0:00:05 > 0:00:10More than 3,500 incidents of theft are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Thief Trackers shows how they are taken and where they go.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Excuse me, mate. Excuse me.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Hiding trackers inside items like cameras,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28smartphones, and bicycles to trace the thief's every move.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31There he is. There he is, there he is.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33The crooks think they've got away with it,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37but we've got them under surveillance.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38No, man.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Using undercover footage, CCTV and tracking technology,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45we'll uncover the unseen journey our belongings take
0:00:45 > 0:00:46when they are stolen.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50And we'll shine a light on how easy we make it
0:00:50 > 0:00:52for thieves to plunder our prized possessions.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Today, the Thief Trackers are on the trail of a stolen tablet.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Hello, mate.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Tracing it 1,300 miles across Europe.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26Plus, building site burglars make off with £25,000 worth
0:01:26 > 0:01:31of heavy plant machinery, unaware their every move was being tracked.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Every item of plant on site has a tracker system.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41It started to move along London Road towards the M60.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I was just hoping that we could get the mini digger back.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49And a community comes together to track down a cruel bag snatcher.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52An elderly lady was mugged yesterday.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Then I looked at the bag, it was gone.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56I was traumatised.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00My bag gone and all my very personal items.
0:02:06 > 0:02:07In this digital age,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10many of us carry personal electronics around with us
0:02:10 > 0:02:11as a matter of routine.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15But these valuable items make an attractive target for thieves.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Tablet computers are in the top five most popular items stolen.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Any town or city across the country with a high concentration of people
0:02:29 > 0:02:31is vulnerable to street crime.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Today, Thief Trackers are in the West End of London,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37which has the highest crime rate in the city.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Helping Thief Trackers with our investigation
0:02:40 > 0:02:43is former Detective Chief Superintendent Sue Hill.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47She has over 30 years' experience tackling crime on the streets
0:02:47 > 0:02:48of the capital.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51When you have so many people in crowded places,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54there are far more opportunities for the thief.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56And that's why when you are in a crowded space,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59you need to really keep your wits about you and keep your property
0:02:59 > 0:03:02safe and close to you. Most thieves are opportunists
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and if they see an opportunity, they're going to take it.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09We fitted this tablet with a GPS tracker.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13If it's stolen, we can follow the signal on a smartphone or tablet
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and track down the thieves.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Following the thieves' every move is the Thief Trackers undercover team.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25For their safety, you won't see them,
0:03:25 > 0:03:26but you'll hear their voices...
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Get the tracker up. If we're going to do this, we're doing it now.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31..as they follow the thieves' every move.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43The team set up our hidden cameras outside a cafe in a very busy area,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47popular with locals, workers and tourists alike.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Our undercover team member settles in with the tablet near her,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54on the table. The tracker in the tablet is live.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Time to watch and wait.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58It's quite busy with a lot of passers-by.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Our thief tracker deliberately isn't paying attention to the tablet.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Like so many of us, she is distracted by her phone.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13This lady just wants a chair.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Far from being suspicious, she is a real-life Good Samaritan,
0:04:17 > 0:04:18as we'll see later.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25This helpful passer-by alerts our thief tracker.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28It is good to see that some people are public spirited.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Now this man is looking suspicious.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40He's seen the tablet and appears to be hanging around.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45It's possible he's waiting for a moment to strike.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50The tablet is snatched, but someone else has grabbed it
0:04:50 > 0:04:54whilst our team member is again distracted.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Before the thief trackers head off in pursuit, in a flash,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01the thief passes the tablet to the man who was standing nearby.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03It seems they are working as a team.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The brazen accomplice then stands back where he was
0:05:06 > 0:05:08with the tablet hidden under his jacket,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11just a few feet from where it was stolen.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13The undercover team get ready to track our man,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16but it seems they are not the only ones who witnessed the crime.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21The woman who earlier borrowed the chair saw the thief
