0:00:02 > 0:00:05We're on the case of a crime that affects 1.5 million of us every year. Burglary.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Coming up:
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Absolute rage. Fuming.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Totally fuming. It's not fair. She's five years old, you know.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17She doesn't need to have people rummaging through her stuff, does she?
0:00:17 > 0:00:21We're with the police as they hunt down the criminals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Six police forces across the country.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28It resulted in the dismantling of a very, very organised crime group.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31And we'll show you how much it means
0:00:31 > 0:00:35when stolen goods are reunited with their rightful owners.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40I had the biggest smile on my face that day, knowing that, you know,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42these people weren't going to beat me, you know,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and I will be back out there, no matter what.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56First today, the story of how police foiled one of Britain's
0:00:56 > 0:00:59biggest and most organised criminal gangs
0:00:59 > 0:01:02who for 18 months had been targeting luxury family cars
0:01:02 > 0:01:05and stealing them to order.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Barbara Bramhill and her husband Paul were victims of the gang.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13They had exactly the type of car the criminals wanted
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and police believe Paul had been spotted in their car
0:01:16 > 0:01:19by the thieves, targeted and followed home.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22I was disturbed around 4:45am when I heard a car driving off
0:01:22 > 0:01:26and it was very close and I thought, "That's a bit strange."
0:01:26 > 0:01:29But I didn't get up to look out of the window.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32And I went back to sleep but I couldn't sleep very well
0:01:32 > 0:01:35so I was up at 5:45am.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Came downstairs and came through this door
0:01:37 > 0:01:41and I found it was really cold in the living room
0:01:41 > 0:01:43and then I got to the dining room door
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and I realised it was wide open
0:01:45 > 0:01:49and we always have this door closed so I came into the kitchen
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and I found all the drawers were open, all the cupboard doors
0:01:52 > 0:01:57were wide open and the one I was most upset about was the fact
0:01:57 > 0:01:59that this one was wide open
0:01:59 > 0:02:02cos that's where I did keep my car keys.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05And that's when I looked outside
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and found that my car had also gone missing.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12So I was really upset about that.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13The gang had struck.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Barbara was the latest in a long line of victims.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Felt absolutely devastated. I felt sick and I was shaking.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28I just got on to the police.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36They calmed me down, which... Cos I was really uptight
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and I don't know, it was a horrible experience.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41A really horrible feeling.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44And I hope I never feel like that again
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and the house just has never felt the same since then.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52These were no opportunist thieves but part of a hardened,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55nationwide ring of criminals stealing cars to order.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And this is the man charged with hunting them down.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04DS Gavin Orsborne from Humberside Police had been investigating
0:03:04 > 0:03:07a spate of car thefts since 2009.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11He was coming to the end of a distinguished 30-year career
0:03:11 > 0:03:16and was determined to crack this last big case.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20He was the one who had to break the news to Barbara and her husband
0:03:20 > 0:03:24that they were just the latest in a long line of victims.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26I said, "Do you have any links with West Yorkshire?"
0:03:26 > 0:03:30He went, "Yeah. I do some delivering over there or some work over there."
0:03:30 > 0:03:33I said, "I think you may have been followed."
0:03:33 > 0:03:37These criminals would stop at nothing to get the keys.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Her house had been entered while her and her husband were asleep upstairs.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46That did quite clearly have a massive impact on her.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Somehow they had managed to open the door
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and to this day I don't know how they actually did it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Since then, with me not being able to sleep very well at all,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58I'm usually awake at four o'clock
0:03:58 > 0:04:01and any little sound will disturb me.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Even with my husband, if he's away on a night-time,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07I'm constantly prowling the house and double-checking all the doors.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Thank goodness they didn't come upstairs
0:04:11 > 0:04:14because we'd have both been petrified.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I dread to think what would have happened.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Later, a dramatic series of raids across the whole country
0:04:21 > 0:04:24brings incredible results.
