Two men ran a "sophisticated and wide ranging" stolen vehicle racket from a site near Sittingbourne.

The scheme was cracked when a stolen vehicle turned up at Five Kilns at Stockbury which had a secret tracking device.

Police set up a covert operation and watched the comings and goings on the land and caught Anthony Bishop and Joby Wilson involved in the £160,000 scam.

Now dad-of-10 Bishop, 48, of Miller Close, Kemsley and pal dad-of-three Wilson, 46, of Cranwell Road, Tunbridge Wells were both jailed for four and a half years.

Both had been found guilty of conspiracy to steal by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court and each was convicted on separate charges of handling stolen items, including a BMW bike.

The court heard that when officers raided the premises they discovered four complete stolen vehicles and parts from other vehicles, including a transit, shredder and a crane.

Judge Tony Baumgartner told them: "These were sophisticated and wide-ranging thefts , carried out over a number of years."

He also made a deprivation order involving a number of vehicles and parts found on the site.

Detective Inspector James Derham of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: ‘Wilson and Bishop are prolific offenders who repeatedly stole vehicles from across Kent for a number of years.

"I have no doubt that they would have carried on offending. The tenacity of our officers investigating this highly complex case has meant that they have now been brought to justice.

"We understand the concerns members of the public have regarding vehicle theft and I hope the outcome of this case demonstrates how seriously we take these offences and will continue to do so.’

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