0:05:21 > 0:05:22pass the tablet on.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Not thinking of her own safety,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27she confronts the accomplice and retrieves our tablet.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Sue Hill says a lot of thieves work in organised teams.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37In this scenario, we know there were three.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40They appeared to be together. But there could have been more.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42There could have been people watching.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44So you never know. They normally don't operate on their own.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46What they do is they steal the item, as we saw,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49pass it on to someone else, but if the person who took the item
0:05:49 > 0:05:51is identified, the item has already gone.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53And they'll say, what are you talking about? I never had it.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57What's interesting in this scenario is when the guy has got the item,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00he goes back and he stands by the table.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Now, I think he has done that thinking, well,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04if someone has seen who took it, his friend in the pack,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06if the police did get called,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08it would be very easy for him to slide the iPad back on the table
0:06:08 > 0:06:10and walk away, saying, I've just seen this.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Thankfully, the tablet was returned
0:06:13 > 0:06:15due to a vigilant member of the public.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18I think what the woman did, it was kind of spontaneous,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20she saw someone taking it, thought, "I'm not having that,"
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and went off and that is really, really brave.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26But then again, if he had turned on her or the other individuals
0:06:26 > 0:06:29in his team turned on her, then you never know what he might have done.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33My advice would always be, call 999, let the cops do the job for you.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40To avoid suspicion, the team move and set up surveillance again
0:06:40 > 0:06:42at a different cafe.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Night falls. Often thieves will use the cover of darkness
0:06:45 > 0:06:46to make their move.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Someone stops near the table and checks out the tablet.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01He could be perfectly innocent.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03He's hanging around, possibly waiting for someone.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08He moves off.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Not long after, the same guy returns and he's acting rather suspiciously.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22But he goes again.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26The pavement becomes busier as the night wears on.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28But there isn't any interest in the tablet.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Then, in a split second, the tablet is snatched.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42A moment's distraction as our team member glances at her phone
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and the tablet is gone.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47The Thief Trackers are ready to go but they are not the only one
0:07:47 > 0:07:48who saw the thief in action.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Thanks very much.- No worries.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Later, the undercover team track the stolen tablet across London.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13The logistical nature of construction
0:08:13 > 0:08:16means that a lot of machinery is left on site overnight
0:08:16 > 0:08:17until the job is finished.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24As heavy plant machines cost from £15,000 to over £100,000,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27it's no surprise they've become a target for organised crime,
0:08:27 > 0:08:32with around £70 million worth of plant machinery stolen each year.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Machines like the mini excavator are key to businesses
0:08:36 > 0:08:40such as Gary Goldrick's groundworks company.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Basically, we go on to a building site, put the road
0:08:42 > 0:08:46and the sewers in, we then dig the foundations and the drains.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49While the scaffolding goes up and they build the houses,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52we then come back and do the drives, topsoil and flagging.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Having any of their heavy plant machinery stolen
0:08:55 > 0:08:57would be disastrous to Gary's business.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Mini diggers are vital for our line of work.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Basically, if a mini digger goes,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06our work stops, all the lads' work stops.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08So they are very important for us.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11To combat the crooks, Gary has had his equipment fitted
0:09:11 > 0:09:15with the latest hi-tech tracking devices.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Every item of plant on site has a tracker system.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It's the best line of defence, really,
0:09:20 > 0:09:21to stop your machines getting stolen.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Although that doesn't stop the thieves from trying.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29With the site closed for the evening,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31men dressed as builders entered.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Aware that companies are taking steps to keep tabs
0:09:36 > 0:09:40on their property, many thieves will now search machinery for trackers.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Having found nothing, the crooks made off with Gary's mini digger,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48unaware that they had activated the tracker's motion alarm.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53The signal was immediately picked up by his tracking company.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It alerted, because it was being loaded onto a trailer,
0:09:58 > 0:10:04which is one of the alerts that our system is designed to trigger,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07if it's being moved without ignition.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11The tracker allows them to trace the digger's movements on a map
0:10:11 > 0:10:13using a GPS signal.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18Our team picked this up and immediately contacted the owner
0:10:18 > 0:10:22to confirm that it shouldn't be on the move.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24The first question they asked me was,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27"Have you got a mini digger on the move?"
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Sometimes, I'll forget to ring the Scorpion to say
0:10:30 > 0:10:33"I'm moving a machine from one site to the next."
0:10:33 > 0:10:36And within about five minutes of that machine leaving the site,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38they ring me up and say, "Your machine is on the move."
0:10:38 > 0:10:42And on the odd occasion, I'll say, "No, it's being stolen."
