0:00:02 > 0:00:05Burglaries are on the increase.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09It's a real trauma for all of us.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Usually, only certain people move around in their vehicles at night.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16That's taxi drivers, emergency service and, er, villains.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21Thieves aren't just targeting the expensive gadgets in our homes,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24they're taking our cherished heirlooms too.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Your home is your sanctuary. And nobody should be in your home.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Items impossible to replace.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Why go into someone's house and take away the things
0:00:32 > 0:00:36that are most important, their security and their safety?
0:00:36 > 0:00:38It's hard to take...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40I don't think they've got any scruples.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44..but these prized possessions are often recovered.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Get in there!
0:00:47 > 0:00:49The police are on our side.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Come out of the door or we're going to put it through!
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Police with a warrant, open the door!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Specialist anti-burglary units across the UK...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Come out now and make yourself known!
0:00:59 > 0:01:01..working with the latest technology...
0:01:01 > 0:01:05If your prints are at a crime scene, we are going to talk to you about it, and ask why.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07..and the good citizens among us...
0:01:07 > 0:01:11I did say I'd stop and make sure the whole family was all right.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14..to track down the burglars
0:01:14 > 0:01:17and get us back our stolen goods.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19They took so much trouble.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Especially when he suddenly said, "Joyce! I've got the ring! Coming round with it."
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It was fantastic.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26It was really lucky.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- It's nice to get him back! - SHE LAUGHS
0:01:29 > 0:01:33This is Robbed, Raided, Reunited.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Thank you so much.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36I feel very good, yeah.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38So rewarding, such a happy day.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51On today's programme -
0:01:51 > 0:01:57the Somerset pensioner who became the latest person to have her exotic pets targeted.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00When they were stolen, I was absolutely gutted.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I couldn't believe it really.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05The audacious robbery of a priceless sculpture
0:02:05 > 0:02:09leaves the local community stunned.
0:02:09 > 0:02:10When I first heard of the theft,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13I literally had a sharp intake of breath.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Absolutely devastated, can't believe it happened.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Goodness knows how much money they got for a lovely piece of work.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23And we're with the police, as they crack down on crime wave
0:02:23 > 0:02:26causing serious problems right across the country.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Very often, they're stealing
0:02:28 > 0:02:31metal that may belong to municipal buildings,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34or metal which may belong to utility companies.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38It has a massive impact upon the public.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43Britain is a nation of animal lovers,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46but pet theft is on the increase
0:02:46 > 0:02:50and that includes exotic and endangered creatures.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55For over 30 years, Eileen Ford from Taunton,
0:02:55 > 0:03:00has kept one particular breed of endangered species, tortoises.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04I wanted a pet that was easy to care for.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07And I saw some tortoises in a pet shop, and they looked really fascinating.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11So, I bought one.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15And we had a lot of pleasure out of it the first summer,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18so the next year, we bought another one.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22Over the next few years, those two tortoises were joined by 10 others,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25who all became part of Eileen's extended family.
