0:00:02 > 0:00:04Bag-snatchers, robberies and street crime.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06According to the latest police figures,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10more than 3,500 incidents of theft are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Watching the CCTV back actually gets you angry,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15because you feel you can't do anything.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Thief Trackers shows who takes them and where they go.
0:00:23 > 0:00:29Hiding trackers inside items like cameras, smartphones and bicycles,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31to trace their every move.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33The thieves think they've got away with it,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35but we've got them under surveillance.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Using undercover footage, CCTV and tracking technology,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46we'll get an insight into the criminal mind...
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..and uncover the unseen journey that our possessions take
0:00:51 > 0:00:52when they're stolen.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Today, the Thief Trackers are on the trail of a stolen handbag...
0:01:09 > 0:01:13..following the footsteps of the thieves as they make their escape.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15From the main road and he's going quite quick.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20Plus, a man on a mission using technology to fight against crime...
0:01:20 > 0:01:22We had so many people really, really upset.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24I just thought, "I've got to do something about this."
0:01:24 > 0:01:27..helps track down crooks caught on camera.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30He reaches into the fridge, grabs a bottle of cider
0:01:30 > 0:01:31and as he turns round,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34the cider's actually concealed down his shorts.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38And man's best friend is on the trail of a petty thief.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40This is the man responsible for the burglaries,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42so I shout to him, "Stop.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44"Police officer with a dog.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47"Stand still, or I'll release the dog."
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Busy city centres are a magnet for opportunist thieves
0:02:00 > 0:02:02intent on stealing your property...
0:02:03 > 0:02:08..with over 400,000 personal theft incidents across Britain in 2015.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11A moment's distraction is all it takes
0:02:11 > 0:02:13for your belongings to be stolen,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15and the thief to disappear into the crowds.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Helping the Thief Trackers with our investigation
0:02:21 > 0:02:24is our specialist crime adviser, Alex Stewart.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27He was assigned to some of the toughest areas of London,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30both on patrol and as an undercover officer,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33in his time on the force with the Metropolitan Police.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36From theft to drugs to violent crime,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38he's seen what life is like on the streets.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Thieves love the hustle and bustle of busy areas like this,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49with lots of distractions and plenty of targets to choose from.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51They often pick their victims carefully,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53targeting the young or the vulnerable.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56And statistics show that women are twice as likely
0:02:56 > 0:02:59to be the victims of theft as men.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02We fitted a GPS tracker into a jewellery display box,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04putting it in a handbag
0:03:04 > 0:03:07along with a purse. If the bag is stolen,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11we can follow the GPS signal on a tablet or smartphone
0:03:11 > 0:03:13and track down the thieves.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Following their every move is the Thief Trackers' undercover team,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23who will be mounting a covert surveillance operation.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27For their safety, you won't see them, but you'll hear their voices.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Keep the camera on these guys.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41One of the team sets up outside a cafe,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43looking as if she's waiting for a friend,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45busy on the phone with a bag at her feet,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47like most of us have done.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50The remaining Thief Trackers watch from nearby.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52The tracker goes live.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Time to watch and wait.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01And it's not long before there's interest in the bag.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02That guy is having a look.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Those two there, they're together.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Despite the bag being just inches away from the thief tracker's feet,
0:04:15 > 0:04:16it's being eyed up.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Yeah, I think we're on.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23OK, let's go.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29The GPS tracking signal shows the thief heading south with the
0:04:29 > 0:04:30thief trackers close behind.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48And here's the thief's friend.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50The thief is further down the road.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00One thief tracker holds back to avoid being recognised.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02It was her bag that was stolen.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Our lead tracker carries on ahead,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08following the GPS tracking signal and the thief.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13But the thief has turned around.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17And he's carrying our purse in his hand.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25So, where is the bag and jewellery?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28The thief meets up with his friend, and they walk off.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The thief trackers regroup to check the tracking signal
0:05:41 > 0:05:43to see where the jewellery is.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And they double back to pick up the handbag.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55That's the bag there.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00The crooks have dumped the bag as soon as they could,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02but they've taken the purse and the jewellery out.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04So, the bag...