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Which happened in this case.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49It started to move along London Road, towards the M60.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Our team were on the line, with the police,
0:10:54 > 0:11:00giving regular updates as to where the vehicle was,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02which road it was travelling along.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06There's an awful lot of plant stolen throughout the country all year
0:11:06 > 0:11:09round. I was just hoping that we could get the mini digger back.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12According to the tracking data,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15the thieves hadn't got too far with their heavy load.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19The mini digger was now on the move on the M60, near Bradbury.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Approximately two and a half to three miles
0:11:22 > 0:11:24from where it was initially stolen.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29In this particular case, it wasn't the sort of thing that could travel
0:11:29 > 0:11:34very quickly or give chase down backstreets.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35It was obviously a big heavy thing,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38so it wasn't too difficult for the police to catch it.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41With almost three tonnes of digger on a trailer,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44the crooks weren't going to make a fast and furious getaway
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and soon enough, the police had them in their sights.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51The police, actually, with instructions and directions
0:11:51 > 0:11:55from our monitoring team, caught up with the vehicle on the M60
0:11:55 > 0:11:58as it was approaching junction 21.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01In under an hour, the crooks were stopped in their tracks
0:12:01 > 0:12:03and caught red-handed.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06But still tried to brazenly talk their way out.
0:12:08 > 0:12:15The thieves were actually adamant that this digger belonged to them.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The thief's initial reaction to the police
0:12:18 > 0:12:19was that it was his mini digger
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and that he shouldn't have been arrested.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26At this moment, the police then rang me, told me what had gone on,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29and asked if I had any documentation of proof of purchase.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32So I then went to the office, got the documentation,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34and then went out to Chatham Police Station.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36The thieves didn't have a leg to stand on
0:12:36 > 0:12:40and once Gary's documents checked out, they were bang to rights.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42And not just for stealing the digger.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45There was an added bonus in this particular case.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49In that the transit van that was towing the trailer
0:12:49 > 0:12:54on which the digger had been loaded was also stolen
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and actually had false plates.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Basically, the guy was bang to rights.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04So another thief was identified and taken off the streets.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09The tracker did its job and the digger is back in action on site.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12As far as Gary is concerned, it's money well spent.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13To avoid this happening,
0:13:13 > 0:13:18I would recommend that every item of plant on site has a tracker system.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20If a mini digger hasn't got a tracker on it,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24then you are in the lap of the gods to see if it's actually retrieved.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Earlier on, Thief Trackers' undercover team had a tablet stolen
0:13:35 > 0:13:37from outside a cafe.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45The crook made a fast getaway.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50But the team can track his whereabouts
0:13:50 > 0:13:54and they are soon right on his trail.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56The GPS signal shows it's close by.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04They check the footage to make sure they target the right person.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16The signal shows the thief is on the move but the undercover team
0:14:16 > 0:14:18are hot on his heels.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25The crook makes his way through the busy streets of London's West End.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28But the Thief Trackers can keep right on his tail
0:14:28 > 0:14:30following the GPS signal on their smartphones.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44And it seems this criminal knows his business,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48taking a meandering route through the streets in case he is followed.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10The team are right behind him, but can't spot him in the crowds.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21So they track him until they can single him out.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37The tracking data shows the thief is speeding up.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40It is possible he's now found some transport.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51As the thief heads northward at speed,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53the team need to find their own transport.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22They trail the tablet snatcher and it looks like he's heading towards
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Euston train station.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27With links to Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30it's possible the thief, or perhaps someone he's passed it on to,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32could be making their way north.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35However, the signal comes to a stop.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46OK, we're almost there.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Do you think he's in there? - I think so.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Thank you, mate.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55With no further movement on the signal, the team scout the area.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14It is possible the tablet is now somewhere in this hotel.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16And by now, it could have changed hands.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33I don't know.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Just don't know.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47The team stake out the area,
0:17:47 > 0:17:51in case the thief or whoever has our stolen property makes a move.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56A few days pass and there is no sign of movement.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59The tracking data is showing the tablet is still somewhere in,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01or around the hotel.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04However, the thief trackers suddenly get a new lead
0:18:04 > 0:18:08when the location of the tablet dramatically changes.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10The tracking data now shows the tablet has moved
0:18:10 > 0:18:12from its position in Central London...
