0:00:02 > 0:00:03Bag snatchers, robberies and street crime.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06According to the latest police figures, more than 3,500
0:00:06 > 0:00:10incidents of theft are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13He had my house keys and my driving licence, so I was
0:00:13 > 0:00:16a bit worried that he would just go and let himself into my house.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Thief Trackers shows who takes them and where they go.
0:00:24 > 0:00:30Hiding trackers inside items, like cameras, smartphones and bicycles,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33to trace their every move.
0:00:33 > 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 > 0:00:50And uncover the unseen journey
0:00:50 > 0:00:52that our possessions take when they're stolen.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Today, the Thief Trackers undercover team are on the
0:01:02 > 0:01:04trail of a stolen laptop.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Pursuing the elusive thief through the dark backstreets.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Plus, Newcastle's own Dynamic Duo turn detective
0:01:19 > 0:01:20to track down a phone snatcher.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22My phone was gone, I was just completely gutted because I
0:01:22 > 0:01:24was like, I'm never going to get that stuff back.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29And tracking technology comes to the aid of Britain's unluckiest biker.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31He didn't think he'd ever see that bike again.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32He even gave me a kiss and cuddle!
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Britain has an increasingly mobile workforce,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43many of us, using laptops and tablets on the go.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48But our portable offices also make tempting targets for criminals.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51National statistics show over 400,000 incidents
0:01:51 > 0:01:54of personal theft in 2015.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Helping the thief trackers with our investigation
0:01:58 > 0:02:01is our specialist crime adviser, Alex Stewart.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04He was assigned to some of the toughest areas of London,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06both on patrol and as an undercover officer,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09in his time on the force with the Metropolitan police.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12From theft to drugs to violent crime,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15he's seen what life is like on the streets.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Many of us carry work or personal information with us on our
0:02:20 > 0:02:22laptops, and we often take them out with us
0:02:22 > 0:02:25when we go out in the evening for a drink.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Laptops are easily movable and sellable,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31which makes them a prime target for the thieves that hang around
0:02:31 > 0:02:34city centre cafes, bars and clubs.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Just waiting for you to have a drink,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38relax and let your guard down.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41We fitted a tracker into a laptop.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44We won't tell you where, that would give the game away.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47But if it's stolen, we can follow the satellite signal on
0:02:47 > 0:02:50a smartphone or a tablet and track down the thieves.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Keeping tabs on the crooks is the Thief Trackers undercover team,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00who'll be mounting a covert surveillance operation.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04For their safety, you won't see them, but you'll hear their voices.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Keep your camera on these guys.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20One of the team gets into position outside a cafe,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23with the laptop on the table a few inches away.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26He's distracted by texting and chatting on the phone,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28it's something we all do.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30The remaining thief trackers watch from nearby.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32OK, everyone. Here we go.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35The tracker hidden in the laptop is live.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Time to watch and wait.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13OK, he's touched, we're definitely on.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18And he's walked off with it. Go, go, go!
0:04:19 > 0:04:22He's grabbed it and the team are off in hot pursuit.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27The thief trackers pick up the signal as the thief heads
0:04:27 > 0:04:28west with our laptop.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33The team are right on his tail, just metres away from the crook.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13The thieves are arguing. They think there's a tracker in the laptop.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21These are dangerous people, so the thief trackers keep their distance.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Later...
0:05:25 > 0:05:28..the undercover team follow the signal from the laptop to
0:05:28 > 0:05:30track the thieves through the back streets.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35As they trace the thieves' footsteps.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Personal electronics are a favourite target for thieves.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Stealing smartphones is known as "apple picking",
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and one crimewave saw over 300 phones
0:05:52 > 0:05:55stolen every day in London alone.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57But advances in tracking apps,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00initially designed to help you find your lost phone,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04now help in tracing your stolen mobile, as happened in Newcastle.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Two colleagues arrived for what they thought would be just another day
0:06:11 > 0:06:14at work in the Tyneside Cinema cafe.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19I started work, it was about 12:30.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Put my things out the back, as I normally would.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I was out the front, waiting tables
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and just kind of getting on with my job.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33They had no idea they were about to star in their own drama.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36At about 20 to one, we got a delivery.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44As the delivery was coming in, a guy must have nipped in.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Sarah went in the back to her phone out of her bag and then
0:06:50 > 0:06:52ran back in saying her bag was missing.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57I had initially thought it was a joke.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00I thought that one of the managers upstairs was playing like
0:07:00 > 0:07:02a joke on us, so I went upstairs and had a look around the offices
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and then Gemma came upstairs and said her bag was missing as well.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08The first thing that we did was check the CCTV.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13That's when we noticed the guy had sneaked through the back door,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15taken my bag, Sarah's bag.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19He was obviously a chancer who'd just taken the opportunity
0:07:19 > 0:07:21as a delivery was coming in to sneak in.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26It was my house keys, car keys,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30driving licence and all of the money that was in my purse as well.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Bank cards, yeah, and plus my phone from my coat pocket as well.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36I was just completely gutted because I was like, right, that's gone,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40I'm never going to get that stuff back. I was devastated.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I rang the bank straightaway and cancelled my bank card.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Basically, kind of gave up immediately.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47We then rang the police
0:07:47 > 0:07:50because we've got a police radio at the Tyneside cafe,
0:07:50 > 0:07:51told them what had happened.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54They were saying it was going to be two to three hours
0:07:54 > 0:07:55before anyone could come out.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00And that was when my boss Jamie mentioned the Find my iPhone app
0:08:00 > 0:08:06and said, "Why don't you try and find your phone on this app?"