0:03:25 > 0:03:31Although not cuddly, you can pick them up and hold them.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34And stroke their heads.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37And they do respond to you.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39But that close-knit
0:03:39 > 0:03:43relationship was suddenly shattered when, in May 2011,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Eileen woke up to find, not one, not two,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51but all 12 of her beloved tortoises had been stolen.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59They took the tortoises from the runs, down to the greenhouse,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02put them into the cages,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05took the cages through the garden,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07right-hand side of the shed,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09through the back of the shed,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and over the fence.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15When they were stolen, I was absolutely gutted,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18as you can imagine.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20I couldn't believe it, really.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24This was not just the theft of some family pets.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Tortoises are worth many hundreds of pounds.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Last year in the UK,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33there were over 130 cases of stolen or missing tortoises.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Protected by law, the buying of a stolen tortoise can lead to a prison sentence.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42But this has not stopped the theft of exotic and endangered animals
0:04:42 > 0:04:45becoming one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50It's not the value of the animal that particularly perturbs us.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Anybody who steals any animal, it's the welfare of that creature,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57and that was one of the main reasons we needed to get them back.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Because, you lose your breeding programmes.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03And, obviously, whoever steals exotic animals in particular,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05they don't know what to feed them on.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09So it really is a welfare issue, it's not the monetary value.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12John Hayward, a former senior police officer,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15helped set up the National Theft Register for Exotic Animals
0:05:15 > 0:05:1816 years ago. It was his organisation
0:05:18 > 0:05:22that Eileen turned to for help in tracking down her precious pets.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25It's possible that the thief might be local
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and the animals therefore could still be in the Somerset area.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31So, as we normally do, we put out press appeals,
0:05:31 > 0:05:32and deal with the media
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and, hopefully, give as much information to the public
0:05:35 > 0:05:38to see if we can flush them out.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Eileen's friends also lent their support
0:05:41 > 0:05:43by putting appeals on to social network sites,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47and in the local press. There was an incredible response
0:05:47 > 0:05:51and, within days, information started coming forward
0:05:51 > 0:05:53about the tortoises. Even people
0:05:53 > 0:05:55that bought them, not knowing they were stolen,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58got in touch and started returning them.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03Within two weeks, I did get 10 back.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06But another two agonising weeks went by,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09before John finally called Eileen again.
0:06:09 > 0:06:15John contacted me again to say he had located the 11th one.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19So, all in all, I'd got 11 back within three weeks.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23The campaign to reunite Eileen with her pets have been
0:06:23 > 0:06:27enormously successful. But, sadly, she is missing the smallest
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and most vulnerable member of her tortoise family, Toby.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34He does not gain enough body fat
0:06:34 > 0:06:38to keep him healthy all over the winter.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Therefore, he cannot and must not be hibernated.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Eileen can only hope that Toby did go to a caring home,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48and is in good hands.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52And, to get 11 out of the 12 tortoises back
0:06:52 > 0:06:56is seen as a major success for John Hayward.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Eileen is so incredibly fortunate that we've had such a result.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04It's the most successful result of any animal investigation
0:07:04 > 0:07:06as far as tortoises are concerned.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I'm really, really happy to have my tortoises back.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Life wouldn't be the same without them.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17Coming up -
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Thieves aren't just stealing pets from domestic homes and gardens,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25they're becoming even more daring by breaking into zoos.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28There's no doubt they've been here previously,
0:07:28 > 0:07:29and they've sussed it,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and it was planned and it was premeditated.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35But first,
0:07:35 > 0:07:36covering over 71 acres,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Dulwich Park in south London is a source of huge pride
0:07:40 > 0:07:42to members of the local community.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Like Trevor Moore, of the Dulwich Park Friends Association.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51Dulwich Park was established in 1890, in the late Victorian period,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and was laid out with trees that included
0:07:53 > 0:07:55some left over from one of the Great Exhibitions at the time.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00When it was created, it was dedicated as a park for the people forever.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04And it's certainly lived up to that name.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Visitors to the park agree with that endorsement.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09We actually use the park quite a lot,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13particularly at weekends, coming out for exercise and strolling,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and just being able to use a green space really.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Apart from its natural features, the park also boasted
0:08:23 > 0:08:28an original work by the celebrated British sculptor Barbara Hepworth.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Acknowledged as one of the 20th century's most accomplished sculptors,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Barbara Hepworth's work is exhibited all over the world.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42So, when Southwark Council managed to acquire one of her works,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46entitled, Two Forms (Divided Circle), in 1970,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48it was a major coup.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50I think thousands of people know it,
0:08:50 > 0:08:55almost everybody who comes to the park must be familiar with it.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Some people obviously like it, some people don't like it.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I think most people actually are quite intrigued by it.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07It wasn't just adults who took the sculpture to their hearts.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It soon became a firm favourite among children.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13The children play with it quite a lot,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and that's a learning process, isn't it? Little kids, big kids.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19They all use it as a thing to look through and enjoy as well.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20It's for all ages.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24Barbara Hepworth herself
0:09:24 > 0:09:27was said to be very pleased with the setting here in Dulwich.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30And it really has become part of the park.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33But that special bond was shattered
0:09:33 > 0:09:36when, on the morning of 20 December 2011,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40council workmen discovered that the seven-foot high sculpture,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43weighing an estimated half a ton,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45had been stolen.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51This is the Rosary Gate, which is where I'm told that thieves entered.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54They would have cut one of these padlocked chains,
0:09:54 > 0:09:55opened up the gate...
