0:00:02 > 0:00:04Bag snatchers, robberies and street crime.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07According to the latest police figures, more than 3,500 incidents
0:00:07 > 0:00:10of theft are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Why does someone think they've got the right
0:00:13 > 0:00:15to jump in our vehicle and take it?
0:00:15 > 0:00:19But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Thief Trackers shows who takes them and where they go.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Hiding trackers inside items,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30like cameras, smartphones and bicycles
0:00:30 > 0:00:32to 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.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Using undercover footage, CCTV and tracking technology,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47we'll get an insight into the criminal mind.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52And uncover the unseen journey that our possessions take
0:00:52 > 0:00:53when they're stolen.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Today, the Thief Trackers are on the trail of a stolen tablet computer...
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I have no idea where he is.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12..tracing the thief's footsteps over 1,000 miles across Europe,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14using GPS technology.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Plus, opportunist car thieves steal one man's pride and joy...
0:01:20 > 0:01:22My car is definitely parked on this roadside.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25..that's tracked down in a high-speed motorway chase.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And a family business is hit by organised criminals...
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Someone walked by, saw the keys in the ignition and jumped in the van.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36..striking just when they least expected it.
0:01:36 > 0:01:3950 yards from the van and the van just pulled out.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Personal electronics rate high on most consumer's shopping list
0:01:52 > 0:01:56and around half the UK population now use a tablet,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58and innovations in telecommunication
0:01:58 > 0:02:02allow us to use these portable devices virtually anywhere.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05But this freedom puts our possessions at risk,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09making us targets for snatch thieves after some quick and easy cash.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Helping the Thief Trackers with our investigation
0:02:16 > 0:02:19is our specialist crime adviser, Alex Stewart.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22He was assigned to some of the toughest areas of London,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24both on patrol and as an undercover officer
0:02:24 > 0:02:28in his time on the force with the Metropolitan Police.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31From theft to drugs to violent crime,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33he's seen what life is like on the streets.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Busy shopping centres like this
0:02:40 > 0:02:42are constant hotspots for theft.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Lots of people going about their business at lunchtime
0:02:45 > 0:02:47or in the early evening after work,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50not really paying attention to what's going on around them.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53The crowds of people, exit and access points
0:02:53 > 0:02:57and lots of links to public transport make for
0:02:57 > 0:02:59ideal getaway routes for crooks.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05We fitted a GPS tracker into a portable tablet computer.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07We won't tell you where, that would give the game away,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10but if it's stolen, we can follow the satellite signal
0:03:10 > 0:03:13on a smartphone and track down the thieves.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Watching their every move is the Thief Trackers undercover team,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22who will be mounting a covert surveillance operation.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27For their safety, you won't see them, but you'll hear their voices.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Keep your camera on these guys.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The location for our stakeout
0:03:41 > 0:03:43is one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46with over 42 million visitors per year.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50It's massively popular with shoppers, but also thieves.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The area was the nation's top crime hotspot in 2015.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00The team arrive and begin setting up the various hidden cameras.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Two Thief Trackers sit down amongst the hustle and bustle of shoppers,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08like they're having a lunchtime chat, something we all do,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11with the tablet computer between them on the steps.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17They get the close-up camera into position,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19checking to make sure the tablet can be seen.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32But before all the cameras are in place,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35events move on a lot quicker than expected.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Yeah, he's taken it. He's definitely got it. He's gone.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Caught by surprise, they don't know who's taken the tablet.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51But the tracking signal soon kicks in
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and the Thief Trackers are quickly in pursuit.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Only one problem - they don't know what he looks like.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24They've spotted someone with a tablet they think may be the thief.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36One of the team puts a camera in his bag and sits next to him
0:05:36 > 0:05:39to get a close-up shot to compare with the footage of the man
0:05:39 > 0:05:42who stole the tablet computer earlier on.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47He's using what we think is our tablet, but he's so brazen,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51the team don't want to confront him before they're absolutely sure.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53OK, we can't confront him until we definitely know it's him.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I need to know if that's him. Is that him?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Quick, check the footage.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01They know that they have the right man
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and the team move in to talk to him,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06but as they do, he's moved on.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11But they don't need to see him.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The tracker signal is showing exactly where he is.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17The thief's gone into the underground network
0:06:17 > 0:06:18where the signal goes dead.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23But only an hour later, the tracker signal comes back to life
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and leads the undercover team to this estate in east London.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30From the signal, they know the tablet computer
0:06:30 > 0:06:32is in one of these flats.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- Go!- So, to try and flush him out,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36the team knock on doors and ask a few questions.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42They know who they're looking for.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Oh, OK.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- No? Not at all?- Oh, no.- No?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51There are no sightings of the tablet thief,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54although not everyone opens the door.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55Somewhere in this building.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58No? Not at all?
