Stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) provider Tracker has assisted the Metropolitan Police in recovering a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter worth £11,000.

The van, belonging to a butcher, was stolen from outside his home in Ilford, Essex, in the early hours of the morning, but was quickly recovered by police in East London.

Adrian Davenport, police liaison manager at Tracker, said: “Eighteen months ago, there was a spike in Mercedes-Benz Sprinter thefts in the Essex and London areas.

"These vans were being stolen to dismantle and ship overseas, usually to Eastern Europe, so our customer was lucky that he had learnt from past experience and had a tracking device fitted,” said Adrian Davenport, police liaison manager at Tracker.

“An SVR device may not stop a vehicle from being stolen but it does increase the chances of police recovering and returning the vehicle to its owner."