0:09:58 > 0:10:01..and, presumably, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to work out
0:10:01 > 0:10:04that they drove the van along the path here...
0:10:05 > 0:10:07..over towards where the sculpture is based.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11And brought the van along the path to here.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Slightly onto the grass, because some tyre tracks were left.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20And would have used an angle grinder to cut the sculpture off.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Put it in the van,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and exit, following the route that they entered.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33With the police chasing all leads to find out
0:10:33 > 0:10:34who had committed the crime,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37even the media took up the story about the theft.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39But it was the local community,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43who knew and loved the sculpture, that felt the loss the hardest.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47I was absolutely outraged because, how could anyone do that?
0:10:47 > 0:10:49It's a public sculpture!
0:10:49 > 0:10:51We were absolutely shocked.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53We thought it was sacrilege to have taken this,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57as it's been in the park for nearly 50 years.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01And we've grown up just knowing it and liking it.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Such was the outcry about the theft
0:11:05 > 0:11:07that Peter John, from Southwark Council, stepped in
0:11:07 > 0:11:11to try and get the sculpture back.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14In terms of our response to this left, we offered a reward.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19We were really pleased that the Barbara Hepworth estate came forward
0:11:19 > 0:11:23and increased that reward to £5,000.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25The sculpture was insured by the council
0:11:25 > 0:11:27for over half a million pounds.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31But that might not have been the reason why it was stolen.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32The sculpture was made of bronze,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and that could have been its downfall.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39The scrap metal would have a value of £750.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43So it's entirely depressing that people, without a conscience,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46would have taken this away from the community
0:11:46 > 0:11:48for such a small amount of money.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50But then, I guess, is doesn't matter to them at all.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Worldwide metal prices are going through the roof,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59making metal theft more common than ever.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Last year, over 7,500 tons of metal were stolen from railways,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07monuments and even church roofs.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12But metallic art theft is still very new.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16We are used to metal thefts across all the properties that we own.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20People stealing bits of metal, and selling them on for scrap.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24What we're not used to seeing is really important pieces of artwork
0:12:24 > 0:12:27being sawn away from their base, and sold, as in this case.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32No-one has so far been caught
0:12:32 > 0:12:35for the theft of Barbara Hepworth's sculpture
0:12:35 > 0:12:37and local residents fear the worst.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Obviously, this was taken by criminals.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45And, the way that the scrap metal trade operates at the moment,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48makes it all too easy for people like that to operate.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50One can imagine that they must have got
0:12:50 > 0:12:52a relatively small amount of money for it,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55because it would have then been melted down and sold on.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03But, despite their anger, the local community turned to
0:13:03 > 0:13:07how best to fill the gap left by the sculpture's theft.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Like any sad story, we're hoping this is going to have a happy ending
0:13:12 > 0:13:15because I've been bombarded with suggestions from people.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18A sculptor in New York has offered to donate is sculpture.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22And even local schoolchildren have come up with ideas.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Well, my idea is to make a bigger version of this.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30I'm not sure it would be big as the actual one that was stolen.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32But I'm hoping it's nearly as big.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Everyone in the school would take a little tile,
0:13:36 > 0:13:37not as big as these,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41because we'd have to fit a lot in. Because this is made with cement,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43it wouldn't be stolen again,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45which is what, I think, would be really good.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I'm sure, whatever they replace it,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52will bring loads of enjoyment over the coming years.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55And let's hope that it doesn't happen again.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Metal theft,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08like that of the Hepworth sculpture,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12is now estimated to be worth over £750 million a year.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16But, police forces and other agencies throughout the UK
0:14:16 > 0:14:19aren't taking this lying down.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21It's early morning,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25and Detective Sergeant Richard Comins, of Lincolnshire Police