0:06:59 > 0:07:03As the signal shows the tablet is still in this building,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06the team stake out the flats, hoping to see the thief.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Despite staking out the flats for several days,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14there was no sight of the thief
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and the tracker showed that the tablet hadn't moved.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The team wondered whether their cover had been blown.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Suddenly, just when the Thief Trackers felt they'd hit a dead end,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28the signal from the tablet computer shows it's on the move.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29The thief has slipped out the back
0:07:29 > 0:07:32and he's heading towards a London airport.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Later, the Thief Trackers trace our stolen tablet to the airport,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40hot on the trail of the thief.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43OK, OK, OK. It's definitely here.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- It's here?- It's definitely here.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48We are it. That is it.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57To some people, the car is just a lump of metal
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and some nuts and bolts, a means to get around.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04But others form a bond with their four-wheeled friends,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06like Tom James from Wiltshire.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It's quite a large vehicle.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Some people might say it's quite imposing.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16To me, it's my car.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I spent a lot of time working on it, improving it,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21adding my own little touches to it.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23My missus would be upset if I said this,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25but it's almost part of the family to me.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28So, when I first purchased the car,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32I just had the basic factory-fitted security.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I was at a Land Rover show a few years ago
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and I saw the Skytag team up there.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40They had an offer on for their tracker.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44We have trackers on all sorts of vehicles.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Classic cars, heritage vehicles,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51vehicles that they love, have meaning to them.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Our tracker's a very small box,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56a small black box, the size of a cigarette packet
0:08:56 > 0:08:59that buries away inside the vehicle.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01We sell them as a self-fit item
0:09:01 > 0:09:03because everyone puts them somewhere different.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06And that's the key to having a tracker, is it not been found.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I decided to fit the tracker.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11It just seemed like a good sort of backup insurance plan.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Land Rovers are a fairly attractive vehicle to steal.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18They're our single largest market at the moment,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22primarily because they are easy to steal.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24They've got older locks, older steering locks,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27but also they are a very large Meccano kit
0:09:27 > 0:09:30that unbolts and comes into pieces.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33It's easy money for the thieves from the point of view of,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37steal a vehicle, take it apart, sell the bits, that's it.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44Tom was about to find out just how easy his car was to steal.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I'd been down to Bath
0:09:46 > 0:09:51for a self-defence lesson I'd been attending
0:09:51 > 0:09:53for a couple of years.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55While he was learning how to look after himself,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57the love of his life was defenceless.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02An opportunity one thief didn't miss.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I'd stayed behind sort of five or ten minutes or so,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14to talk to the instructor.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Pretty much everybody else had gone, so I was pretty much on my own.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22I looked up and down the road and had a sort of moment of confusion
0:10:22 > 0:10:25where I thought, "Did I park the car there?"
0:10:25 > 0:10:28My car is definitely not parked on this roadside.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32I immediately phoned the police and reported it as stolen.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37The procedure for Skytag is to get a crime number from the police.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40So, once I'd achieved that, I then dialled the Skytag number.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45We had the call from our client to say that his Land Rover Defender
0:10:45 > 0:10:47had been stolen and he'd come out of the gym
0:10:47 > 0:10:49and it wasn't where he'd left it.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53We could see the vehicle was moving as we turned it on,
0:10:53 > 0:10:54transmitting every 15 seconds,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58disappearing away from Bath up towards the motorway.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03So, we contacted Avon and Somerset force control and they have a login
0:11:03 > 0:11:04and password to our system,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08so they were able to log in and see the vehicle live on the screen.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12I was a little bit shocked, I think, that it had been stolen.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14I never expected that to happen.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17We were obviously in contact with Tom and keeping him up to date
0:11:17 > 0:11:20of what was happening. We were able obviously to tell him
0:11:20 > 0:11:22that the police were following his vehicle.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24The vehicle turned onto the motorway
0:11:24 > 0:11:28heading towards the toll booths on the Severn Bridge.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31So, as soon as he told me he'd found it and that he could see it,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33I was instantly relieved.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37There was not really much that I could do,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40so once Skytag had got hold of the vehicle
0:11:40 > 0:11:42and the police were following it,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I was essentially sort of taken out of the equation.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50We sat watching the vehicle moving across the screen with the police
0:11:50 > 0:11:54and I thought, "Oh, right, it's going to go into Wales."
