A parish councillor in Lancashire helped police catch a man responsible for stealing approximately £7,000 worth of historic stonework by secretly placing an Apple AirTag inside one of the stones.
Matt Smith, 43, came up with the tracking plan after around 30 coping stones began disappearing from an ancient wall between the villages of Holmeswood and Rufford.
The thefts left residents concerned, but police initially informed the community that there were no CCTV leads or forensic opportunities to help identify the person responsible.
Unwilling to let the thefts continue, Smith decided to use technology to track the missing stonework.
Councillor Conceals Tracker Inside Loose Stone
After considering several possible measures, including installing CCTV and putting up warning signs, Smith approached landowner Green Belt for permission to place an Apple AirTag inside one of the loose stones.
The father-of-two hoped the stone would eventually be taken, allowing the tracking device to reveal where it had been moved.
His plan eventually produced a breakthrough in October last year when he received alerts on his phone indicating that the tracker had moved overnight.
Lancashire Police’s South Rural Task Force followed the AirTag signal to a property in Wigan belonging to 41-year-old Craig Barker.
Officers subsequently recovered a substantial quantity of stolen coping stones from the property.
Police Recover Stolen Historic Stonework
Investigators also reportedly discovered other stonework believed to have been stolen from locations across the country.
Smith estimated that some of the additional recovered material could be worth as much as £40,000.
The missing coping stones, valued at up to £7,000, were eventually returned and reinstalled along the wall with assistance from contractors and local farmers.
The wall is believed to date back to approximately 1730 and originally formed part of the estate surrounding Rufford New Hall, a Grade II-listed property.
Residents first noticed the stones disappearing in May last year, with further thefts reported in June and October.
Craig Barker Receives Suspended Prison Sentence
Barker was sentenced last month at Wigan Magistrates’ Court after admitting offences of theft and handling stolen goods.
He received a 12-month suspended prison sentence.
Smith said he was angered by the thefts, accusing the offender of taking advantage of the community for personal gain.
He said: “The audacity of him to steal from the community for his own personal gain. That’s not what we stand for.”
Although he believed imprisonment would have been appropriate given the damage caused to residents, Smith said recovering the historic stones and returning them to their original location had been his primary objective.
Councillor Welcomes Return of Missing Stones
Reflecting on the recovery, Smith said he was pleased that the community’s efforts had helped identify the person responsible and bring the stolen property back.
He said: “It was a great feeling to know we had found the man responsible for causing the community so much pain.”
Smith added: “I’m glad we stood up and didn’t just tolerate it.”
