I was once involved in helping a homeowner in Newstead Abbey Park, near Mansfield, to recover some goods he'd had stolen.
To cut a long story short the thieves had followed a taxi firm, watched from the bushes, as the luggage was loaded and videoed the owner as he tapped in the alarm code.
It turned out that the poor taxi driver was totally innocent but was suspected, kidnapped and worked over.
The police didn't bother pursuing it but I spent a month, virtually living rough, until I caught the thieves spying on another house in the domain.
The 'mastermind' turned out to be an old Doris who worked on dispatch so had her routine all worked out.
"Ooh, Malta, we went there for our anniversary .... two weeks, lucky you ... nice to take the whole family."