0:04:26 > 0:04:2987% of people who've been burgled
0:04:29 > 0:04:33say they've been emotionally affected by what happened.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35It's common to feel angry and shocked
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and to be left feeling vulnerable in your own home.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Humberside Police Civilian Investigating Officer Stephen Powell
0:04:55 > 0:04:58has been called out to many burglaries
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and sees the trauma caused first hand.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Stephen's been with the police for three years,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06after 23 years in the motor trade.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09He joined up because he loves the challenge of tracking down
0:05:09 > 0:05:12thieves and helping the victims of crime.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14We've got a burglary that has just been reported to us.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Looking at the log, they've left for work this morning
0:05:17 > 0:05:21at around 8:30am and the house has been secure.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24And they have just arrived home literally half an hour ago
0:05:24 > 0:05:27and the rear window to the property has been broken into and obviously,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31they've gone in there and there has been an untidy search,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34that means objects and items have been moved around in the house
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and no great care taken, basically.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42The burglars have taken some jewellery, electrical gadgets
0:05:42 > 0:05:47and a children's computer bought for the couple's five-year-old daughter.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Absolute rage. Fuming. Totally fuming. I hate the thought that...
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Just makes you feel sick that someone has been in...
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- I feel sick someone's been in my girl's bedroom.- It's horrible.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Anywhere else in the house but not the girl's bedroom. No.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03- Through her stuff. It's just sick. - It's not fair. She's five years old, you know.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07She doesn't need to have people rummaging through her stuff, does she?
0:06:07 > 0:06:12Homeowner Andrew gives Stephen an update on exactly what's missing.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14His wife has been badly shaken up by the burglary
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and is still too upset to be on camera.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23A Dell laptop, a Nintendo DSi, is it?
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Some of my wife's jewellery, diamond necklace.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35The burglars have broken through a double glazed window at the back of the house. But...
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I don't know how they've done it.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- I'm sure there wasn't a key in the handle.- Was it locked?
0:06:39 > 0:06:41- There's the key, in that handle.- Great.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44- But do you normally lock them when they are down?- Yeah. Yeah.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- It has been locked.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Whichever way they managed to get in,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53the culprits have been careless.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- There are some footprint marks there. - A footprint here.- Right. OK.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58That's good.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02The muddy footprint is a promising start to the investigation.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06But Stephen wants to see if the burglars tried any other way to get into the house.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12I'm just looking to see if anybody's been jamming on the windows or anything like that.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Looking at the back garden, it looks quite secluded.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18There's not many properties overlooking it
0:07:18 > 0:07:21so it looks to me like they've had a bit of free time
0:07:21 > 0:07:24to play around there and get through that window.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28As you say, a lot of people at work, especially nice areas like this.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31People at work all day don't hear a window being smashed.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36Contrary to popular belief, many burglaries happen in the daytime
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and 57% happen whilst people are at home.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44This is what I'm thinking.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46The little gate at the side of my shed,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50behind that there is no fence to separate next-door's garden and my garden
0:07:50 > 0:07:55so I don't know if they have got in through that way or, or what.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- But then they've got to get in your neighbour's garden, obviously.- Yeah.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01- So does he have a gate on that side? - Yeah, he has got a gate.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- Has he?- And behind their garage.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08So I don't know if they have come in that way or what, I don't know.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12The burglars definitely came in through the smashed window at the back of the house
0:08:12 > 0:08:17but Stephen thinks they must've come through a neighbour's garden first.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Been in the woodshed as well, I think.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Because they've used one of my hammers, one of my spades...
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- Woodshed? Which one's that? - Right at the bottom, sorry.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Because you've gone out to get wood for the log burner tonight
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and realised the bolt was off. Was like, "I forgot to put it on."