0:18:15 > 0:18:17..to over 1,300 miles away across Europe
0:18:17 > 0:18:20in the city of Deva, Western Romania.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26It has a population of around 60,000,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29one of whom is now in possession of our stolen tablet.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33So, we got in touch with our European thief tracker
0:18:33 > 0:18:37and she headed to the location to see if she could find the tablet
0:18:37 > 0:18:40and track down whoever has it.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Our data shows the tablet is somewhere
0:18:44 > 0:18:46on this quiet residential street,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50not the sort of place you'd find a backstreet snatch thief.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53More than likely, it's now in the hands of an innocent party
0:18:53 > 0:18:55who has bought it locally.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Our thief tracker decides to put posters up and flyer the area
0:19:00 > 0:19:03to let them know that they have bought stolen property
0:19:03 > 0:19:04and to get in touch.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Back in London, our crime expert, Sue Hill,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11analyses the initial theft.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23The reason they weave around,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25probably looking for another team member,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27a member of their team to pass the item on to,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and then what they do is they try to avoid capture, CCTV,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32they know where the CCTV cameras are.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33They are trying to avoid someone
0:19:33 > 0:19:35if they think someone is following them.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38And they will move around and bob and weave just to get away.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It's so easy with the amount of buses that are in inner cities
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and cabs to jump on and get away very quickly to avoid capture.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Having tracked the tablet to a hotel,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54it's more than likely it had already been passed on or sold.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00It's astonishing that in a short space of time,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03our tablet is stolen in Central London and finds itself
0:20:03 > 0:20:06at the other end of Europe, in Romania.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11High-value portable goods such as iPods and iPhones regularly end up
0:20:11 > 0:20:13in different parts of the world.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18It's not unusual that this iPad has ended up in a suburban area,
0:20:18 > 0:20:19because probably by that time,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22that item has been through several hands and somebody's bought it
0:20:22 > 0:20:24in good faith. The moral of the story is,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27you need to keep your very high-value small portable items
0:20:27 > 0:20:30when you are out and about very close to you.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32You can prevent this crime happening.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38As we grow older,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42it's the memories that we keep in our hearts that we value the most,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45not the material possessions we accumulate.
0:20:45 > 0:20:4983-year-old Breeda has lived in Ballincollig, Cork,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53since she was 20 and she cherishes her memories of days gone by.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56I had a lovely life. Very contented.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I did meet my husband in Cork.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02My sister, she introduced me to him.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05So from then on he became my boyfriend...
0:21:05 > 0:21:07..and my husband.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10He was a salesman.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13He wrote me letters every week when he was away.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14He had so much to say to me.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17And so much love in it.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23And he would send me one special letter and I had it
0:21:23 > 0:21:26and that would be 60 years nearly the letter was in my...
0:21:26 > 0:21:28I carry it with me.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30And I took that letter everywhere we'd been.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34As well as the special letter from her late husband,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Breeda kept memories of her family with her too.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Because my family are very dear to my heart.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43So I took them in my bag.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44They were a great comfort to me.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48And I felt very safe when I had them with me.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53So she took her photos and love letter with her wherever she went.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55To lose them would be devastating.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00But one day, disaster struck.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06My kind neighbour suggested we go for a drive.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08I was feeling under the weather.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12So we came to Ballincollig, Dunnes Stores.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Because there was one item that I wanted -
0:22:14 > 0:22:17a small saucepan, to make porridge.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I looked up and I did see my item up there.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26Before I picked it up,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30I put my bag on the floor and when I looked at the bag, it was gone.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32And the other items that I had bought were gone.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33They were all gone.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38She frantically searched for her bag, but it was nowhere to be seen.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Breeda was distraught.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Not because of the bag, but what it contained,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46her family photos and her treasured love letter.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47I was traumatised.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52With my bag gone and all my very personal items.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55And the security looked around.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57And they couldn't find anything.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02There was no trace of her bag and its precious contents,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04so the police were called.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Brian Henderson was the policeman on duty.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10He set about trying to track the stolen bag down straightaway.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I could tell how much this handbag and the letters in the handbag
0:23:13 > 0:23:16had meant to her, and it did kind of motivate me
0:23:16 > 0:23:19to try and get it back for her as quickly as I could.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24I immediately contacted the security in the shopping centre.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I requested a copy of the CCTV.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28And the footage proved to be vital.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31One particular woman raised suspicions.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33She can be seen walking into the store.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34They had actually tracked her movements