0:08:06 > 0:08:09This app uses GPS satellite technology to pinpoint
0:08:09 > 0:08:12the position of your phone on a map.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17After that, I changed from totally devastated to,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21right, we're going find this guy now.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Instantly, the app pinged into life, showing the thief's whereabouts.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28The two amateur detectives were hot on his trail.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31So we checked the CCTV, to get a good idea of what
0:08:31 > 0:08:35he was wearing, what he looked like, who basically we were looking for.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41We were monitoring the app every 30 seconds. Gemma was constantly on it.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43They tracked the thief,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46thinking the information would help the police find him.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48But they suddenly found themselves part of the action.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55We realised he was two streets away from where I lived.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57He had my house keys and my driving licence,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59so I was a bit worried that he would just go and let himself into
0:08:59 > 0:09:03my house and kind of empty the contents.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06When she realised he was quite close to her house, that was when her
0:09:06 > 0:09:10instinct kicked in and we both said, "Let's just do it, let's go for it."
0:09:10 > 0:09:13I've got two kids so you don't really want someone in your house.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Fight or flight just took over and it was the fight reaction took in.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21The first thing we did was call a taxi.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Neither of us had any money because both of our purses had been stolen.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27So we had to beg,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30borrow and scrounge from everyone to get some money.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35So, initially the tracker was going quite slowly and on occasion,
0:09:35 > 0:09:36it was stopping.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Is it moving, Gemma?
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Then it started to move very quickly when we were in the taxi.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The dot was moving and then stopping maybe like half a mile further down,
0:09:49 > 0:09:50then stopping. So I was like, "He's on the bus,"
0:09:50 > 0:09:53cos I could see it moving from, like, stop to stop.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58We were just concentrating on this tracker,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00all we could think about was that.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Because I knew the roads, it was great cos I could tell
0:10:03 > 0:10:05the taxi how to try and track him and then just following the dot.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11We were just focused on the Find my iPhone app, we really were.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Both of us kept checking back, checking the tracking.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15And a couple of times it went off it was like,
0:10:15 > 0:10:16"Oh, God, are we going to lose him?"
0:10:23 > 0:10:26When we saw the bus and then it finally dawned on us that, yeah,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29this is actually real and we're going to see him here.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31When he got off the bus, we knew it was him.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33We knew that it was him as soon as he got off
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and that's when we stopped the taxi.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We all jumped out the car and then we spotted Sarah's
0:10:39 > 0:10:41yellow phone poking out his pocket.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46And I just said, "Please, can I have my phone back?"
0:10:46 > 0:10:50He looked really shocked and was completely taken aback and said,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54"Oh, this phone? I found it. I was taking it back."
0:10:54 > 0:10:56And I said, "That's my phone. I've seen you steal it."
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Sarah grabbed her phone and I was like,
0:11:00 > 0:11:01"I want the rest of our stuff."
0:11:01 > 0:11:05That's when I called 999 to get like police assistance then,
0:11:05 > 0:11:06just in case he did get a bit...
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Cos we didn't really know if he was going to be aggressive or...