0:08:34 > 0:08:36- Has that been forced, then?- No.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40What it is, is we don't always lock the woodshed cos there's nothing of value in there.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43You know, we're out there constantly for the log burner and things.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47We put the latch on it. We put it on but you know, it isn't clicked.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50And it was on the floor when I got there and I thought that was
0:08:50 > 0:08:53a bit weird cos I didn't hear it drop last night.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56It's looking like the thieves used a spade from Andrew's shed
0:08:56 > 0:08:59to break the back window.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Stephen tries both next-door neighbours
0:09:01 > 0:09:03to see if they spotted anything but they're not in.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Then he notices something across the street.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11What we've discovered through a quick walk up and down the street, really,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13was that property over there's got CCTV
0:09:13 > 0:09:15that's actually pointing away from their property
0:09:15 > 0:09:17and onto that side of the path.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20There is nobody in at the moment but I've got a name
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and I know the number and the street so I'll do some research
0:09:23 > 0:09:26when I get back to the station and hopefully get a phone number
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and give them a call to see if I can see the CCTV.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Stephen heads back inside and discovers something else
0:09:32 > 0:09:34of interest in the master bedroom.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37As you can see, we've got, obviously,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41handprints or a smudge of some sort which the victims said to us
0:09:41 > 0:09:45wasn't there when they left the property this morning
0:09:45 > 0:09:50so that's potentially an excellent opportunity for identification.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54It's part of Stephen's job to look for potential forensic evidence
0:09:54 > 0:09:58which the Scenes of Crime officer can then examine in more detail.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01I see some handprints on there.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05See there, look? If I was going to come in here,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I'd be like that.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09And you'd be holding this and touching that
0:10:09 > 0:10:11and leaning forward to see what's what.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I can see a handprint there so again,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17I will point out to the SOC officer when he comes round.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22The Scenes of Crime officer, Stephen Meredith, has been working
0:10:22 > 0:10:24with Humberside Police for 20 years.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Burgled houses are a grimly familiar sight to him.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31He needs to be very thorough and starts by looking
0:10:31 > 0:10:33at the palm and footprints upstairs.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37It is quite a streak, isn't it?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Clearly, what looks like fingers at this end.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Damp at the time it was done and probably done by...
0:10:45 > 0:10:48There are small streaks in it that are more consistent
0:10:48 > 0:10:52- with glove marks than fingerprints. - Glove marks. Right.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Yeah. Yeah. So I think they have been wearing gloves throughout.
0:10:57 > 0:11:03Unfortunately, Stephen discovers that the prints on the bedroom window are also glove marks.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05It's disappointing news.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09But there is a glimmer of hope, the footprint left on the floor.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11That certainly is good enough.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I'm surprised, if that's the way they've gone out,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17that there is so much detail left in them.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19That's fine. I'm happy with that.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23The print will go onto the force's database.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26It might give Stephen the breakthrough he needs.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32It's been a disturbing experience for Andrew and his wife
0:11:32 > 0:11:34but they are grateful to the police.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The police lady was here within an hour, which is good, I think.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Yeah.- I don't think you can argue about that.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43You've been in here within two or three hours.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46She was here before that, I had only just walked through the door
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- and I only work up the road. 15, 20 minutes.- You can't argue with that.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Burglaries, that's something that really impacts on people's lives
0:11:52 > 0:11:55so to us it's a priority and we like to get here, obviously,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59especially with uniform, within the first hour, two hours at the most.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04And whilst the forensic evidence is being gathered,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Stephen's been busy trying to find the neighbours with the CCTV camera.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11The system is working.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Her husband, who is unfortunately away at the moment,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18he can use the system and hopefully he's going to download that material
0:12:18 > 0:12:21so we can possibly use it as evidence.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27It's potentially promising news and Stephen can leave the couple,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31knowing that he's done all he can to catch the culprits.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34The neighbours are all aware of what has gone on.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37If nothing else, it makes them more vigilant as to what goes on during
0:12:37 > 0:12:41the day because this obviously happened during daylight hours.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45We've got a description of the property that was stolen.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48That's very good because we are always doing searches
0:12:48 > 0:12:51on people's houses that have been arrested for these similar offences
0:12:51 > 0:12:54so we may recover the property and if we do,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57hopefully the people that we've seen today may recognise that
0:12:57 > 0:13:00if it matches anything like they've had stolen.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03We've also got other lines of enquiry.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07We are gathering the scene of crime evidence that we've retrieved today.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09We have some promising footprints.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12There's a lot of intelligence that can go along with that.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16But at the moment... It never usually happens same-day,
0:13:16 > 0:13:22these things take time sometimes and slowly, slowly, catchy monkey is the general term that we use.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Now, back to the car stealing gang.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Their method of operation was beginning to attract attention
0:13:31 > 0:13:35as police forces up and down the country pooled their intelligence,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38and soon a pattern emerged, showing exactly how the thieves worked.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42They'd spot a luxury car, follow the owner home,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45break into their house for the keys and take the vehicle.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47They'd then produce fake documents
0:13:47 > 0:13:51and false number plates to sell the car on at cut-down prices.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55One of the key breakthroughs that we got
0:13:55 > 0:13:58early on in the investigation was some CCTV footage
0:13:58 > 0:14:02from a bank in Wales where we identified a purchaser
0:14:02 > 0:14:07of a vehicle withdrawing £17,000 from his bank account.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11He went on to buy a vehicle that had been stolen
0:14:11 > 0:14:15in one of our offences from the East Riding.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17But not only did we capture him on the CCTV,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21we also captured the person who he handed the money to.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24With this breakthrough, Gavin and his colleagues soon realised
0:14:24 > 0:14:28that there were over 30 members in the gang and they were responsible
0:14:28 > 0:14:32for over £6 million worth of vehicles going missing.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37It was a highly profitable and highly organized criminal ring.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Humberside Police joined five other forces
0:14:40 > 0:14:43in setting up Operation Yankee to make sure they would catch
0:14:43 > 0:14:46all the members of the gang...and it paid off.