0:14:25 > 0:14:28is briefing his officers on a new initiative
0:14:28 > 0:14:29called Operation Brompton.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33An awful lot of criminals have cottoned on to the idea
0:14:33 > 0:14:36that they can steal metal, they can weigh it in at scrap yards
0:14:36 > 0:14:40with a minimum of checks under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42and that metal is extremely valuable.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44It's a rapidly growing problem right across the country,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and Lincolnshire is no different to anybody else.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Today, the police are focusing on the town of Horncastle,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54because there are three scrap metal yards in the area.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59The objective of this is not to target scrap metal dealers
0:14:59 > 0:15:02in Horncastle. The objective is to try and stop
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and catch people taking suspected stolen items to those yards.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10Operation Brompton started in May 2011.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14And today, police will patrol all roads leading into Horncastle.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18With 20 officers divided into teams, Detective Sergeant Richard Comins
0:15:18 > 0:15:21is determined that no one will slip through the net.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26As you can imagine, people involved in criminality
0:15:26 > 0:15:28are very wise, very quickly, to police tactics.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33And, as well as the three static checkpoints,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37we've also got some roving vehicles
0:15:37 > 0:15:40that are looking at the back roads, for example, you can see one here.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48They are obviously there to pick up any potential people
0:15:48 > 0:15:53that are using the back roads to come in, as opposed to the main roads.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55With three checkpoints in place,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58vans, estate cars and large 4x4s are pulled over
0:15:58 > 0:16:00to be checked out for any scrap metal.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- What's in the back?- BLEEP nothing. - Is it all right to have a look?- Yeah.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06- Do you want to look. Or do you want me to come out?- Come out.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Each vehicle is searched and checked with the Police National Computer.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12If clear, it's sent on its way.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It may appear a time-consuming process,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18but its importance is not lost on the officers.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Very often they are stealing
0:16:20 > 0:16:23metal that may belong to municipal buildings,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26or metal may belong to utility companies.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29There is a perception sometimes that this is a victimless crime.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31This is far from it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34This has a massive cumulative effect on the community.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36You may knock out internet access,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40you may knock out telephone communications for communities.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43So, it has a massive impact upon the public.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Stopping the vehicles en route
0:16:46 > 0:16:49is only one way to fight the metal thieves.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54As part of Operation Brompton, police are also checking
0:16:54 > 0:16:58that the scrap metal dealers themselves are doing all they can
0:16:58 > 0:17:00to identify stolen metal.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03A lot of stolen items come through scrap yards,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07sometimes unbeknown to them, they're not sure that they're stolen.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10We're doing routine checks on all scrap yards,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13this being one of them, just to check if anything's stolen,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and try to identify if they are,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19to see if we can recover them and identify the offenders.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Apart from metal stolen from municipal buildings,
0:17:22 > 0:17:27the largest theft is wire stolen from British Telecom, and railways.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31It's estimated nearly four million rail passengers were disrupted
0:17:31 > 0:17:34last year, due to wire theft. Because it's almost impossible
0:17:34 > 0:17:38to identify the ownership of metal, once it's been cut up,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40the police have a revolutionary new weapon
0:17:40 > 0:17:42in the battle against the thieves. It's a process
0:17:42 > 0:17:45where a manufacturer applies a specially treated liquid
0:17:45 > 0:17:49on to its products. The liquid holds a unique code number,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51which can be identified by an infrared reader.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55The code number can then be checked on the police database,
0:17:55 > 0:17:57against any stolen metal.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Conducting a search at this Horncastle scrap yard is
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Bjorn Campbell-Lyons.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Basically, all I'm looking at, at the moment,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08is the different varieties of cable.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10We look for the actual marking, physical markings,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12names on the cable itself.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Without any specific markings,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18it's very, very difficult to identify where it actually comes from.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21The next thing that we look for is the smart water traces
0:18:21 > 0:18:25that could have been put onto cable, on lead roofs.
