Watch moment gang who called themselves ‘Sticky Bandits’ after film crooks TIP van over while trying to flee £2.6m raid

THIS is the moment a gang who called themselves the “Sticky Bandits” after Dwelling By myself tipped a lorry over while trying to flee a raid.

The crooks focused businesses in a £2.6million crime spree over the Christmas spoil to sustain a ways off from being detected.

At some level of their rampage, the gang had been filmed tipping over a lorry that changed into as soon as weighted down down with stolen goods.

Certainly one of many raiders also posed as a mourner in a cemetery to fabricate a reconnaissance lacking on a warehouse reverse.

They then sent a divulge show to a pal, asking: “Do you think I’m sad that I made it look like I was mourning on a grave so I could scope out the building?”

The thieves also spray-painted the phrases “Ha ha. Merry Xmas, Happy New Year” on the bottom of 1 premises before torching a lorry.

In one video taken by the thugs, they referred to themselves as the “Sticky Bandits” – a reference to the burglars from the Dwelling By myself films.

Ten firms in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, Bilston, Perry Barr, Brierley Hill, Kidderminster, Tamworth and Shrewsbury had been hit.

The brazen gang made off with £2.6million price of stolen metal and other goods the use of heavy-responsibility equipment to spoil in.

They’d steal it aid to their irascible at an industrial unit in Wolverhampton where the goods would possibly maybe well be equipped to sketchy scrap dealers.

Their crime spree easiest got right here to an stop when police CCTV and cell phone records to name the gang, who had been arrested in a series of morning time raids closing June.

The 5 men maintain now been jailed for bigger than 30 years in total after they admitted conspiracy to burgle industrial premises.

Adam Shakespeare, 31, changed into as soon as jailed for six years and 5 months.

David Smith, 36, Lee Fletcher, 33, and Royston Hallard, 30, every bought six years and four months.

While David Williams, 44, changed into as soon as sentenced to three years and four months.

West Midlands Police acknowledged the gang went to big lengths to sustain a ways off from being caught at some stage in the six month spree.

The total loss of presents and vehicles mark firms £1.6million, while hurt to the buildings had been around £200,000.

Officers acknowledged a loss of gross sales, the mark of beefing up safety and the elevated insurance coverage premiums amounted to over £800,000.

Detective Constable Kelly Whyte, from West Midlands Police’s Basic Crime Proactive Unit, acknowledged: “This was serious, organised and professional criminality on an industrial scale, that saw the theft of materials and vehicles valued at more than £1.6m, not to mention the disruption to business and emotional impact on those affected.

“They’d type out sites that had been tucked a ways off from properties, and struck over vacation intervals when they knew the likelihood of them being stricken changed into as soon as decrease.

“The videos recovered from their mobile phones show how they relished what they were doing and would laugh and joke with each other.

“When we identified similarities between the offences, we launched a serious investigation in response to forensics, evaluation of cell phones and CCTV which meant we had been ready to ride in and arrest the gang in morning time raids closing June.

“We’re pleased that they are now starting significant prison sentences, which should send a message to anyone involved in serious and organised crime that we will hunt them down and bring them to justice.”