0:14:53 > 0:14:59Six police forces across the country in the early hours of an April morning.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00Open the door!
0:15:00 > 0:15:05It resulted in the dismantling of a very, very organised crime group
0:15:05 > 0:15:09and the arrest of 26 offenders, identified,
0:15:09 > 0:15:15and not only took out those at the lower level of the pay scale
0:15:15 > 0:15:21but it also took out those that we believe were the main instigators of this organised crime.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26It was a major success. 26 gang members were convicted.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28What was significant was the recognition
0:15:28 > 0:15:32of the severity of this offending by the courts,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37when the total years in prison for this group amounted to 84 years.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41I just think they're the dregs of the Earth to actually do that.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45I mean, it's fine. You think, "Yes, you can claim on your insurance."
0:15:45 > 0:15:49It's not the fact you can claim on your insurance, it's the fact
0:15:49 > 0:15:51that they've been in and...
0:15:54 > 0:15:56It's quite decimating, is the experience.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58It really is.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02In some ways, Barbara was one of the lucky victims.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04After the raids she had her car returned,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08but it wasn't going to be a happy ending.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I got in it thinking, "It's an old friend. It has come back."
0:16:11 > 0:16:14But it didn't feel like an old friend any more.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19It just felt like someone else's car and though it was nice and clean, it felt dirty.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23And it just wasn't my car.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26It looked like my car but it didn't feel like my car.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28The driver's seat felt different.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Though there was nothing wrong with it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34I didn't want to keep it any longer, so as soon as we were able to do so
0:16:34 > 0:16:39we started looking round to find a replacement car.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44For her peace of mind, Barbara made a quick sale
0:16:44 > 0:16:47and sold their £20,000 car for £12,000.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53I don't think they have any thought for the person at all.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58All they're thinking about is themselves and what they can get out of it.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01So they just want the money from the proceeds
0:17:01 > 0:17:05and as long as they are happy, that's it.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07The police were absolutely marvellous.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I cannot complain about them at all.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13They kept me informed of what was going on at every given point.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Gavin, the detective who was looking after my case,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19he kept me informed as much as possible
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and he's really been involved in organising
0:17:22 > 0:17:25all the police forces to come together on one database
0:17:25 > 0:17:28so if a car is stolen in one county, at least then
0:17:28 > 0:17:32the other counties are aware of it and they can follow through.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36I get a lot of satisfaction from putting people away in prison
0:17:36 > 0:17:41and this operation just highlights why I do this job.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50And now to Basildon, Essex, where a vehicle of a completely different kind has been stolen.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Mum-of-three Sarah Gleeson was delighted to have saved enough money
0:18:06 > 0:18:08to start her own mobile catering business.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12She'd worked as a chef for many years but with three children at home,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15the unsociable hours just didn't fit in with family life.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18She wanted to find a way of combining her love of cooking
0:18:18 > 0:18:20with being around more for the children
0:18:20 > 0:18:22so she took the plunge to go self-employed.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29My passion for cooking, and just fed up with being employed, really.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32You know, same old hours, weekends, nights, all that sort of stuff.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Really big step. Thought about it for a little while and thought, "Do I take the plunge?"
