Jail for 'lifestyle offence' burglars of care homes, schools and doctor’s surgeries including Wellingborough, Rushden and Northampton

Over a two-year period between 2023 and 2024, the co-conspirators targeted vulnerable organisations in 13 different counties that spanned mainly the East and West Midlands, but also reached as far as Dorset and Hampshire.

But an investigation by a team from Lincolnshire Police led by Det Sgt Adam Petty - working with a single analyst and one financial investigator - uncovered the gang’s criminality.

Det Sgt Petty said: "These unscrupulous fraudsters targeted hard-working people doing their utmost for their local communities, using every trick in the book to deceive and manipulate their victims.

"They would callously engineer a spurious scenario to create a situation of panic, taking advantage of the victims while at their most vulnerable, to fraudulently obtain their PIN. But through sheer hard work and dedication and meticulous data analysis, we have been able to bring these offenders to justice.

"For a force with such limited resource, we are delighted to have helped deliver justice for so many victims."

The gang targeted 16 doctor’s surgeries, 10 care homes, seven schools, five hospitality venues, five hotels and two hospices, but were caught and arrested in 2024.

Lincolnshire Police worked on the operation with forces from Avon and Somerset, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Staffordshire, Thames Valley, West Mercia, West Midlands and Wiltshire as part of the investigation.

In Northamptonshire a care home in Rushden was targeted on March 28, 2023. The gang returned to the county on April 12, and targeted GP surgeries in Northampton and Wellingborough. They returned once more to a surgery in Rushden later that month on April 26.

Gang members were sentenced at Lincoln Magistrates' Court for conspiracy to commit burglary and fraud.

Darren Wykes (46) of Kempley Avenue, Coventry, was sentenced to five years and five months.

George Quinn (57) of Ansty Road, Coventry, was sentenced to five years.

David Ovington (59) of Skipton Gardens, Coventry, was sentenced to a 21-month term, suspended for two years.

Daniel Sutherland (40) of Sedgemoor Road, Coventry, was also sentenced to a 21-month term, suspended for two years.

The group’s main tactic would see Wykes unlawfully enter a premises and target unattended bags or jackets to steal purses or wallets. Wykes would call Quinn using unregistered burner phones used exclusively for passing him details of the stolen cards and wallet contents.

Quinn would then call the reception of premises from where the wallet was taken – claiming to be from the bank named on the card, or a police officer – and ask to urgently speak with the person named on any debit cards that Wykes had stolen. He would provide false details on how their purse or wallet had been found, making up spurious stories of having been notified of someone trying to use their cards in various stores.

The victim would check their bag or jacket and find that their purse or wallet was missing, which lent more credibility to Quinn’s false claims. In some cases, they would provide their PIN ‘to be able to reverse these fraudulent transactions’.

Quinn was recorded convincing a victim that her cards had been stolen from outside her place work. He also made use of receipts left in her purse to convince her that he was genuine.

While Quinn was making the call, Wykes would be on standby inside a shop using a burner phone. As soon as Quinn provided the PIN, he would buy either expensive electrical items or use the card to obtain high value amounts of foreign currency from current exchange outlets. He would also use stolen driving licences as identification for these transactions.

Wykes was often seen wearing a blue baseball cap and covid mask, making it difficult to cross-check his identity.

During their two-year operation, the gang used 20 phones – six of which were burner phones, which are cheap phones loaded with prepaid credit. They are often discarded after a short time in an attempt to avoid being traced. They also used four vehicles.

Wykes saw £447,000 go through his bank account, £127,000 of which was cash paid in at Post Offices in the Coventry area.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said: “The crimes this gang have committed are known as lifestyle offences, where the money made is used to fund a lavish life-style – of which expensive holidays, electrical items, large amounts of cash and foreign exchange currency, and purchasing luxury jewellery are just some examples.

"We know that, despite purportedly having a limited income, Wykes would frequently enjoy lavish holidays to exotic locations.”

Police are pursuing action through the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover stolen property and funds.