0:18:25 > 0:18:31Cable belonging to Network Rail, BT Open Reach, that kind of thing.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36In this yard, there was no trace of any stolen metal.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39And, for scrap metal dealers like Andrew Riddel,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42identifying any suspicious metal is an ongoing problem.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43It is blooming hard work,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45because a piece of copper tube is a piece of copper tube.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48A copper tank's a tank. If an ornament comes in,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51say it's the eagle stolen out of a church,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54you would probably, well, you would, you'd quiz it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56But now, we've ironed it all out.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59We know who's legit and who's not, within reason.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02You just have to take their word for it,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04take their registration and name down.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06That's all we can do, really.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10But then, we're a victim as well to it.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Back at the checkpoints,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17officers from Operation Brompton are intensifying their search of vehicles.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Can I have a look around your vehicle, see what you're carrying?
0:19:20 > 0:19:24- Just some work tools.- Oh, right, OK.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Suddenly, a vehicle loaded with scrap metal is spotted by DS Comins.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31The a vehicle here, can you see the white flatbed?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36The white flatbed, gone that way, looked to be full of scrap metal.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Further down the road,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41a second police checkpoint stops the suspect vehicle.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46This is a typical load.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49As you can see, there is bits of everything.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51They've obviously got barbed wire here.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54All the bits of wire, an old bike.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Lead, potentially.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00- I take it you know why you've been stopped?- Oh yeah, we always get stopped.- Yeah, yeah.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04As you know, it is a major problem.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06We're basically running these things all the time.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08What will happen is we'll have a look at your load.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Somebody from the Environment Agency.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14You've got a waste carriage licence, all that sort of stuff?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17We'll have a look at that. If you just bear with us
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and we'll do those checks, OK?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22The checks come back that the man has a record
0:20:22 > 0:20:24of being involved in previous thefts.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29However, this time, both he and his load of scrap metal are clean.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40For police, stop and search is still a valuable tool.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Even if we don't do anything with these people,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46if they are legitimate, it's very interesting, from our perspective
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and from an intelligence point of view, as to who these people are,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53where they're coming from, where this load has come from,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56which scrap metal yard they're intending on going to.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59All of that is a wealth of intelligence
0:20:59 > 0:21:01that we can then use on a later day.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04But, suddenly, the police's initial
0:21:04 > 0:21:06reason to stop the truck appears justified
0:21:06 > 0:21:10when they find in metal cutter in the vehicle's cab.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12We've got one or two concerns about that, which is why
0:21:12 > 0:21:15the officers are questioning this chap now.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18As to where it's come from.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20It's marked up to a hire company in Newark.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22So, we're checking that out now.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26The other thing about a disc cutter,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28particularly with what we're looking at,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32is this is an ideal piece of kit to cut up cabling.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Not saying that they are, but that's something they could use.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41When questioned, the man denies that the cutter is his.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43You're saying you've collected it for a friend, have you?
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- For some friends, yeah.- So, when did you go and do that then?
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I've had it now for...
