Company Director Catches Thieves Using Hi-Tech Phone

A COMPANY director used hi-tech equipment – that beamed CCTV pictures to his mobile phone – to catch burglars at commercial premises in Stretham. A police helicopter was scrambled as the director was able to give a running commentary of what he saw, and

A COMPANY director used high tech equipment - that beamed CCTV pictures to his mobile phone - to catch burglars at commercial premises in Stretham.

A police helicopter was scrambled as the director was able to give a running commentary of what he saw, and the burglars dropped a balaclava and gloves as they made their getaway.

At Ely courthouse on Thursday, three men were sentenced for the attempted burglary at Trulink Ltd, at Willow Farm, Wilburton Road.

Walter Smith, 25, of Cambridge Road, St Neots; and Tom Smith, 29, of Common Road, Potton, were both given a 16-week suspended jail sentence; and Albert Smith, 31, of Common Road, Potton, was given a 12-month community order. All three men were ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay �25 costs.

Prosecuting, Sally Rose said CCTV at the rear of Trulink premises was rigged up to a motion sensor, which was attached to the director's mobile phone.

"He could watch the CCTV remotely in real time," she explained to the court. "He saw three men in dark clothing, one was wearing a balaclava and two others were trying to cover their faces."

A two-foot hole was smashed in a wall before the men left the premises, and they were tracked down by the police helicopter.

The solicitor representing the three men said they were on the look-out for hay, for their horses.

"They found an iron bar in the yard, and one defendant accepts he tried to knock a hole in the wall," he added.