A gang of criminals involved in a stolen car racket worth £500,000 have been jailed after police used their own CCTV equipment to bring them to justice.

Thieves used hi-tech equipment to steal high-value Jaguar Land Rovers, all using the keyless fob ignition system, from across London and the South East of England.

The cars, including Defenders, Discovery Sports and Evoques, were then driven to a secluded business park in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire where they were either broken down for parts or sold on intact.

Police said the gang had over an eight-month period processed 18 vehicles worth £500,000.

Four members of the gang were jailed for a total of more than 14 years at Bristol Crown Court following an 18-month investigation by Gloucestershire Police.

They were father and son Michael Fear, 58 and Edward Barrington, 28 with and associates Luke Heron, 25, of Kingston Road in Epsom and Kelvin Harding, 29 of Euston Road, Croydon.

Barrington also "exploited" his mechanic Stephen Goode, 45, to join the conspiracy.

The police investigation revealed that the stolen cars being delivered from London were always driven by Heron with associate Harding following in another vehicle to take him home.

Heron, who ran a vehicle recovery business called Mr Recovery, left his fingerprints on some of the cloned number plates.

When he was arrested police searched his home in Bromley and found an device electronic device called The Legend which can be bought on the internet for £500 and allows the thief to capture the key fob code if it is nearby.

They also discovered an on-board diagnostic system (OBD) which enables the user to connect to a car's electronics and start the ignition or clone another key.

When Harding was arrested police recovered a turbo decoder key, which can be used by locksmiths legally.

Goode was arrested after CCTV showed him working on the stolen vehicles.

Fear was arrested at his home where police recovered two stolen vehicles, a Vauxhall Vivaro van and a Land Rover Discovery.

Barrington pleaded guilty during his trial to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and was jailed for four years.

Harding and Heron were found guilty after a trial of conspiracy to handle stolen goods and were each jailed for four years.

Fear, of King Street, Cwm, Ebbw Vale, South Wales pleaded guilty to two charges of handling stolen goods and was sentenced to two years and four months' imprisonment.

Goode, of Gloucester Road, Coleford, Gloucestershire pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and received a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Two other men were acquitted by the jury.