0:18:36 > 0:18:39And then I just took the plunge and went.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44It was my partner that talked me into going self-employed
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and doing what I do best, which is cooking.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53He financially supported it in the beginning. He put up the deposit.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57It was £1,650 just for the trailer.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Then it cost me a further £500 for the stock
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and, you know, chopping boards and just bits and pieces, really, that I needed.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09Sarah put down a deposit and signed up for a three-year payment plan
0:19:09 > 0:19:14to pay off the remaining £28,000 she owed for the trailer.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16I don't look back now because I do get weekends,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19it's just Monday to Friday and I finish at three o'clock
0:19:19 > 0:19:22in the afternoon and I'm there for the children.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25With her new van, Sarah began to build up a business
0:19:25 > 0:19:28selling food at a nearby industrial estate.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Getting the new van was, you know,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36it's the first thing that I've ever done and it was a massive
0:19:36 > 0:19:39moment in my life, to have a brand-new trailer and it was mine.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43The business went really well for eight months.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46It gave Sarah the opportunity to get her work/life balance right
0:19:46 > 0:19:48and she loved being her own boss.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51- Hi, there.- You all right, there?
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Can I have a sausage and egg sandwich, please?
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- Any sauce in that? - Yes, please. Tomato, please.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02The new van was perfect and Sarah kitted it out in her own style.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07Security was important as she knew her livelihood depended on the van,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10so she found a safe place to leave it overnight in a local car park
0:20:10 > 0:20:14and also had a state-of-the-art tracker fitted.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18But then one July evening, disaster struck.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21The trailer was stolen.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Just a normal day.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Me and my friend's husband put the trailer away.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Clamped it all up, put the hitch lock on and just left
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and that was around 6:30pm that night.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I got a phone call at six o'clock in the morning asking me
0:20:37 > 0:20:39where the trailer was and I said,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43"It's in the car park where I left it last night," and he said, "No, it isn't."
0:20:46 > 0:20:48So I got in my friend's car,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50come down where the trailer should have been.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Found it wasn't there. I was just, my stomach just...
0:20:53 > 0:20:55I felt sick.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57With her only income gone,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Sarah began to panic about the van loan.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The first thing that went through my head was,
0:21:04 > 0:21:09"If I don't get my trailer back, I'm £50,000 in debt with no business."
0:21:09 > 0:21:13My heart just fell out of my body.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Knowing somebody had stolen my business.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20I don't think words can describe that.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25You know, I was... I wasn't angry at the time,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27I just felt physically sick.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Sarah rang the police and the loan company.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35It was hard, but she had to find a way to carry on with work.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41I had a funeral buffet to do that day so I had to go home.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45There was nothing I could do. I had to go home and do the buffet.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48As Sarah got on with her order,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52her van company contacted the firm who had fitted the tracking device.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55They activated it straightaway.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59It works in a similar way to a mobile phone, so the unit
0:21:59 > 0:22:02will wake up once every five hours, it will check for messages
0:22:02 > 0:22:06and report in a position of where it is and tell us its battery is OK.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11If there is a theft, we send the unit a message
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and then we will be able to turn the radio beacon on
0:22:14 > 0:22:16and go and find it.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20So it's designed to be hidden away inside a vehicle.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Even when the thieves scan the vehicle,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25which they quite often do after they've stolen it,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29to check if a tracking device is fitted, they won't pick anything up.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32At that point, although I knew the tracker was there,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35all that was running through my mind was,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38"We are going to find a little black box and no trailer."
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Because if the thieves had found the tracker,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46they could have just chucked it anywhere.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50But the tracking company had a lot more faith
0:22:50 > 0:22:53that if they acted quickly the van itself would be found
0:22:53 > 0:22:55with their hidden device still inside.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59We will request the unit to alarm and then we will contact you
0:22:59 > 0:23:02very shortly to run through what we are going to do next.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06We have a network of finders across the UK and Ireland
0:23:06 > 0:23:11and when we have a theft reported, we'll look on the map for a location
0:23:11 > 0:23:15of where the vehicle currently is, we'll activate the closest finder.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17It's their job, basically,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20to pick up the radio beacon that the unit is giving off,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23find an exact location and then we involve the police
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and the customer to organise the recovery of the vehicles.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30The time that the tracker was activated
0:23:30 > 0:23:32was probably about seven o'clock,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and then about eight, half past eight,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37I got a phone call to say that the...