0:06:06 > 0:06:11..is taken, dumped in this bin, been emptied.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16And they've taken the purse and the jewellery out and run off with it.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Because the tracker is in the jewellery box,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22the team can continue to track its GPS signal
0:06:22 > 0:06:24and follow the thieves' trail.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Later, the undercover team are on
0:06:28 > 0:06:30the trail of the bag snatcher
0:06:30 > 0:06:31and his partner in crime.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34From the main road and he's going quite quick.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36It's saying that we're right next to it now.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46No matter how low-level the crime,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49even petty theft can have a major impact on its victims.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Simon Gordon runs a busy wine bar in central London that became a hotspot
0:06:55 > 0:06:57for thieves targeting his customers.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03We had so many people really, really upset, handbags being stolen.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Had people cry... There was one woman,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09at the time I remember it, she was crying for about an hour.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Really, really upset.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Although they had CCTV cameras to protect the clientele,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17these criminals were rarely brought to justice.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19We'd spend a lot of time cutting the CCTV,
0:07:19 > 0:07:20putting it onto a disk, and then
0:07:20 > 0:07:22waiting for a police officer to come down.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It sometimes could be three weeks, sometimes a month.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Handed it to the police, and then you never heard anything else.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29It was just a waste of time.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I just thought, "I've got to do something about this,"
0:07:33 > 0:07:34and that's why I started Facewatch,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37to try and stop crime in the wine bar.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40The idea was to have one single system that could talk to all police
0:07:40 > 0:07:43forces, and businesses could then just go online
0:07:43 > 0:07:45to that same system and put the information in.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48You'd just upload the clips of what happened,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51somebody comes in, somebody steals something, somebody leaves.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55And then you put a picture of the person that you think did the crime.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58You do that, press the button and that goes to the police.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02It's created a real public-private partnership,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05working together and saying to the businesses, "Look, come on,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07"we've got to give police the information
0:08:07 > 0:08:09"in a format they can use and then
0:08:09 > 0:08:11"they'll get on with doing what they're good at,
0:08:11 > 0:08:12"which is solving crime."
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Facewatch is used by 15 forces across the UK,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20one of which is West Mercia Police,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23who cover Malvern in the Worcestershire hills.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And it's a great help to local support officers
0:08:26 > 0:08:27such as Lisa Freeman.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Facewatch was initially brought to our Chief Constable.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33He was sent a letter asking if our force would be interested in it,
0:08:33 > 0:08:34because we know that the
0:08:34 > 0:08:37West Midlands Police have taken it on.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41It was passed down through the powers that be down to myself.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43So, basically, I'm the lead in it,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48and I take it round to the shops, and the shops can then report crime
0:08:48 > 0:08:50directly to the police, they can upload CCTV...
0:08:52 > 0:08:56..and it cuts down from probably a 28-day period of process
0:08:56 > 0:08:58to probably 20 minutes.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01One business that took it up was Malvern Spring Services,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03run by manager Claire Guy.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05We're a petrol forecourt
0:09:05 > 0:09:08that sell convenience goods.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10We decided on accepting Facewatch
0:09:10 > 0:09:13after a visit from our local CSO, Lisa Freeman.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15There were quite a few of the local shops
0:09:15 > 0:09:17that had actually been brought into it.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20And they were glad they did when they noticed goods were going
0:09:20 > 0:09:21missing on a regular basis.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27And one man in particular, captured on their CCTV, caught their eye.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Watching the CCTV back and actually realising that it's the same person
0:09:31 > 0:09:35reoffending actually gets you angrier the more you watch it,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38the more times it happens, because you feel that you can't do anything.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42The Texaco garage, they got in touch with me and said,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44"Look, I've got this guy coming in regularly
0:09:44 > 0:09:45"taking stuff from the store,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47"only small quantities of stuff,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49"but he's getting persistent now."