0:23:34 > 0:23:37from when she entered the shop, they had all the separate clips
0:23:37 > 0:23:39of her movements in the shop.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42The heartless bag snatcher is then seen casually walking away,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44holding Breeda's bag.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Immediately left the shopping centre via the front door
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and travelled back to her car in the car park.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54They had also managed to identify her vehicle,
0:23:54 > 0:23:59which she had used to leave the rear exit of the shopping centre.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02But, unfortunately, because of the sun reflecting off the license plate
0:24:02 > 0:24:05of the car, it was preventing us from viewing the registration plate.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07It would have been a big help to have that.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10The tenacious cop wasn't beaten.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12It did have unique identifiers on the car,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14the stickers on the back windscreen,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16which helped us to eliminate any other similar cars
0:24:16 > 0:24:18that we might come across.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21While the police tried to track down the callous thief,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Breeda's friends rallied round.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Amongst them, Emer Cassidy.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Straightaway, we just set about seeing what we could do
0:24:28 > 0:24:32and who we could contact and as luck would have it,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I knew a girl called Emer O'Hea Martin,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36and she was a producer on Red FM.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39For me, there was something different
0:24:39 > 0:24:41about this particular story.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The romantic element was there, you know, that this lady, Breeda,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48who was 82, had carried a love letter from her partner
0:24:48 > 0:24:51all these years, for 60 years, so I thought that was incredibly sweet
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and then, of course, it was incredibly tragic
0:24:54 > 0:24:57that someone had robbed an 82-year-old woman
0:24:57 > 0:24:59and also taken this, her prized possession.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Emer was terrific altogether.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04She did it on the radio the following morning.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06- Good morning.- Hi, Neil.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Thank you very much for talking to me this morning.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10This is a sad story in itself.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13It involves an elderly lady who was mugged yesterday
0:25:13 > 0:25:15in Dunnes in Ballincollig.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19There was a number of very sentimental items in the handbag,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22including a letter from her late husband who has passed away,
0:25:22 > 0:25:23over 26 years ago.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26It was a letter when they started going out together and it is of huge
0:25:26 > 0:25:28sentimental value to her.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31We would just really be delighted if we could get the bag back.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34There's a very good chance that bag has just been discarded,
0:25:34 > 0:25:35not far from there, you know?
0:25:35 > 0:25:38That's right. That's what we feel.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40The presumption was that the thief might have just taken the bag
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and then maybe thrown the bag in a bin, or something like that,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47nearby. So there was actually people having heard the radio just walking
0:25:47 > 0:25:49round Ballincollig to try and find it,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51which was incredibly sweet as well.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53And whilst the community scoured the area,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57trying to track down Breeda's bag, and its invaluable cargo,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Brian continued with his investigation.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02After I had the picture of the suspect's vehicle...
0:26:04 > 0:26:07..I decided to carry out a search of the number of estates
0:26:07 > 0:26:09that run along the back roads by the shopping centre.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11I was working on an assumption, more than anything,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13that the person was living locally.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18So, I began patrolling the estates.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21Tracking down this vehicle
0:26:21 > 0:26:24really would be looking for a needle in a haystack.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28But Brian wasn't deterred.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34Luckily, it paid off.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I came across a vehicle that matched the vehicle
0:26:36 > 0:26:38that I had in my CCTV still.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42I did a reg check on it and I was able to locate the owner's address.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50When we called to the suspect's house, on opening the door,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52you could tell she was shocked that we were there.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54We began asking her questions
0:26:54 > 0:26:56in relation to the theft of the handbag.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59She was nervous.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03But she immediately produced the handbag from down behind the seat.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05She did admit to the theft.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07She stated she had no reason for why she took it,
0:27:07 > 0:27:08it was a spontaneous...
0:27:08 > 0:27:11..spontaneous thing, that she had never done it before.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Brian had the happy task of reuniting Breeda with her bag
0:27:16 > 0:27:18and its valuable contents.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20The bag was returned.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22And all my items were in it.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26So I was delighted.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28I cried.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30And the overwhelming support she had received from people
0:27:30 > 0:27:32trying to track her bag down
0:27:32 > 0:27:35restored Breeda's faith in human nature.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Oh, it was terrific.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39The community. They were just outstanding, like,
0:27:39 > 0:27:44I had telephone calls, cards, congratulating me on my bag back.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46I was a bit popular all right.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52I think Breeda became a bit of a celebrity in the post office
0:27:52 > 0:27:57and in the hairdressers and all her local neighbours and everything.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58People were so thrilled.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00It really proved that, you know,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03when a community comes together like that, good things can happen.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05And, you know, it was lovely to be part of.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08It was a great ending to a story,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11which I thought wouldn't happen, like, I thought it was gone.