0:21:50 > 0:21:54this week, and I had a job last Friday.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Not convinced by the man's story,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00the police investigate further who the cutter belongs to.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Somebody's hired it out. Neither of these two.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06And it's not been returned.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10And it's over £1,500 worth of hire on it.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- Are we going to have him, then? - Yeah.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Somebody's rented it out, and not returned it.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18But the name that it's been rented out in,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21is not the name of the person we've got here.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24So it definitely doesn't belong to him.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Still unable to give a plausible explanation as to who owns the cutter,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30the man is arrested.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31We'll take him back to the police station,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35question him about it to see whether he's got it legitimately or not.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38With the man being taken into custody,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42it's been a good stop for the officers of Operation Brompton.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Earlier, we saw 73-year-old Eileen Ford
0:22:49 > 0:22:53reunited with 11 rare tortoises stolen from her garden.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58But, even more disturbing is the fact that
0:22:58 > 0:23:02burglars are now stealing rare species of animals from zoos.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09In November 2008,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13thieves broke into the Cotswold Wildlife Park, in Oxfordshire.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16They went straight for the squirrel monkey enclosure.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20John Hayward, of the National Theft Register for Exotic Animals,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22believes it was a targeted theft.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25The night that this squirrel monkey was stolen,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28obviously, the thieves had been here before and had sussed the place out.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Because they came in, they forced the door here that you see.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Again, smashed through the mesh...
0:23:38 > 0:23:41..over to the door leading into the squirrel monkey house...
0:23:44 > 0:23:48..and then removed, stole, the grandmother squirrel monkey.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55The reason for stealing it? Well, it could have been taken as a pet.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57But they're wild animals.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00It could have been stolen to turn into money to sell. Who knows.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Squirrel monkeys can command four-figure prices,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07but only if they are young.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11But, in their haste, these thieves took two older females of the troop.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17Zoo keeper Mark's concern was not only the effect on the two females taken,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19but also on the monkeys left behind.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21It was quite a big impact within the group.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Obviously, one of the older animals was stolen.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26And it was very important to get it back within the group,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28because it built up the family structure.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31The people who stole it had no idea what they were stealing,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34because they wouldn't want to steal an animal of that age.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37It was very important to get it back into the group to form the stabling factor.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Because one of the stolen monkeys was the mother of an infant,
0:24:41 > 0:24:45keepers had to try and rear it by hand.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50Despite massive newspaper and TV coverage, after a couple of days,
0:24:50 > 0:24:54all hope of recovering the stolen monkeys was fading fast.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57But, suddenly, the zoo received an anonymous phone call
0:24:57 > 0:25:00from someone who had bought the monkeys for £400,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and wanted a reward for their safe return.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05We were reluctant to pay the reward, we didn't want to get involved.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Two hours later, the caller rang with a tip-off,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12saying he'd abandon the monkeys near a disused factory site.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Me and curator went out to collect the animal
0:25:14 > 0:25:16from where the bloke said he'd left it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18It was in an empty recycling box.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21We found the animal curled up on the floor, distressed.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Obviously quite thirsty when we brought it back in.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26It might have been there a while. We have no idea how long.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29When we came back, we returned it to the enclosure into a warm pen, warmed it up.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32And then, the next day, we reintroduced it back into the group
0:25:32 > 0:25:34which, thankfully, went very successfully.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37It's always a risk reintroducing an animal, but it went really well.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42Although exotic animal thefts from zoos are extremely rare,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45thefts from collectors are on the increase.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46In the past year,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49animals such as parrots, ring-tailed lemurs
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and meerkats, have been stolen.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56The thieves that stole the two squirrel monkeys were never found.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58John Haywood believes the law needs to be tougher on thieves,
0:25:58 > 0:26:03as their crimes are not simple robberies, but kidnapping.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06It's like taking a baby from a family.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09For the thieves, whenever they're arrested and charged before the court,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13then we have an opportunity to explain to the magistrates
0:26:13 > 0:26:18or the judges what a cruel act it is to take somebody's animal from them.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23They should always go to prison, there should be custodial sentences.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26And people do go to prison, not because of the value of the animal,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28but because of the dreadful thing that they've done
0:26:28 > 0:26:30in respect of its welfare.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39No-one has been charged with stealing Eileen's tortoises,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43but the 11 she had returned are thriving.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Police decided there wasn't enough evidence
0:26:46 > 0:26:49to charge the man with the metal cutter, and he was released.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53But Operation Brompton has so far resulted in over 40 arrests.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Subtitles by Red Bee Media