Sat-nav trackers to snare thieves

28th August 2006

Police are fitting tracking devices to portable sat-nav systems to catch smash-and-grab thieves. A rise in the number of kits being stolen has prompted officers to set traps in unmarked cars.

Staffordshire is the first force to take part in the covert operation, after motorists reported a record high of 600 sat-nav thefts from vehicles so far this year. In 2004, there were only 18 such incidents in the county.