0:11:09 > 0:11:11You just don't know what he was going to be like.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16When the police arrived, they immediately apprehended him.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Did struggle for quite a bit to get into the car,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and he was denying it and saying that he had done nothing wrong and,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25so they basically arrested him straightaway.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28With the thief in custody, the police discovered Gemma and Sarah's
0:11:28 > 0:11:32bags dumped in a waste bin outside his flat.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Kind of probably dawned on us, a bit shocked of our actions really.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39It probably was a bit crazy to chase someone you don't know.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42'You kind of act on impulse, you want your things back.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45'You want your house keys and you want to know that they're
0:11:45 > 0:11:48'safe and that you're safe, really.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50'I would probably do it again, yeah.'
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Yeah, would definitely do it again.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Yeah, it was worth doing it for the getting our stuff back,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58but maybe not from the vigilante comments
0:11:58 > 0:12:00that we got from work all of the time!
0:12:00 > 0:12:01My boss was saying,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05actually he didn't know if we were really brave or just really stupid.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11The cost of running a car is always expensive,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13particularly the price of fuel.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15But every time there's an increase at the pumps,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18there's a rise in petrol theft.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Known as "bilking", this is a very difficult crime to track down.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27More importantly, it isn't a victimless crime
0:12:27 > 0:12:29that's swallowed up by the fuel companies.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34It's the small forecourt businessmen who suffer the losses.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38This service station is a family run business and when we do get
0:12:38 > 0:12:41fuel theft, it has quite a big impact.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44An average driver is about £40-£50
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and for us to get that sort of money back,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49we need to sell maybe another couple of thousand litres of fuel.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Other service stations in the Leeds area have also been hit.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59Fuel theft is quite high. It really affects the business.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01You feel like you really can't do anything.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The number of drive-offs - people coming and stealing -
0:13:05 > 0:13:06it's not very low, it's quite high.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Leeds-based fuel crime specialists Forecourt Eye,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15believe they had a solution.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Well, we identified a growing trend in forecourt crime.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24There was no real means on the market to combat this.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27There's obviously been a lot of cutbacks in the police
0:13:27 > 0:13:30in recent years, so they often feel like they are being used
0:13:30 > 0:13:33as debt collectors to retrieve the money back from forecourts.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37So we thought we'd put together a package where everything could
0:13:37 > 0:13:39be done instantly.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Forecourt Eye is a crime reduction tool which simply enables
0:13:43 > 0:13:47a forecourt to report the details of the vehicle that's driven off
0:13:47 > 0:13:48without paying for their fuel.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52All the information - CCTV and statements - that are produced
0:13:52 > 0:13:55get sent directly to the police and the investigation
0:13:55 > 0:13:57can commence within 20 minutes.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The details are locked online, on a site sharing information
0:14:02 > 0:14:05between businesses, the public and the police.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Once it's on the database,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12it links all businesses who subscribe together.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14So essentially if a vehicle pulls up
0:14:14 > 0:14:17to a garage in Leeds, drives off without paying for their fuel,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19that information can then be sent to a forecourt
0:14:19 > 0:14:21at the other side of the country, in London.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31A few weeks ago we received a report from a petrol station,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35informing us that they had just had a drive-off.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40The CCTV showed the guy actually arriving on the forecourt.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Starting the fuel pumps up and filling barrels up.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46So the barrels were five-gallon drums that
0:14:46 > 0:14:50he had adapted to fit in the passenger seat of his vehicle.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54The next minute we knew he was just sat in his car again and just
0:14:54 > 0:14:56went off without paying for any fuel.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00He took maybe 150 litres
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and the value of that was coming up to about 140 odd pounds.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It does make a big hole in our pocket.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11So this guy was clearly an experienced and seasoned criminal.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14He returned to the garage later the same day
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and did exactly the same thing.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19So not only did this individual strike twice, we also traced him
0:15:19 > 0:15:22to two other garages where he'd committed exactly the same offence.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Using the software, the garages were able to send us the CCTV
0:15:28 > 0:15:32within minutes of the offence happening.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34We provided the information from the CCTV,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37the registration number of the vehicle, the make of the vehicle,
0:15:37 > 0:15:42what the person actually looks like, because the CCTV they've put in
0:15:42 > 0:15:47is really up-to-date and it captures more or less everything.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Our investigation team were then able to track the offender to
0:15:50 > 0:15:55other garages and we hooked together an intelligence package
0:15:55 > 0:15:59which we were able to provide to the police for prosecution.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03They were fairly promptly able to go round and arrest him.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Forecourt Eye has been very helpful in a way that they've taken over
0:16:06 > 0:16:07all the paperwork.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12They'll take the person to court and, for us, they actually get us
0:16:12 > 0:16:15our money back for the fuel that has been stolen.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22We're returning to our covert surveillance operation
0:16:22 > 0:16:26as the Thief Trackers undercover team are on the trail of a laptop,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29fitted with a tracker that was stolen from outside a cafe.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The thief met an accomplice and they were clearly spooked.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42(They're arguing.)
0:16:55 > 0:16:56The team call for backup.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07The crooks can be onto the thief trackers.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10The signal shows them zigzagging through the back streets.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26With reinforcements in place, the thief trackers can carry on.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Really? What, back in Soho?
0:17:33 > 0:17:35They back up there? Is that Tottenham Court Road? It is.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37They're on Tottenham Court Road.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Is it worth getting in a cab?
0:17:42 > 0:17:46The thieves have now doubled back near to where they stole the laptop,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48so the team jump in a cab.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Straight up to Tottenham Court Road, please, mate.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55This guy's just stole our laptop. Yeah.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Yeah. We've got it.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02See where we are.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- Charing Cross Road. - Charing Cross Road.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09If you can pull over to the right. Can you go down this Phoenix Street?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14And it's not long before they close in on the tracker's signal.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- Are they in here? - Somewhere in here.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21The tracker's signal shows the laptop
0:18:21 > 0:18:23is definitely around this area.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33But the signal shows the thieves are off again.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36OK, we're on. It's moving.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41- Where did you say, down there? - Where the chairs are now. Come on.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44The crooks are given the thief trackers the run-around,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46but the team are still right on their tail.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49Are they on Rupert Street?
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Should probably have stayed in Soho
0:18:52 > 0:18:54and just let them come back towards us.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55They're on Wardour Street at the moment.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00I need you all to stay calm, stay close.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Here we go. I suspect around the corner.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06The team are closing in on the thieves...
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- Straight on.- ..but they're being sucked into quiet alleyways,
0:19:09 > 0:19:10off the beaten track.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Here. This little alley here.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19The signal finally comes to a stop around a number of alleyways.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Right, we're going to search around here.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27This is extremely dangerous for the team.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28The thief and his accomplice
0:19:28 > 0:19:30could be around any one of these dark corners.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48The tracker is showing the team the right area, but the rabbit warren
0:19:48 > 0:19:52of alleys is making it so difficult to find the thief and the laptop.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01The team keeps searching and go behind some buildings
0:20:01 > 0:20:02into a dead-end.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04It's an area full of rubbish bins.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06Could it be a trap?
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Although they had a signal...
0:20:28 > 0:20:30..the team can't locate the laptop.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It's likely the thief has hidden it securely to retrieve later.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It's too dangerous for the team to wait all night
0:20:50 > 0:20:53in a dead end alley, so they withdraw.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55However, overnight the signal goes dead.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57It's likely this thieves returned
0:20:57 > 0:21:00to retrieve the laptop and destroy the tracker.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05We may not have caught up with the thieves,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07but we know who they are, and if the police want to take
0:21:07 > 0:21:10a look at our un-blurred footage, we're happy to oblige.
0:21:12 > 0:21:151.2 million of us ride a motorbike for business,
0:21:15 > 0:21:16as well as pleasure.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19But bike theft has reached record levels,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21so the chances of getting it stolen are high.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26But the chances of getting it back in one piece are very low,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30as criminal gangs steal bikes to strip them down into spare parts.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34For many bike owners, it's a risk they take...