0:09:52 > 0:09:54On numerous occasions he entered our store.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56The same clothing was worn.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01Green and white striped T-shirt, green and brown cargo shorts,
0:10:01 > 0:10:02white trainers.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05It can be really detrimental.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08At the end of the day, we're letting goods walk out of the store that
0:10:08 > 0:10:09aren't being paid for.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11He would walk in and do certain things
0:10:11 > 0:10:12in a certain way in every store.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Everybody... It was so recognisable.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18He would go in and he would purchase a bag of crisps,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21but he would walk out with a lot more stuff than that.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25He entered the store early afternoon.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28He then actually reaches into the fridge,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31grabs a bottle of cider and as he turns round,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33the cider's actually concealed down his shorts.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41He then proceeds to speak to the cashier and then leaves the store.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44But it wasn't only THIS petrol station that was being targeted.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46We put him on the Wanted Gallery.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Every other shop that is on the same programme will get a copy of the
0:10:50 > 0:10:52pictures, of the CCTV.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53It kind of got spread around,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56and then somebody else noticed that he'd been
0:10:56 > 0:10:58in their store, and he'd been in another store.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00And then all of a sudden, somebody said,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02"Actually, I know who that is."
0:11:03 > 0:11:05One of our officers identified him.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06And from that,
0:11:06 > 0:11:11it expanded that he'd actually got a lot of outstanding
0:11:11 > 0:11:13from different stores
0:11:13 > 0:11:18in the Malvern, Ledbury, Hereford, Worcester area.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21In the end, we ended up with 21 offences.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24So it was a really good result.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29The fact the CCTV has been so good - without that evidence,
0:11:29 > 0:11:30you won't get a prosecution.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33The thief was duly arrested and jailed.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Knowing that he was caught and that we'd played a part in it due to
0:11:37 > 0:11:39uploading our CCTVs and statements,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41actually gives you a feel-good factor,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44the fact that he hasn't got away with it any more.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Join Facewatch. It's brilliant.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Without it, we wouldn't have caught the gentleman in question.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55All good news for Simon and his team.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57I'm absolutely passionate about it, because, you know,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00I genuinely think we can reduce crime across the whole world.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02And if you can reduce low-level crime,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04it makes the whole place safer.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07As petty theft often leads to more serious offences,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10this could be a game-changer in the fight against crime.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Crime doesn't just happen in cities.
0:12:18 > 0:12:19It happens in the country, as well.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29Organised gangs regard building-site machinery as a prime target,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and the construction trade consider vehicle theft
0:12:31 > 0:12:34as an occupational hazard.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Whether it's vans, telehandlers or diggers,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38all are fair game to criminals.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43It's a crime that costs UK businesses
0:12:43 > 0:12:44over £800 million a year.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49High-value plant machinery, often left on site and unattended,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52is considered easy pickings to thieves.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55One company was counting the cost
0:12:55 > 0:12:59that this theft was having on their business.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03I work for a
0:13:03 > 0:13:05family-run plant-hire company.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08We service the utility industry...
0:13:09 > 0:13:12..with all makes of construction equipment
0:13:12 > 0:13:15from diggers, dumpers, forklifts,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18pretty much everything you could ever need on a building project.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Certain people feel that because you're a big company,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23you're insured, you're not really stealing from your average person,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25but it does actually affect us in a big way.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29When I have something stolen, it's annoying.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32It's downtime, plus the machine not out working,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34which costs me a lot of money.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37But Harry wasn't prepared to take being targeted by thieves
0:13:37 > 0:13:41lying down, so his company invested in some trackers.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44So I have tracking systems in all my machines now, and all my vans.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It can monitor absolutely everything that you need.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48People know it's in there.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50It says it's in there, and we thought it was well worth
0:13:50 > 0:13:52putting into a lot of our equipment.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55And as Harry's company was hiring out plant machinery throughout the
0:13:55 > 0:13:57country, it wasn't long before the tracking devices
0:13:57 > 0:13:58were put to the test.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I first received the call that the machine had been stolen.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08It was a three-quarter-tonne Kubota, which is the smallest digger we run,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10which is the micro-digger.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14They had cut a hole in the fence...
