Crime Gang Members Jailed After Police Smash £750,000 Theft Operation

Published on: 28 Jan, 2026
Updated on: 29 Jan, 2026

Crime gang members

A gang of men described by police as “prolific criminals” have been sent to prison for their roles in the theft of machinery and vehicles on an industrial scale.

Their operation involved about £750,000 worth of property, stolen from industrial sites across the south-east including Guildford, Farnham, Woking and the surrounding areas.

A man from Ash and another from Normandy were among those sent to prison.

The ringleaders were said to be:

Paul Jones, aged 40, from Woking. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods, theft and money laundering and was sentenced to seven years and two months.
Michael Burrows, aged 52, from Odiham, Hampshire. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and was sentenced to three years and four months.

In addition:

Mark Grant, aged 36, from Ash, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and was sentenced to four years.
John Burrows, aged 33, from Normandy, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and was sentenced to one year and four months.
William Bath, aged 40, from Billingshurst, West Sussex, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and production of cannabis and was sentenced to four years and three months.
Lee Grant, aged 58, from Normandy, pleaded guilty to production of cannabis. He received a suspended sentence of 22 months plus 200 hours of unpaid work.
In July 2025 George Goddard, aged 66, from Staines-upon-Thames, had been found guilty following a trial at Guildford Crown Court and received a suspended sentence of one year and six months.

The court heard the case had a connection with Cinderella’s nightclub in Guildford. Paul Jones was in partnership with William Bath, with the proceeds of their criminality enabling them to buy the club.

One of the stolen vehicles involved in the case. Picture: Surrey police

A complex investigation by Surrey’s Serious Organised Crime Unit was described at Chichester Crown Court.

Most stolen items were one-tonne dumper trucks and mini diggers, and many were taken during the hours of darkness from building sites or yards.

The investigation uncovered the method adopted by the gang. Stolen machines had their identities changed, with vehicle identification numbers (VINs) altered so they could be sold on. Certificates were obtained from an internationally recognised database that made them appear genuine.

In addition to machinery, the investigation team identified several stolen vehicles including high value motor homes, which had been altered in the same way.

Paul Jones was the starting point of the investigation due to concerns being raised about machines sold by him online.

During a text message exchange, Jones boasted about being “the biggest machine ringing firm in the South of England”. He could be linked to stolen machines and vehicles with a value of about £500,000.

With regard to the Cinderella’s connection, Jones was in partnership with William Bath. The proceeds of their criminality enabled them to buy the Guildford nightclub. Jones paid a £50,000 deposit as well as other fees to support its refurbishment and set up.

WhatsApp messages show the pair discussing selling stolen and cloned vehicles to raise the capital needed, which ran into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

When Bath was arrested in January 2020, officers uncovered a large cannabis factory in an outbuilding next to his address. This was a well-established set up, with 48 plants and a street value of £35,000.

Many of the stolen machines were supplied to Jones by Michael Burrows. Despite having no declared form of legitimate income, nearly £220,000 passed through a bank account belonging to Burrows in just a six-month period in 2018. Further funds were directed through other accounts which could be linked to him.

A mobile phone seized from Burrows contained hundreds of images of stolen and suspected stolen plant.

Mark Grant received stolen machinery at his yard in Normandy.

A CCTV unit was recovered by police from these premises which showed him loading the stolen machinery into foreign registered articulated trucks.

When police attended his premises, a cannabis factory was located in an outbuilding. A further cannabis factory was located at his father Lee Grant’s address in Normandy.

Police said the victims in each of the crimes could be split into two categories: those who had been the target of the theft and those who had unknowingly bought stolen goods.

Many of those impacted are small business owners or self-employed tradespeople.

One of these was an 18-year-old man who had just started a groundworks business after leaving school. The purchase of three one-tonne dumper trucks has subsequently cost him several thousand pounds.

A further victim, a self-employed builder from Devon, bought eight machines from Paul Jones unaware that they had been stolen and cloned.

He has incurred a financial loss of £70,000 in respect of these machines. Appearing in court, he described how the loss had impacted both his financial and mental wellbeing, stating that he should have retired last year, but has been unable to do so due to the loss.

Previously, other men with links to the group were sentenced:

Brian Bastin, aged 35, of Dorking, pleaded guilty to theft and handling stolen goods and was sentenced to two years and six months.
Jimmy Wenman, 46, of Bentley, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and was sentenced to one year and eight months, suspended for 18 months.
Jimmy Wenman, 25, of Camberley, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for 12 months.
Jack Mobey, 41, of Normandy, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and was sentenced to 10 months, suspended for 12 months.
Riley Scamp, 32, of Faversham, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

Three further defendants will be sentenced on March 5.