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Two or three minutes, later he called me back to tell me
0:11:57 > 0:12:01that the police had got a team of cars in and around
0:12:01 > 0:12:03the sort of area of my vehicle
0:12:03 > 0:12:08and their plan was to try and box it in on the M4 bridge.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13A short while later on, sort of 10, 20 seconds, I thought, actually,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15"Do you know what? That's possibly not the best idea."
0:12:15 > 0:12:17It's quite a powerful vehicle.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Potentially, the thief could just push his way out of it,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23put the police car into the hard shoulder and drive off.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Their next idea was to close the M4 toll bridge.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31This would then create a sort of a build-up of traffic,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35a backlog of traffic, and essentially stop the pursuit
0:12:35 > 0:12:37due to sort of volume of traffic.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41So, they radioed ahead.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46And they closed down the toll booths.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Just briefly, just enough time to put some traffic there
0:12:50 > 0:12:52so that the vehicle had to stop.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56At which point, the police surrounded the vehicle.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02The driver realised...
0:13:02 > 0:13:05he needed to escape, essentially,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and tried to make his way down the M4 on foot.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11At this point, a police dog had been set onto him
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and he got brought to ground.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19I was quite impressed overall with the efficiency
0:13:19 > 0:13:22and the smoothness of the operation.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I realised after the event that without the tracker,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28my car would've been gone.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30It would've been stripped for parts and sold.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Essentially, the tracker was invaluable
0:13:35 > 0:13:36in returning my property to me.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Without it, I'd never have seen it again.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45We're returning to our covert surveillance operation
0:13:45 > 0:13:48with the Thief Trackers undercover team.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Earlier on, the team were setting up their hidden cameras
0:13:53 > 0:13:56in a busy shopping centre when our computer tablet
0:13:56 > 0:13:58was stolen from right between two of them
0:13:58 > 0:14:02by an opportunist thief who'd been watching their every move...
0:14:02 > 0:14:04He's taken it, he's definitely got it. He's gone.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07..unaware it has a GPS tracker inside,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10pinpointing his position at all times.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Because the thief was using the tablet openly,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15the team had to double-check they had the right man.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20OK, we can't confront him until we definitely know it's him.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I need to know if it's him. Is that him? Is that him?
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Quick, check the footage.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29The Thief Trackers traced the tablet via the satellite tracking signal
0:14:29 > 0:14:32to a housing estate in east London.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35The team staked out the estate for several days
0:14:35 > 0:14:37with no sighting of the thief.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40But suddenly, the tracker signal sprang into life
0:14:40 > 0:14:44and showed the tablet computer was heading to the airport.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47With the team on the trail, the signal goes down,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51so it's likely whoever has the tablet has jumped on a plane.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54All they can do is wait for the tracker signal
0:14:54 > 0:14:56to give its next position.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Sure enough, a few hours later,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01the GPS signal springs into action again.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05However, this time, it's pinpointed the tablet's location to these flats
0:15:05 > 0:15:09over 1,000 miles away in Warsaw, Poland.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12But surprisingly, the next day,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15the tracker shows the tablet may be on its way back.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19The undercover team mobilise at Luton Airport.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26The Thief Trackers take a chance
0:15:26 > 0:15:29that because whoever has the tablet computer flew out of Luton,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32they'll be flying back the same way.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34They have no idea which flight he's on,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36so they keep an eye on the tracker.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39OK. OK, OK. It's definitely here.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- It's here?- It's definitely here.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45We are at it. That is it.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46OK, we're on.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- 7.10?- Yeah.- 15 minutes ago?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Yeah.- So, there's a good chance he came through then, right?
0:16:02 > 0:16:04It says Airport Approach Road.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I think he's outside.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11As the team move outside, the tracker signal becomes stronger.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14I am, I am, I am.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16EQUIPMENT BEEPS
0:16:21 > 0:16:22Their hunch has paid off
0:16:22 > 0:16:26and they realise it's the man who stole the tablet,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30so they go in to tackle the thief, a potentially risky situation.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33They're not accusing him of stealing, they're not the police,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36just asking him if he's seen the tablet computer.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- Do you know Westfield Shopping Centre?- Yeah.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03Yeah, we lost it there.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15- Do you?- Yes.- Amazing.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24But even though the team have shown the thief that they've tracked him
0:17:24 > 0:17:26from east London to Warsaw and back,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30he's insisting that they provide more proof that it belongs to them!
0:17:39 > 0:17:42His claim that he found the tablet on the steps is not true.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46As our hidden camera footage shows clearly, he sat behind the team
0:17:46 > 0:17:49watching and waiting for an opportunity to snatch it
0:17:49 > 0:17:51from right under their noses.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Most people would have handed the tablet back,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57but this man is going to brazen it out,
0:17:57 > 0:17:58asking for more proof it's ours.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04The Thief Trackers decide to play along to see how far he'll go,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06so they call the number he's given us,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08asking him to meet us and return our tablet.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Hello, Is that- BLEEP?