0:23:37 > 0:23:40obviously, they'd found the tracker.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42The device had worked.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45It was now somewhere on an industrial estate
0:23:45 > 0:23:47eight miles away in Canvey Island.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Done the buffet, got that delivered and then,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53obviously, me and my other half went to Canvey.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56As you can imagine, I was really anxious.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00We was driving in and out all sorts of places
0:24:00 > 0:24:02but couldn't see it anywhere.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04After four hours of searching,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08the tracking company's finder had a breakthrough.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11We found it. It was in an outside... It was a sort of an extension.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I just knew it was my trailer.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I was just jumping up and down for joy, really. It was there.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22The trailer had been hidden by the thieves in a car park.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25It's often what the culprits do for a few days after the theft
0:24:25 > 0:24:29if they suspect a tracker device might be fitted.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Sarah rang the police to come and recover it.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35As you can imagine, I was really anxious, you know,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38and angry, I think, at the time, as well.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43We all went through and the police asked if they could go have a look out the back, gain entry,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46which they did, and lo and behold, my trailer was there.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Awful, awful state.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It didn't feel like my trailer.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Obviously, it was really dirty outside as well.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Inside was just a mess, just trashed.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Nicked a lot of stock.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I had about £60 taken out of the till.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07All my personal paperwork.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09I'd just got my hygiene rating, which was a five.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12They stole all them certificates,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16all my paperwork that I needed for the van.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18They stole a big salt and pepper mill
0:25:18 > 0:25:20that I'd bought for the van -
0:25:20 > 0:25:24being as it was a new trailer, I just wanted new stuff -
0:25:24 > 0:25:27and just trashed it, really.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31That was more upsetting to me, cos when I went back into my trailer,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33it didn't feel like mine.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Once the forensic had done what they needed to do with my trailer,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39we could hook it up and take it home.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44But, whatever the damage, at least Sarah had her precious van back.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46The tracker had done its job.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48I thought it was an extra bit of equipment
0:25:48 > 0:25:50that cost you a lot of money.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I didn't have any idea
0:25:52 > 0:25:54of what it actually done
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and how rewarding it is.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00If that wasn't there, I'd have never got my trailer back.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02And without her trailer van, Sarah's
0:26:02 > 0:26:05life would have been very tough.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I would be back working nights
0:26:07 > 0:26:09and working weekends.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Wouldn't see my children.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13It would have messed my life up.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14My partner said, "Come on,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16"you got to go out tomorrow,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20"show them that it hasn't hurt you."
0:26:20 > 0:26:23And that's exactly what she did.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25The next morning she was back in her spot,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28serving food to all her loyal customers.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I had the biggest smile on my face that day,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35knowing that these people weren't going to beat me
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and I will be back out there, no matter what.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46There's just time for an update on today's stories.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53In Bridlington, a neighbour's CCTV camera proved useful.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55The police are hopeful that this evidence,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58along with the footprint and any
0:26:58 > 0:27:02forensic matches, will lead them to the culprits if they offend again.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10And in Basildon, Sarah Gleeson is back on her pitch,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13happily serving customers from her van.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The police haven't yet found the thieves who took her trailer,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19but she's happy that her security measures are in place
0:27:19 > 0:27:24and the tracking device saved her business.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I'm not into £28,000-worth of debt and I have got my business.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29So, yeah, overwhelming
0:27:29 > 0:27:33that I'm still there, with my trailer.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37And in the case of the car-stealing gang, we now know that
0:27:37 > 0:27:43in their 18 months of operation, they made up to 867 false number plates.
0:27:43 > 0:27:4826 gang members received a total of 84 years in prison
0:27:48 > 0:27:52for stealing over £2 million worth of luxury cars.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55That's all from us today. We'll see you next time.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd