# Councillor uses an AirTag to catch thief stealing 300-year-old stones from an ancient wall

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/councillor-uses-an-airtag-to-catch-thief-stealing-300-year-old-stones-from-an-ancient-wall/
- Published: 2026-11-04T01:15:20+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T01:27:36+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16263761/Councillor-uses-AirTag-catch-thief.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: World

## Key points

- An AirTag helped police trace stolen historic stones.
- About 30 stones disappeared from a Lancashire wall.
- The stones were recovered and returned; the thief received a suspended sentence.

## Summary

Parish councillor Matt Smith used an AirTag hidden in a loose coping stone to help police identify a man suspected of stealing historic stones from a wall in Lancashire. The thefts had left the community without leads to pursue, and the recovered stones were returned to the wall.

Around 30 stones went missing from the wall between Holmeswood and Rufford, which is believed to date from about 1730. Police traced the tracker to Craig Barker’s home in Wigan and recovered a substantial quantity of stonework; Barker received a suspended 12-month prison sentence after admitting theft and handling stolen goods. The stolen stones from the wall were valued at up to £7,000, while Smith said other recovered stonework might be worth as much as £40,000.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.