptation
0:10:10 > 0:10:14of Irving Berlin's Top Hat.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I had two shows to do in London.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18I got on my bike, rode into town
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and I had got lazy.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I'd got into the habit of not locking the bike up.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26I had a really huge chain,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30it was one of these chains that you just can't, you cannot bolt-cut.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I could park it right outside the stage door
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and there's a camera as well.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Anyway, what do you do? You're at work every day
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and you think, "Oh, I can't be bothered to spend 20 seconds
0:10:42 > 0:10:45"just getting the lock and locking it up."
0:10:46 > 0:10:49So, I do the matinee.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53I get a text saying that "Your bike's moving."
0:10:55 > 0:10:56And I thought,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58"Hmm. I'll just check."
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Went outside,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and the bike had gone.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09And I was absolutely gutted.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11You're heart's suddenly in your throat.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12But then I heard it.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It was literally just there.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20My knee-jerk reaction was to chase after it.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24I ran down the road after the bike
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and then I suddenly thought, "This isn't going to work."
0:11:27 > 0:11:29It was just gone. Like that.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33And then, of course, your heart is in your throat
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and your stomach's turning, you're like...
0:11:35 > 0:11:37There is, you know, five and a half grand
0:11:37 > 0:11:38being driven off down the road.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42I did literally think, "Please, please, let it work properly!"
0:11:45 > 0:11:46But with a tracker on his bike,
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Tom could track the GPS signal via an app on his phone.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Anyway, I immediately got onto my phone
0:11:53 > 0:11:57and you can log in and then you can see exactly where it is.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59And so I phoned the police and said,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02"My bike's just been stolen, but I know exactly where it is."
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And then, you do phone the tracking company
0:12:07 > 0:12:10so that they themselves can monitor it.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17By the time the police arrive at the Aldwych Theatre,
0:12:17 > 0:12:18it had stopped moving.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23About four, four-and-a-half miles to Girdlestone Walk,
0:12:23 > 0:12:24it finally came to rest.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27You know, we were then talking to the police.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32And by which time, I had to get ready for the evening performance.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And luckily, one of the crew had a bike licence and all that
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and so he said, "I'll go with the policeman
0:12:38 > 0:12:40"and hopefully go and retrieve your bike."
0:12:43 > 0:12:46When they got to within the area that it was saying,
0:12:46 > 0:12:47it wasn't on the road,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50so they did have to walk round the back of some housing.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Using Street Viewer, we were able to talk the guys in
0:12:53 > 0:12:54to exactly where it was.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It was actually hidden round the back of some garages,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59round the back of a building.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03They were scanning the area to look around but he said
0:13:03 > 0:13:07he just saw a bit of number plate having been covered up by a sheet.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11It had taken them to within five feet.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15When I got the text message to say,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18"Don't worry, don't panic, we've got the bike",
0:13:18 > 0:13:21I mean, it was literally just the best thing.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25My bike was stolen and I had it back within two hours.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31Next time, he wasn't so careless and chained up the bike in a garage.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35But some time later, the tracker was called into action once more.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I had my bike at home, I had it in the garage.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42I was just watching TV and I saw a text...
0:13:44 > 0:13:48..saying that your bike had moved. I thought...
0:13:48 > 0:13:49HE SIGHS
0:13:49 > 0:13:52"I'll quickly go out and check." So I went out and checked
0:13:52 > 0:13:53and it was still there.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I thought, "Oh, maybe...
0:13:56 > 0:13:59"Don't know why, but anyway, it's fine."
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Came back inside and then a couple of hours later,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I was just going to bed and it had...
0:14:04 > 0:14:05It had gone off again.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I thought, "Hmm. Do I bother going again?
0:14:10 > 0:14:12"Yeah, I will, I will. I'll go, I'll go."
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Went out, in the garage, unlocked it...
0:14:15 > 0:14:16And the bike had gone.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Could not believe it.
0:14:18 > 0:14:19And the chain had gone as well!
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I thought, "Oh, no, it's happened again."
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Went onto the phone, logged in, found out exactly where it was,
0:14:28 > 0:14:29phoned the police.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31I gave them the coordinates and I said, "I'll meet you there."
0:14:34 > 0:14:37The police did say, "Do not go anywhere near
0:14:37 > 0:14:40"where you think your bike is until we get there."
0:14:40 > 0:14:43And I did. I absolutely understood that.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48You don't know what these people are going to be like.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53I drove to the site and it was down an alleyway of garages.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54Met the police there...
0:14:56 > 0:14:59..and we were both looking at... on the map,
0:14:59 > 0:15:00and we were just saying,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02"Now, it's either that garage or that garage."