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- Hello,- BLEEP.- This is the guy you met at the airport. How are you?
0:18:17 > 0:18:18I'm very good, thank you.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I just thought I'd call because I'm going to be in Stratford today
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and I wondered if you were around and we could maybe catch up.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27I could show you some evidence that the tablet is mine
0:18:27 > 0:18:29and we could maybe swap it over?
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Fantastic. Why don't we say one o'clock tomorrow?
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Bye-bye.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Wow!
0:18:46 > 0:18:49And amazingly enough, the next day, he turns up...
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- Thanks for coming to see me. - ..bang on time.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53I'm good.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57No, no, I'm not a detective.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Because it's got a tracker in it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03- No, I put that in there myself after I bought it.- OK.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I found it here, it was lying like that.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And I pick from the stairs, so I didn't know.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14What can I give you...
0:19:17 > 0:19:22I have a photograph from when I first bought it
0:19:22 > 0:19:26to document its serial number, which is just here.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29All this information will be on there if you look through it.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37When did you find it? What date did you find it?
0:19:40 > 0:19:43OK, let me see when I took that photograph.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46That'll help determine that I had it before you.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50That's not good.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Stolen property is rarely recovered but thanks to the tracker,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01we got our tablet back.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03So, that's one to the Thief Trackers.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08- Yeah?- I found it here.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11He's still proclaiming his innocence but we have the un-blurred footage
0:20:11 > 0:20:14that shows him quite clearly watching the tablet and the team
0:20:14 > 0:20:17before stealing it from between them and walking away.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20If the police want to have a look at this tablet snatcher in action,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22we're more than happy to share it with them.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31With commercial theft,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33it's the small businesses who can find themselves a target
0:20:33 > 0:20:35for organised criminal gangs...
0:20:37 > 0:20:40..thinking they're less likely to have updated their security systems.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Good afternoon, Traffic Management Services, Lauren speaking.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Lauren Barlow runs a family business with husband Michael.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48At Traffic Management Services,
0:20:48 > 0:20:53we provide temporary traffic management for servicing works,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56construction works, utility works on the roads.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58So, we provide traffic light set-ups,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00stop-go set-ups, pedestrian management,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04road closures and diversions, all the sort of thing that, really,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07people get frustrated about when they're caught in traffic jams.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09When the jobs get put on the planner,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13I will allocate men to the jobs and then put the vehicle to the lads
0:21:13 > 0:21:16to make sure they've got the right vehicle
0:21:16 > 0:21:18for the right job they're doing.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21We need to make sure they can fit the right amount of cones,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25signs and make sure the vehicle is a vehicle that can tow traffic lights
0:21:25 > 0:21:27if it's a traffic light job they're doing.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Their business expanded with a company buyout.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33The vehicles have increased massively in fleet
0:21:33 > 0:21:37since we got taken over in 2011.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Back then, we only had something like 12 vehicles on the fleet
0:21:41 > 0:21:42and they were all rented.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47We've now gone up to a fleet of 47 vehicles, so each vehicle,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51you're looking at around £20,000 per vehicle on just the basic van.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55But unfortunately, they hadn't upgraded their security.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59The old company used to have tracking systems, then it expired,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02then we had a van stolen from just down the road.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04That vehicle was missing all day.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08We had five or six men out, searching the area.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11As the thieves took it, they passed our MD
0:22:11 > 0:22:13and he thought it was the lads going out to site,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15so he just waved at them.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19We remembered that the vehicle had one of the old tracking units.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22We rang Ctrack to see if there was anything they could do to enable
0:22:22 > 0:22:25the tracking and eventually, at about 5 o'clock that day,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27they managed to locate it.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31That prompted us to say this system is invaluable to us as a company.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Having learned their lesson,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39they fitted trackers to all their vehicles.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43We're fitting our technology to a whole range of vehicles.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44A lot of vans, so we're servicing
0:22:44 > 0:22:48fitting to a lot of utility and service companies.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53We also fit the technology to larger trucks for visibility,
0:22:53 > 0:22:58for transport operations, cars of all types, shapes and sizes.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04There is really no limit to the kind of vehicles that we can fit this to.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07And it wasn't long before the trackers were put to the test.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10We had a traffic light job on for the council.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15Me and my mate and the two council lads, it was a pretty standard day.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Nothing different.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20We went out to the job, six o'clock start.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23We loaded the van in the morning, went out.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24We got on site.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30We needed the beacons on to tell everyone that you're working.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33You need your engine on for them to be running
0:23:33 > 0:23:35or it will kill your battery.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38As it was an older van,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41it didn't have the modern cut-out system that allows the driver
0:23:41 > 0:23:45to take the keys out of the ignition whilst keeping the engine running.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48We were working out of the back doors as it was off the road.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50So, I was packing the cones up,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54chucked a stack of cones on my shoulder, just walking to the van,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58got 50 yards from the van and the van just pulled out.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09As I see the van turn round, I'm wondering, "Where is he going?"
0:24:09 > 0:24:11obviously thinking my mate's in the van.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I dropped the stack of cones off my shoulder,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19turned round and then my mate's stood there with his hands out
0:24:19 > 0:24:22as if to say that's definitely not him driving it!
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It's a gut-wrenching feeling.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30It's a horrible, horrible feeling.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I then realised my phone was in the van as well.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37I was not best pleased, that's one way of putting it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Everyone will tell you that when the phone's been nicked, it's awful.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43It's an awful feeling. You've got things on there that...
0:24:43 > 0:24:46like, pictures from my little brother being born,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50that my mum and dad hadn't got, that a lot of people hadn't got,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52so it's the gut feeling inside,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55it is gut-wrenching, it's not a nice feeling.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Why does someone think they've got the right to jump in our vehicle
0:25:01 > 0:25:04and take it from us, and while we're trying to do a job for someone?
0:25:06 > 0:25:08So, there is always a lot of anger.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11You don't sometimes quite believe that someone
0:25:11 > 0:25:13feels like they've got the right to do it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Because we didn't have any phones on us,
0:25:18 > 0:25:23we had to ask the council lads to ring the number -
0:25:23 > 0:25:27luckily, on the back of the signs, we've got the stickers,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30the TMS stickers and it's got the number underneath -
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and ring the headquarters and get in touch with our logistics manager.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40I was actually in my office doing my normal job and I got a phone call
0:25:40 > 0:25:42from someone upstairs saying,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44"We've just had a phone call from one of the lads on site
0:25:44 > 0:25:46"saying the van has been stolen."
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Someone walked by, saw the keys in the ignition and jumped in the van.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54It's a horrible feeling when a van gets stolen in that way
0:25:54 > 0:25:58because you don't know how the lads are feeling themselves, what,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00if anything, has actually happened to them.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02I always have the tracker logged onto my screen
0:26:02 > 0:26:04on one of my screens in my office,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08so I can look at that pretty much instantly.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10We normally would ring the police at that point
0:26:10 > 0:26:12and let them know where the vehicle is.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Ctrack found out about it quite quickly.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17The customer did inform us
0:26:17 > 0:26:20but I think the interesting situation about this one
0:26:20 > 0:26:23is they were able to go straight to the software,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26identify the vehicle and, therefore, they were able to take
0:26:26 > 0:26:28complete control of the situation themselves.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33I could see the vehicle moving
0:26:33 > 0:26:35and then it moved down a couple of side roads
0:26:35 > 0:26:37and just parked up on a little estate.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I jumped in my van and drove out to where the vehicle was.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47When I got to the vehicle, it had been parked up, locked up.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49My initial reaction when I got there,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53all they've done is stolen the van, parked it up to just see if
0:26:53 > 0:26:55obviously there is a tracking unit on it
0:26:55 > 0:26:58so they could come back later on and potentially steal it and strip it.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03It's a big relief, it always is,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05getting your vehicle back, because it's a big expense.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10The only things that were missing was my two phones
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and my mate's one phone.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18It was only a couple of weeks before that we'd got them fitted
0:27:18 > 0:27:23and when you go from a firm not having any trackers in the vans
0:27:23 > 0:27:25or anything like that, all the lads were like,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28"Why are we having trackers? I don't understand it."
0:27:28 > 0:27:31They thought they were, like, catching up on us.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34A couple of months later, a van gets nicked
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and it proves its point, proves why we got 'em.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43For the company, the safety of our employees is paramount
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and for them to take a vehicle without any thought
0:27:46 > 0:27:49to who's in there or who's working around the vehicle,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51on a site like that as well...
0:27:52 > 0:27:54I just find that unbelievable.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59I know they lost some of their personal equipment
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and things like that but it's good to get the vehicle back.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07You do feel a bit like you've got one up on whoever's taken it.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10So, hopefully they're watching it when you get there with the police
0:28:10 > 0:28:13and they know that they're not going to catch you out
0:28:13 > 0:28:16because we're one step ahead of them.