A police chase through a graveyard and an arrest in bed have emerged in new video footage of how officers brought down a prolific gang.
The footage shows the dramatic moments officers captured members of a crime group that stole 33 Land Rover Defenders across six force areas.
The gang stole vehicles in areas including Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and beyond, in a scheme worth more than £600,000.
Jimmy Butler, one of the gang members, was arrested outside his caravan, where officers found clothing matching items seen on CCTV footage from the thefts.
A police officer was heard laughing during the search, saying: "Haha, we need to find the jacket.
"Man it's brilliant," he added, after finding Butler's distinctive army jacket, overalls, and shoes.
Co-conspirator David Hodgkins was handcuffed and arrested in bed on November 11.
He told officers: "Don't be stupid man," as they took him into custody.
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Meanwhile, Leonard Hodgkins was spotted by a police helicopter and pursued on foot through a Hereford graveyard before being detained.
The investigation, led by West Mercia Police under the codename Operation Liondale, concluded at Hereford Crown Court on September 18, where the four men were sentenced to a total of 15 years and nine months in prison.
Leonard Hodgkins, 50, of Malvern, was jailed for four years and nine months, while Butler, 41, of Hindlip, received three years and eight months.
Benjamin Hobbs, 35, of Bristol, was sentenced to four years and four months, and David Hodgkins, 40, of Powick, received three years.
"This was a complex but ultimately successful investigation that tracked down and prosecuted this gang of car thieves, so we are pleased to get these sentences today as their criminality harmed many people in our force area and neighbouring forces too," said Detective Sergeant Mark Jones of Hereford Reactive CID.
The gang targeted Land Rover Defenders across a wide area, with vehicles stolen from Bromyard, Storridge, Kingsland, Leominster, Suckley, Newent, Hartpury, Tenbury Wells, and Clyro.
The thefts also extended to Tewkesbury, Malvern, Droitwich, Norton, Bath, Cheltenham, Bredon, and Churchstoke.
They transported the stolen vehicles to a workshop in Bristol operated by Hobbs, which served as a so-called "chop shop", where officers found stolen vehicle parts, documentation and property linked to the thefts.
Analysis of phone records revealed the gang’s movements, showing they travelled in convoy using a blue Toyota Yaris and later a red Volkswagen Golf while transporting stolen vehicles.
In one unusual step, officers asked former Land Rover owners to try their keys on recovered vehicles to confirm they were stolen.
One owner can be heard in the video saying: "The key clearly works," after successfully unlocking a stolen Defender.
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