Thief caught in police 'rat trap'

Detectives in Telford today warned criminals who break into cars around the borough they could be the next to fall into the "rat-trap".

Ian Poulton became the first to be snared by the car, which is fitted with two cameras, when he threw a brick through the window and snatched a fake sat-nav system left on the dashboard.

He was arrested after police examined the CCTV evidence and appeared in court today.

Detective Constable Dean King, of Telford CID, said police would be deploying the car across the borough wherever they saw a rise in vehicle crime.

Dummy mobile phones, laptops and personal equipment would be used in the vehicle to tempt criminals.

And Detective Constable Matt Gibbons said the case should act as a warning to other criminals that they could be next.

He said members of the public needed to realise that criminals would steal anything left on display.

"There was a rise in vehicle crime in the Wellington area so we decided to deploy the car, which is a plain car like anyone could own but it has cameras inside," Mr Gibbons added.

Climbing

"We knew the alleyway was used by criminals. Poulton saw the opportunity and took it.

"We were able to identify Poulton from the video footage even with his hood up and when he saw it he could not deny it.

"Poulton was so desperate to get the equipment he broke the window but dropped it under the seat, and can then be seen climbing fully into the vehicle through the smashed window.

"This demonstrates the extent criminals will go to to get anything which will make them money — Poulton even took the coats off the back seat.

"We urge people to take anything valuable with them whenever they leave their vehicle and not to leave any signs of what may be inside," he added.

It is only the second time the specialist car has been deployed by Telford police.

Detectives were waiting for the alarm to be activated telling them that the vehicle had been targeted after parking it up on March 30.

They discovered that the window had been smashed and the property gone after Poulton broke into it at 9.43pm.

By Crime Correspondent Kirsty Smallman