0:14:16 > 0:14:18..some time between nine o'clock at night
0:14:18 > 0:14:20and six o'clock in the morning.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23That was all I knew at that time
0:14:23 > 0:14:26until I looked further into it on the tracker.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I monitored it, realised it was in a local area,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33so I notified the police...
0:14:35 > 0:14:37..and went to see if I could find it.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43When I was en route to find the stolen digger,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I was thinking, a little bit apprehension,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49looking for... In case there were, obviously, criminals with it.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53What would happen to me if I'm there
0:14:53 > 0:14:54and if I try and confront them about
0:14:54 > 0:14:55getting my digger back.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00No sign of the actual machine itself,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03so the police then contacted me and met me on site...
0:15:04 > 0:15:06..to see if we could start looking for it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And the call came in to PC Craig Thomas,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12who was first on the scene to track down this digger.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15When we've arrived on the scene,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19we've liaised with the victim and
0:15:19 > 0:15:22gone into detail about the tracker.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I just informed them of all the information I had,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27showed them the tracking system on my mobile phone.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29They agreed with me it must have been in that area,
0:15:29 > 0:15:30and then we just began
0:15:30 > 0:15:33sort of having a look round, knocking on doors,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35seeing if anyone's seen anything.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Other than a few parked vehicles...
0:15:41 > 0:15:44..the car park and surrounding streets were empty.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45So just how could a thief make a
0:15:45 > 0:15:49three-quarter-tonne digger simply disappear?
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Eagle-eyed Harry was about to get his answer.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57I saw the van there. It looked out of place.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01We sort of put two and two together and realised the van looked like
0:16:01 > 0:16:03that was the most likely place it would be.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07The suspension was very low.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10I said to my colleague,
0:16:10 > 0:16:11"The suspension's either broken or
0:16:11 > 0:16:13"something is in the back of that van."
0:16:13 > 0:16:15A few of the officers knocked on the doors.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It wasn't known to be normally parked in this cul-de-sac
0:16:18 > 0:16:19that it was parked in.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21We had a little look in the van.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24We could see bits of digger equipment.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29We arranged for recovery to come and
0:16:29 > 0:16:32take the vehicle to their local yard,
0:16:32 > 0:16:33and as soon as they removed the
0:16:33 > 0:16:34vehicle from the car park to the
0:16:34 > 0:16:38main road, the app which the victim had,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40the tracking device, actually moved
0:16:40 > 0:16:42from the car park
0:16:42 > 0:16:45onto the main road,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47which gave us all the evidence we needed
0:16:47 > 0:16:50that the stolen digger was in the back of the van.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I've not seen anything that accurate before,
0:16:58 > 0:16:59so it was a massive tool for our
0:16:59 > 0:17:01investigation and a great help.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03When the police finally opened the van up and we found the
0:17:03 > 0:17:06digger in there, it was a massive relief.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09We knew that we could get the machine back straightaway.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And it was just really nice to finally actually
0:17:12 > 0:17:14get one up on the criminal for a change.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20The van owner was arrested. But for Harry,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24his investment in GPS technology had well and truly paid off.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Without the tracker in this instance,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29we would have never got this machine back.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32To anyone else looking to steal any of my equipment, beware,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34because we've got trackers on everything.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44We are returning to our covert surveillance operation
0:17:44 > 0:17:47with the Thief Trackers undercover team.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Earlier on, the team set up outside a cafe on a busy junction close to a
0:17:51 > 0:17:54train station. The thief trackers watched on
0:17:54 > 0:17:56as a suspect emerged from the
0:17:56 > 0:18:00crowds and snatched our handbag in broad daylight...
0:18:01 > 0:18:04..then met up with his friend just around the corner,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07unaware that in the stolen bag is a jewellery box
0:18:07 > 0:18:09with a GPS tracker hidden inside.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13They then dumped the bag in a bin...
0:18:13 > 0:18:15That's the bag there.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16..taking the jewellery box,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19which was fitted with a tracker, out first.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21It's been emptied.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29The team are following the tracking signal
0:18:29 > 0:18:32on their mobile phones, hot on the heels of the thieves.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35OK, so they came down here.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45They carried on going up here.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54They came down here.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04It's saying that we're right next to it, now.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Right by Victoria Station.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17As you can see, it's very close to where we are.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25The signal hasn't moved, but with no sign of the thieves,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29the team stake out the area to watch and wait for them to surface.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32Suddenly, the tracker signal shows
0:19:32 > 0:19:34the jewellery box is on the move again,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37giving a position just yards around the corner.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48But we can't seem to find it, so we think
0:19:48 > 0:19:51the item might have been dumped.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54So we're just searching around now.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Round the bus station...
0:19:58 > 0:19:59..to have a look.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04At the moment, it's just kind of saying
0:20:04 > 0:20:06it's in the middle of the road.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07The team have been searching now for
0:20:07 > 0:20:09a good half-hour and there is no sign
0:20:09 > 0:20:11of the jewellery box or the thieves,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15but the tracker's signal is saying it's definitely here.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16Anything over there?
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I can see there is a buggy and a small mattress,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23but I can't see our box or anything.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Because the area is surrounded by roads and passageways,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33the team decide to check they're in the right place.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34So they ask a security guard.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Let's see if there is anyone around to help us.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42There might be someone that works in the bus garage.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44They could have seen them or seen the item.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49My bag's just been stolen
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and I've got a tracking thing saying it's here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57- Over there.- Is that over there?
0:20:57 > 0:20:58Thank you.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00The signal is still saying the
0:21:00 > 0:21:03jewellery box is definitely here somewhere.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06So we're going to go and have a look.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14It's saying it's here. There are bags, so they might have dumped it.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- Can't see anything here, can we? - No.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35The team are scouring the area.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37They're right on top of the tracking signal,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40but can't find it hidden anywhere.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Thieves often stash stolen items in bins or rubbish to collect later.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50It's saying that it's right beyond this wall here,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52opposite the station.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54It's not anywhere to be seen.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55But underneath this road...
0:21:58 > 0:21:59..is the train tracks.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05So, it could have been dumped over the bridge and chucked.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11It's hard to see here because there's railings and a big wall.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13The thief trackers could go no further,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15because it was both illegal and dangerous
0:22:15 > 0:22:17to venture onto the tracks
0:22:17 > 0:22:19to find the stolen item.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22But our crime expert, Alex Stewart, visited the scene.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26It doesn't surprise me that the thieves have deposited the bag
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and taken everything valuable out of it.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31They obviously like to get rid of the evidence as quickly as possible.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Unfortunately, the tracking device in the jewellery box has led our
0:22:35 > 0:22:38undercover team not to the thieves, but to this stretch of road,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42which has a live railway line running underneath it.
0:22:42 > 0:22:43My expectation is the thieves have
0:22:43 > 0:22:45thrown the jewellery box over the wall,
0:22:45 > 0:22:46so that it's not discovered.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52The thief and his friend may think they've got away with it,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55but we still have unblurred footage of them in action,
0:22:55 > 0:22:56which we're happy to share with the police
0:22:56 > 0:22:58if they'd like to have a look.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08SIREN WAILS
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Many police forces across the UK
0:23:10 > 0:23:12still use the more traditional method of
0:23:12 > 0:23:16tracking criminals, so when a crimewave hit the town of Swindon,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18the police turned to their canine section
0:23:18 > 0:23:21to help track down the thieves.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I'm a dog handler within Wiltshire Police.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28And I have a German shepherd who's four,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31his birthday's in June and he's called Tyke.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35He's a really good police dog, but he also is really naughty.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39But he does deliver the goods, so I can put up with his naughtiness.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41And Tyke certainly delivered
0:23:41 > 0:23:44when his tracking expertise was called on.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48We'd been having a series of burglaries
0:23:48 > 0:23:50at the early hours of the morning
0:23:50 > 0:23:52on convenience stores where large amounts of cigarettes
0:23:52 > 0:23:53were being stolen,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and this had been going on for several weeks.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01When a call came in of a robbery in progress at a local Co-op store,
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Tyke was on duty.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06There was an immediate call on the radio.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09I was thinking,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11"Oh, this is another one of the series that's been happening."
0:24:11 > 0:24:14So I thought there was a good chance we could get here and
0:24:14 > 0:24:15they might still be here.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16So in your head you're thinking,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19"Am I going to be met by the people at the scene, will they be here,
0:24:19 > 0:24:20"will they be gone?"
0:24:21 > 0:24:24The damage was to the front of the building,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27where something had been thrown through to gain access.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Inside, the shop had been ransacked,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36and the kiosk area was totally trashed.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41I heard on the radio that a response officer was already at the scene,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43so I went into the property,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45spoke with him and the owner of the property,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48and they were viewing the CCTV.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50I took a quick look at that so I could look at
0:24:50 > 0:24:52what the offenders look like
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and then came back out to my vehicle to get Tyke and start tracking.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Once at the scene, Tyke picked up the scent of one of the thieves.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Once I'd got Tyke out tracking,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12his head's gone down to the ground and his nose is on the ground.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15He's pulling me along at quite some pace on the track.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19So I know he's tracking a scent.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I'm thinking, "This could be those persons,"
0:25:21 > 0:25:24so I'm going to follow that track,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26which we followed to the bottom of this road
0:25:26 > 0:25:28and on into the estate at the end.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Halfway into the estate,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Tyke jumped up on top of the hedge with his front feet.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42When Tyke finds property, he will hover over it
0:25:42 > 0:25:44or he will freeze on it,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47so he was basically saying to me, "There's something here, Mum,
0:25:47 > 0:25:48"you need to look at it."
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Tyke has then located property which was stolen from the Co-op,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59which was a duvet cover which was full of cigarettes.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08Tyke's taken me in through the estate and round through to a wooded
0:26:08 > 0:26:12little copse area, where I can no longer detect that he's tracking.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18So in my head I'm thinking, "They've only come up to this point.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20"So I need to work back into the estate
0:26:20 > 0:26:22"to try and pick up the track to
0:26:22 > 0:26:24"find where they've gone to ground."
0:26:27 > 0:26:32Tyke had picked up a further track and located in two different gardens
0:26:32 > 0:26:35items of clothing believed to be belonging to the offenders.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40From there, we've tracked on,
0:26:40 > 0:26:41and at this point, his head's come up and
0:26:41 > 0:26:45his tail's gone up and I can see that his demeanour is changing.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52I look around a little bend and I can see a person.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56He had no shoes on, there was nobody else out
0:26:56 > 0:26:58at this time of the morning.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I shout over to this guy,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06"Excuse me, mate, can I just have a quick word?",
0:27:06 > 0:27:09at which point he turns and starts to walk away.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14I'm thinking, "This is the man responsible for the burglary."
0:27:14 > 0:27:18So I shout to him, "Please stop, police officer with a dog.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20"Stand still or I'll release the dog."
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Because at this point I'm thinking, "He's going to run off."
0:27:23 > 0:27:24He's started to quicken his pace.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30He then turns round and faces me and Tyke, and I get closer and apprehend
0:27:30 > 0:27:33him for the offence of the burglary.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And the evidence found by Tyke during the track
0:27:36 > 0:27:38was integral to linking the thief to the robbery.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Forensics linked him with the glass from the scene
0:27:44 > 0:27:48to glass that was located on his person following his arrest.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51The thief was sentenced to eight months in prison.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Tyke got a reward for finding a prisoner-offender.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59He got a venison leg, which is his favourite.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03He's on a raw-food diet, so venison leg is a big treat.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06That's a just reward for this expert tracker.