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Luckily, there were some tiles loose
0:15:06 > 0:15:10and the officer just climbed up to have a look in
0:15:10 > 0:15:12and he could see that the bike was in there.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15And also, luckily, the garage door was open as well,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17so they were able to go in.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It was a really thrilling moment for me.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27I was just utterly relieved that it had worked for a second time.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32I mean, you spend £350 on the tracker,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34but effectively, it's saved me over £10,000.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38You've got one chance
0:15:38 > 0:15:40and it's this tracker
0:15:40 > 0:15:41and...it's worked.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Tracking technology can be invaluable when it comes to tracing
0:15:52 > 0:15:54and retrieving your stolen belongings.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56The Thief Trackers undercover team
0:15:56 > 0:15:59are mounting our own surveillance operation.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Earlier on, one of the team set up
0:16:03 > 0:16:05outside a cafe near a busy crossroads.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Our camera, fitted with a GPS tracker,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12was in a bag by their feet,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14no more than a few inches away.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19They were distracted by chatting on the phone and texting.
0:16:19 > 0:16:20It's something we all do.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25The remaining thief trackers watched from nearby...
0:16:28 > 0:16:32..as the suspect closed in and snatched the camera bag.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37The thief took off down the street.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41The undercover team gave chase.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43He's on a bike. He is on a bike.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45But the crook made his escape on a bicycle.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02TRACKER BEEPS
0:17:11 > 0:17:13OK, so we're following a tracker right now.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15They've a bag that's been stolen.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Can we give you directions so you can follow it for us?
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- If you tell me where you're going, yeah.- Thank you, mate.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21He is now in an estate.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Just off Page Street.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Marsham Street at the moment.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28He's obviously still cycling.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32At the moment he's on Dean Ryle Street.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35In fact, you know where he's heading for, is Millbank.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38He's crossing Lambeth Bridge.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45OK, we're close. He's on the bridge. Definitely on the bridge.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Keep an eye out for a blue bike.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54- There he is, there he is. - That's him there.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56The bike's right there.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58So let's keep an eye on this guy.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Hold on to the cameras, boys.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Just keep following, just keep following.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06I'm going to talk to this guy in a minute.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10It's all right, he's on the main road still.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16I see him. He took a left, up next to that blue pub up there.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18See if you can get close to him.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I might put the window down and just talk to him from the car.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24How would you feel about that, mate, if we got near him
0:18:24 > 0:18:27and we put the window down and just spoke to him from the car?
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- Do what you like. - You don't mind?- No.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43They've seen the thief pass the bag to someone in a car.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46But first, they're going to tackle the thief.
0:18:46 > 0:18:47All right, here we go.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49It's a potentially risky situation.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It's too dangerous to accuse the man of stealing.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55He's taken the bag.
0:18:55 > 0:18:56They're not the police.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00They can only ask if he's SEEN their stolen camera bag.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04- Yeah?- Sorry to bother you, mate.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Yeah, yeah.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24OK, mate. Thanks, man.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34He's brazenly denied taking the camera
0:19:34 > 0:19:36but they saw him pass it to someone in a car,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38so they're going to challenge the driver.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59SHE LAUGHS
0:20:02 > 0:20:05She's denying all knowledge, so we can't push this any further.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09But we know what she looks like
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and can pass the unblurred footage to the police.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18But the tracker is still live and shortly after our conversation,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21the signal shows it's on the move again.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25The speed indicates it's either in a car in traffic or possibly a bike
0:20:25 > 0:20:27that travels just around the corner,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30coming to a rest somewhere in a block of flats.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Here, the signal stays put.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35It could be whoever has it now is lying low
0:20:35 > 0:20:36as they know we're onto them.
0:20:42 > 0:20:4420 minutes later, it moves off again
0:20:44 > 0:20:48but this time at walking pace, heading north.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49With their cover blown,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51the thief trackers have had to withdraw,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55so picking up the trail for us is our crime adviser, Alex Stewart.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56For the next half an hour,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00the tracker shows the camera bag zigzagging around the area,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03before it ends up here, at this tube station,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06and the signal goes dead.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Criminals often use the Tube network to get around,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11because it provides them a quick getaway
0:21:11 > 0:21:13and it's very difficult to follow them on it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Half an hour later,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21the signal surfaces at Oxford Circus Tube Station
0:21:21 > 0:21:24and it's making its way through the back streets of the West End
0:21:24 > 0:21:28but unfortunately, it's not long before the signal goes dead again.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32The speed at which the camera left the area
0:21:32 > 0:21:35shows how quickly our possessions can disappear.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38It also demonstrate how gangs operate as a team,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42using one person to steal an item and another to move it on.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Now, it doesn't surprise me that the camera ended up here
0:21:45 > 0:21:47in the back streets of the West End,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51where there are plenty of opportunities to sell it for cash.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54It's likely the tracker has been discovered and destroyed
