A video has captured the moment a car thief disposed of a registration plate down a drain.

The CCTV shows Martin Ward swapping the plates on a Ford Transit, before trying to hide the evidence.

WATCH as Ward disposes of a registration plate

Ward, 46, has now been jailed, along with Owen Maughan, after they were linked to the theft of 19 cars across Kent.

The two men were part of an organised crime group which stole vehicles worth around £70,000 from locations that included Medway, Maidstone, Faversham, the Isle of Sheppey and Canterbury.

The offences took place between January 7 and July 3 this year, with the offenders basing themselves at a site in Spade Lane, Hartlip, which is between Rainham and Sittingbourne.

They targeted specific models of vehicle - Suzuki Carrys, Mazda E220s and Toyota Hiluxs.

Several caravans were also stolen over the course of the offending.

Officers in the Medway Crime Investigation Department and Intelligence Unit reviewed the circumstances of each incident and identified that the offenders consistently placed false Irish plates on the vehicles they had stolen.

They would then take the property to a location outside of the county, or take it back to Spade Lane.

In addition to the false plates, the stolen cars would travel in convoy with another vehicle and on several occasions the convoy vehicle was found to be insured in Maughan’s name.

Ward was also repeatedly found to be connected to the offending, in particular on May 17 when he entered Kent in a Ford Transit that was travelling on false Irish plates.

These same plates were known to have been placed on a Suzuki Supercarry that had been stolen from Folkestone the previous day.

Officers were able to track the movements of the Transit and, as a result, uncovered CCTV of Ward disposing of a registration plate down a drain.

They were detained on July 7, after Kent Police officers were able to gain a warrant to search a site in Spade Lane.

Ward and Maughan were both arrested at the site, where a stolen car was also located.

Both men admitted stealing motor vehicles and were sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday, November 30.

Maughan, 43, of Spade Lane, Hartlip, was jailed for two and a half years.

Ward, of Goudhurst Road, Gillingham, was jailed for two years.

Det Insp Scott Machin, who leads Medway CID, said: "This court result is a testament to the professionalism of my investigating officers.

"Despite having to review a vast amount of complex information, they were able to piece together evidence from 19 separate offences and present a high-quality case that left Maughan and Ward with no choice but to plead guilty.

"Their imprisonment is a fantastic result for our communities.

"These two men were well organised and prolific offenders who are now no longer able to target innocent members of the public."

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