A gang have been jailed for their roles in an industrial-scale theft operation that stole plant machinery and vehicles worth about £750,000 across Surrey and the south-east.

A complex investigation by Surrey Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit uncovered an organised network responsible for stealing dumper trucks, mini diggers and high-value vehicles from sites in Farnham, Guildford, Woking and surrounding areas.

At Chichester Crown Court last week, the main offenders were sentenced to a combined total of more than 20 years in prison.

Paul Jones, 40, of Woking, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods, theft and money laundering and was sentenced to seven years and two months.
Paul Jones, 40, of Woking, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods, theft and money laundering and was sentenced to seven years and two months. (Surrey Police)

Paul Jones, 40, of Woking, was identified as one of the ringleaders and sentenced to seven years and two months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods, theft and money laundering.

Michael Burrows, 52, of Odiham, also described as a ringleader, was jailed for three years and four months after admitting conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

John Burrows, 33, of Normandy, was sentenced to one year and four months, while William Bath, 40, of Billingshurst, received four years and three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and production of cannabis.

George Goddard, 66, of Staines-upon-Thames, was found guilty following a trial at Guildford Crown Court last year and received a suspended sentence of one year and six months.

Mark Grant, 36, of Ash, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods, while his father Lee Grant, 58, of Normandy, received a suspended sentence of 22 months for cannabis production.

William Bath, 40, of Billingshurst, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and production of cannabis and was sentenced to four years and three months.
William Bath, 40, of Billingshurst, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and production of cannabis and was sentenced to four years and three months. (Surrey Police)

Several other defendants linked to the group were previously sentenced for related offences.

Police said the group targeted construction sites and yards, often stealing machinery under cover of darkness. Once taken, vehicle identification numbers were replaced with cloned details and false certificates obtained to allow the machines to be sold on.

Some of the farm machinery stolen by the gang.
Some of the farm machinery stolen by the gang. (Surrey Police)

Investigators linked Paul Jones to stolen machinery and vehicles worth about £500,000. During a text exchange, he boasted about being “the biggest machine ringing firm in the South of England”.

Proceeds from the criminal operation were used to fund the purchase of Cinderella’s nightclub in Guildford, with Jones paying a £50,000 deposit. Messages showed discussions about selling stolen machinery to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.

When Bath was arrested in January 2020, officers also discovered a cannabis factory with 48 plants, worth about £35,000.

Stolen farm machinery.
Stolen farm machinery. (Surrey Police)

Police said many victims were small business owners or self-employed tradespeople, including an 18-year-old who had recently started a groundworks business and a Devon builder who lost £70,000 after unknowingly buying stolen machinery.

Detective Constable Alex Boxall, who led the investigation, said: “These sentences bring an end to an extremely lengthy and complex investigation into the activities of this criminal group.

“Theft of any kind can have a devastating impact on businesses and tradespeople, and I hope this outcome will serve as a form of closure for the victims involved.”

Three further defendants are due to be sentenced on Thursday, March 5, 2026.