0:21:37 > 0:21:39..as one London biker discovered.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44I always wanted to have a sports bike.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Then I passed my full licence,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I got the bike I always wanted, which is R6.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Tomas has already been a victim of bike theft.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56So he fitted his pride and joy with a tracker.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00But just six months later, it was put to the test.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04I'd finished my shift and then I came to what was
0:22:04 > 0:22:06my motorcycle parking bay,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I found that there was no bike left.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14The tracker was not alarmed.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Which meant that they couldn't
0:22:17 > 0:22:20trigger the tracking from the beginning.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22So we had to wait until the cycle comes in,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26which wakes up every eight hours.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Once the GPS tracker went live,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32his tracking company discovered the bike hadn't gone far -
0:22:32 > 0:22:37to a housing estate just a few hundred metres away from his office.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41We got the call and found that the bike was in the King's Cross area.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47But to pinpoint the bike's exact location, recovery agent Danny Lucy
0:22:47 > 0:22:52needed to zone in on the tracker's radio-frequency signal.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56What the tracker was showing us was that it was in Midland Road.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57We went up and down in Midland Road
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and we found it was bouncing off of one of the houses.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And we was walking down the alleyway at the back
0:23:05 > 0:23:07and the finder was pinpointing
0:23:07 > 0:23:09it was down the side on the left-hand side.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16We found the motorbike tucked down the back of a little alleyway.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Felt so happy. I went to hug Danny.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Even gave me a kiss and cuddle! He did.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Yeah, he was very happy to get his bike back and he didn't think
0:23:28 > 0:23:29he'd ever see that bike again.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34After this experience, Tomas took extra precautions with his
0:23:34 > 0:23:37beloved bike, and for a while, all was well.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43I woke up one morning, getting ready for work.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I came out, out of my house and I realised
0:23:46 > 0:23:47that the bike is not there any more.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52I rang my tracking company straightaway
0:23:52 > 0:23:54and informed the police that my motorbike is gone.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58As this was the second time the bike was stolen,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02tracking company MD, Richard Taylor, took over the case and headed
0:24:02 > 0:24:05towards the last reported signal in the Dagenham area.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Richard recorded details of the case on camera
0:24:11 > 0:24:13as he tracked the bike.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17We've got the radio direction finder equipment turned on.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20We're on the A406, heading towards the Dagenham area.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24We knew we were going to have to do a radio find because
0:24:24 > 0:24:25we weren't getting a GPS.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27We considered maybe it was
0:24:27 > 0:24:29in a lock-up or something like that.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33GPS satellite tracking is great, but when it goes into a building,
0:24:33 > 0:24:34the signal can drop out,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38so they follow the tracker's radio frequency instead -
0:24:38 > 0:24:39known as RF.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42And once we've got that RF audio confirmation,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44we know we're going to find the tracker.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Well, I'm going through what appears to be an estate.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53In and out of roads, trying to pick up the signal.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Circulating around that area, and then we get that pulse,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00that audio pulse.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01OK.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- BEEPING - That's the RF picked up.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12OK, so I've parked up basically.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17We've parked up and we've got quite a good strong,
0:25:17 > 0:25:18powerful signal here.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21But it's emanating from somebody's back garden.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25At this point, Richard called the police -
0:25:25 > 0:25:28standard procedure for trackers as they don't have the authority
0:25:28 > 0:25:30to enter private property.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35And while I've been waiting here, looks like we may have
0:25:35 > 0:25:38witnessed another stolen motorcycle taken into the same property.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Still waiting for the police, so hopefully they'll be here shortly
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and we can find the stolen motorcycle.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51And the police arrived on site.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53We went inside the garden of this house
0:25:53 > 0:25:55and the stolen bike was inside...
0:25:57 > 0:25:59..in the back garden, towards the shed.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02And inside the shed were other motorcycles,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04or some parts of motorcycles.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Richard had uncovered what's known as a chop shop and Tomas's bike
0:26:09 > 0:26:13was moments from being stripped down into spare parts.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15I think they were quite surprised to see a chop shop
0:26:15 > 0:26:17for motorcycles, actually in someone's back garden.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Normally it would be in an industrial unit and
0:26:19 > 0:26:21a bit more on an industrial scale.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Once police forensics had checked out the crime scene,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Tomas got his bike back.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30We contacted Tomas, we gave him the good news,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34we told them the bike was all in one piece and it all looked like
0:26:34 > 0:26:35he could ride it away,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37so we asked for him to come and collect the bike.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40He turned up and he was over the moon.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44I was very pleased with Richard who recovered my bike a second time.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49And so, I didn't know how to thank him, so I showed him a thumbs up...
0:26:49 > 0:26:51for his good work.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Two recoveries of Tomas's bike, absolutely excellent.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00That was good news. And then, we had a call -
0:27:00 > 0:27:02a third recovery was needed.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06It's just a thing that happens all the time for me.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Thieves struck again, but once more the tracker proved invaluable.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11I knew what I had to do.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15I knew that I need to get the bike, otherwise it would be stripped off.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18And the tracker would be thrown away somewhere.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24What Richard did, he just sent me the exact location of the bike
0:27:24 > 0:27:26so I could make my way to see if it's still there.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32So me and my colleague, we went out from work about nine o'clock.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39I was slightly nervous. You know, going to some alleyway.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41But I was lucky to find my bike again.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48I would advise anyone who owns a good sports bike to do
0:27:48 > 0:27:51the research and find a tracker that suits their needs.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55I thought at that point, let's not push it for a fourth.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Let's get this unit serviced, let Tomas have
0:27:57 > 0:27:59a new battery in his tracker
0:27:59 > 0:28:01that will keep him going for another four years.