Councillor catches thief of 300-year-old Lancashire wall stones by hiding an AirTag after police said there were no leads

Parish councillor Matt Smith, 43, of Holmeswood, Lancashire, hid the tracker inside one of the loose coping stones after around 30 disappeared from a historic wall between Holmeswood and Rufford, with Lancashire Police admitting they had no CCTV coverage or forensic leads. The device led officers to the Wigan home of Craig Barker, 41, where a large quantity of stolen stonework was recovered. Smith said the thief's 'audacity to steal from the community for his own personal gain' was not what residents stood for.

The 1730 wall formed part of the estate surrounding Grade II-listed Rufford New Hall, with stones valued at £7,000 in total.

Three separate raids took place in May, June and October last year before Smith devised the AirTag plan.

Barker was handed a 12-month suspended sentence at Wigan Magistrates' Court after admitting theft and handling stolen goods.