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Antiques lure travelling thieves

By ADVERTISER REPORTER.

Antiques theft is a lucrative business - gangs can travel the length and breadth of the UK on a weekly basis searching out targets and committing break-ins. 

Locations such as Bleak House Farm, Emneth Hungate, ideally suit the travelling thief because of their isolation.

They offer a better than even chance of getting clean away because of the difficulties inherent with rural policing.

The Fearon, Barras, Bark gang was just one of several working out of Newark affiliated to the town's travelling community.

The Advertiser interviewed the man who has responsibility for antiques theft clear-ups in Nottinghamshire, Detective Constable Austin O'Driscoll (pictured left).

Detective Constable O'Driscoll declined to comment on the murder trial but provided the newspaper with the background as to how such gangs work.

Newark's association with the travelling criminal is clearly defined and directly linked to elements of its travelling community.

He said: "There are historical links between itinerants and antiques.

"A lot are brought up on antiques and really know their subject.

"This is mainly true of Ireland but also of Newark, which has a large itinerant community."

The life of the modern professional travelling criminal - working on a 100% profit margin - can be low risk.

Within an hour he can be in another county and another policing area, meaning that even if he is stopped the onus is on the police to prove the property is stolen.

Intelligence on their movements, their members, possible target areas, vehicles, DNA evidence from a national database and known modus operandi is shared between police forces in a bid to combat the travelling criminal.

Detective Constable O'Driscoll's primary responsibility is for the policing of Newark's International Antiques and Collectors' Fair.

The fair was once a mecca for thieves, but since taking it over several years ago owners DMG have taken steps to combat this.

Their efforts have been so successful that criminals have begun taking their goods to nearby Swinderby Antiques Fair, in Lincolnshire, thinking they had outwitted the Nottinghamshire officers, but now the same officers police that fair, too.

Detective Constable O'Driscoll believes he and Nottinghamshire Police are now one step ahead of the antiques thief in the Newark area.

He said there had even been cases in the past where dealers and customers had been followed to their hotels or homes and items such as jewellery taken.

Once antiques are stolen they are passed to a handler or fence.

Someone either down on their luck or a professional in their trade who is in no rush to make his mark-up.

A safer method of disposal is in the auction houses of Belgium, France or Holland - all easily accessible.

European law limits British police's powers to return goods even if they can trace them.

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