0:21:54 > 0:21:57but we still have unblurred footage of the camera thief and his friend
0:21:57 > 0:22:00and we're more than happy to share it with the police.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10We often think of theft in terms of the emotional distress
0:22:10 > 0:22:12at losing personal property,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15but theft can hit businesses just as hard
0:22:15 > 0:22:17and can be just as devastating,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19as they discovered in the market town
0:22:19 > 0:22:20of Ludlow in Shropshire.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26With its close-knit community and scenic views,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30it's not the sort place you would expect a crimewave.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33But all that changed when local businesses
0:22:33 > 0:22:35were being targeted by thieves.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Last year, we had in excess of 20 burglaries
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and actually, the number of burglaries we'd had was having
0:22:41 > 0:22:43a significant impact on the town
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and we were unable to identify who the suspects were.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49We had increased patrols in the evenings and at night
0:22:49 > 0:22:51to try and identify them
0:22:51 > 0:22:54but we haven't fallen lucky to actually catch them in the act.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Because the crooks were still at large,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01local businesses were concerned that they could be next.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03This included the Assembly Rooms,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06a community hub in the centre of Ludlow.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08They were becoming well aware of the thieves
0:23:08 > 0:23:10who were striking in the dead of night.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Every week in the local paper,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17there were another two or three reported
0:23:17 > 0:23:18and we started becoming
0:23:18 > 0:23:20worried and concerned.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26We are a huge old building
0:23:26 > 0:23:30with three separate staircases and it's very complex,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32and we thought, well, you know,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34we could be hit and that would be terrible.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39The building sees up to 200,000 visitors each year,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43and with a bar, shop and theatre situated inside,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47the daily cash takings made them a potential victim.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52And so, they turned to the police for some protection.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54It's incredibly difficult,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57when suspects are targeting businesses
0:23:57 > 0:23:58or properties at night,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02to fall lucky and find them committing the offence.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08The Assembly Halls was a property that we believe may be targeted.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It's a very popular location with a bar.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Monies and other items are stored here overnight.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18We installed a SmartWater spray system,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22which in essence is a burglar alarm, but attached to that is a spray.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24When someone breaks in, a silent alarm goes off
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and whoever's in the premises gets sprayed with a liquid.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33This water contains a dye that is invisible to the human eye
0:24:33 > 0:24:36and only becomes visible when shown under a UV light.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43It also contains a unique DNA marking code
0:24:43 > 0:24:47which can track criminals and link them to the scene of a crime.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50And, I mean, I'd never heard of SmartWater
0:24:50 > 0:24:55and I just couldn't believe what it really was and how it would work.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00When closing up one night,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Helen was about to find out exactly how it worked,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07as someone had decided to hang about.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13The suspect was caught on CCTV.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15He then walked freely around the property,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17looking for items to take.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23The unsuspecting burglar wasn't aware he was being tracked -
0:25:23 > 0:25:27not only on CCTV, but also by the SmartWater trap
0:25:27 > 0:25:29which was about to be triggered.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33The suspect took his shoes off,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36cos he didn't want us to be able to link any footwear marks
0:25:36 > 0:25:39that had been left here to his particular footwear
0:25:39 > 0:25:42and therefore, us be able to prosecute him on the basis of that.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46I came in the morning,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50it was quite obvious that we'd been broken into...
0:25:54 > 0:25:57..and the SmartWater had been set off.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Money had gone from the till and an iPad.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05We didn't at that point know whether
0:26:05 > 0:26:07anybody else was still in the building,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09which was a bit creepy.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13And with the burglar sprayed with the unique liquid,
0:26:13 > 0:26:17the police began looking at the trail of clues left behind.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23The forensics officer could tell
0:26:23 > 0:26:28exactly where the burglar had taken off his shoes
0:26:28 > 0:26:32and she tracked the footprints.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37And it was the way they glowed in the dark, it was just so clear.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41To be able to see something that,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45with the lights on, there's nothing there at all...
0:26:46 > 0:26:49..to then imagine that somebody
0:26:49 > 0:26:53who's been going around your building,
0:26:53 > 0:26:58poking their nose into things, and to see where they'd walked,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02and where they'd hidden, and where they'd looked into the cashbox,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05it's not a nice feeling.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12The SmartWater spray in this case
0:27:12 > 0:27:16was vital for us to be able to obtain a prosecution.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18As you can see from the photographs here,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22the fluorescent yellow-green marking across the floor
0:27:22 > 0:27:24at the business that had been broken into
0:27:24 > 0:27:27quite clearly shows that one person was in there,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29who committed the offence,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and the SmartWater was able to link us to that individual.
0:27:34 > 0:27:40A number of our enquiries were with some local nominals
0:27:40 > 0:27:42that we deal with on a regular basis,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44so we simply visited those to see
0:27:44 > 0:27:46if they were marked with the SmartWater
0:27:46 > 0:27:48from this particular offence.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51The suspect was caught within 24 hours.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53We were able to then take them into custody...
0:27:54 > 0:27:57..and then prosecute him for the offence.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03I think I felt very relieved for us
0:28:03 > 0:28:06but also very relieved for the whole town.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11I suppose we felt we'd done a sort of civic duty, if you like,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14by being the people that had stopped him.