How to Find UK Police Bugs in Your Home

May 16, 2021 - Reading time: 8 minutes

If you have recently been arrested as part of a police investigation, then you might find that your home and/or vehicle has been thoroughly searched by police officers, with the police spending several hours searching every nook and cranny in most cases.

Finding yourself at the centre of a police investigation into serious crime can be intimidating and you should be mindful of potential tactics which can be used by the police in order to gather intelligence on you. One tactic which has come to light after many high-profile cases reported on in the media, is the police using bugs to gather intelligence.

Police bugs can come in many different forms; however, they typically consist of a microphone which can be used to listen in on your private conversations. The audio recordings from these bugs can be saved to the device itself and retrieved at later date, though it is more common for the device to broadcast its recordings out through a 4G/5G mobile network, where it can be remotely captured and recorded by the authorities.

In some cases the police may use the time spent conducting a search of a property to conceal or hide a bug. However, bugs can also be left more discreetly by entering your property without your knowledge, if this is deemed necessary. 

If you are suspected of a serious crime and the evidence against you is too weak to bring about a prosecution, then the police may decide to bug your property. Similarly, if you are subject of an investigation which involves the NCA (National Crime Agency, formally known as SOCA), HM Revenue and Customs, or security services, then you might find yourself become the target of an intrusive form of high-tech surveillance.

How to find UK police bugs

In spite of recent cutbacks, British police are still some of the most well-funded and technically advanced law enforcement agencies in the world. The UK police and security services have access to highly advanced bugs, including hidden microphones and cameras, with the evidence typically admissible in court trials. If you are recorded admitting to, or discussing a serious crime, then you may find yourself being found guilty of those allegations should they end up being dealt with in court.

In order to search for advanced police bugs, you will need advanced equipment which can be used to detect the presence of lenses (hidden cameras), and frequencies used to transmit data which is gathered by hidden microphones, cameras, or GPS trackers. Metal detectors can even be used in some cases to search for bugging devices inside objects which should not contain any metal components.

You may find many different 'de-bugging devices' available on the internet, with varying levels of quality. However, if you believe that you are going to find a sophisticated police bug using a cheap, Chinese gadget purchased over the internet, then think again.

Learn more about our bug sweep service.

In order to locate high-tech bugging equipment, high-tech de-bugging equipment is usually required, along with a trained operator that has experience in locating bugs, and has knowledge about what to look for (and where to look) when it comes to devices which are usually planted by the British police.

Hidden microphones used by the police are typically very sensitive, and can pickup conversations which are held anywhere within an average sized home. If you believe that your property has been bugged, it is important that every room in your property is thoroughly searched, in order to make sure that you are fully protected.

If you require assistance to search for bugging devices inside your property or vehicle, then we can help. Our detectives have extensive experience in locating hidden microphones, cameras, and tracking devices which are typically used by the British police. If you suspect that someone might be spying on you, then hire a professional. We offer our bug sweeping service across all areas of the UK.

What do police bugs look like?

Governments and law enforcement agencies around the world have access to high-tech surveillance equipment which is a definite cut above technology available to members of the public. While hidden cameras/microphones available for anyone to purchase online are often adequate to deceive and record most people, the type of devices used by law enforcement will be far more concealed, technologically advanced, and harder to detect.

What does a police bug look like? Bugs are small and can be concealed into most common household items; depending on the usage they might appear to be a circuit board attached to a battery (if it is not wired into a power source), or a bug might appear as a sealed plastic unit with no identifying markers. Bugs can be concealed in television sets, smoke detectors, light fittings, electrical outlets, ornaments, or in any item which is big enough to accommodate the device. If the bug is concealed in an electric device such as a television, for example, then identifying it as a piece of surveillance equipment might prove  harder, as you will need to differentiate it from the device's normal circuitry.

Police bugs in your car

As well as bugging properties, a common tactic used by the police or other adversaries is to place bugging devices inside vehicles. When it comes to your car, there are typically two devices which you should be mindful of – they are both hidden microphones and tracking devices.

Hidden microphones are extremely small devices which can be fitted to a vehicle and record any conversations which are held inside the car or even conversations which occur nearby the vehicle in some cases.

Tracking devices can allow law enforcement to monitor the whereabouts of a vehicle in real time, and to check locations it has visited along with its patterns of movement. Tracking devices can be easily attached to the exterior of vehicles within a matter of seconds and are very useful for police whilst conducting surveillance operations. No longer do police surveillance teams need to follow a vehicle around in order to monitor its whereabouts; they can simply place a tracker on the car which can be used to monitor its location 24 hours a day. Police grade trackers are equipped with batteries which last for several months in most cases.

It’s important to note that bugging devices and trackers are not only used by the police. We have seen examples of this technology being used by business rivals, private investigators, and disgruntled spouses, among many other different use cases.

How to stop bugs from reappearing in your home

After your property or vehicle has been professionally checked for bugging devices, you should take steps to prevent any bugs from reappearing in your property. Basic security measures such as CCTV cameras and a burglar alarm might help to thwart unauthorized attempts to bug your property; though if you are contending against skilled adversaries (including security services and domestic intelligence agencies), such measures are not likely to prove effective. If you believe that the threat is substantial then we would recommend carrying out full bug sweeps of your property on a regular basis.

If you suspect that an adversary may try to attach a tracking device to your car, then parking it in a locked garage would be an obvious solution; otherwise, a private/gated driveway which is covered by CCTV cameras might help to act as a deterrent. Though it should be noted that a tracking device can be fitted to most vehicles within a matter of seconds if the agent is experienced and knows what they’re doing. Taking steps to mitigate the threat of bugging devices should be a priority if you suspect that there is a credible threat against you.

Are Private Investigators Licensed in the UK?

May 15, 2021 - Reading time: 7 minutes

When most people think of a private investigator, they might envisage a middle-aged man donning a trench coat and sporting a metal badge denoting their authority as a detective. However, the reality of modern detective agencies in the UK could not be further from these stereotypes.

Are private investigators licensed in the UK? The simple answer to this question is no. Despite proposals to regulate the investigation industry, at the time of writing there is currently no licensing system in place for private investigators in the UK. Anyone, with or without experience or training, can claim to be a private investigator and setup their own agency.

Private investigators working in the UK are effectively laymen and are not afforded any special powers or authority. Private investigators must work within, and abide by, the same laws as everyone else.

Photo: Private investigators in the UK are not issued with badges!

Should private investigators be licensed?

Should the government introduce a licensing system for private investigators? The answer to this question will vary depending upon who you ask. Back in 2013, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government drew up plans to introduce a licensing system for private investigators. However, these plans were never followed up on, and they did not become legislation. 

At the time of writing, there are no publicly available plans for private investigators to become licensed in the UK.

While some detectives would favour a system which can be used to vet private investigators and ensure that they do not have criminal records, or that they are suitably trained and/or insured; many detectives believe that such a system would serve only to add red tape and make their lives more difficult.

Ultimately, licensing adds to the overheads of detective agencies, with these costs being passed onto our clients. In the USA for example, most states have licensing systems with numerous requirements for private detectives – on the whole, hiring a PI in the states is substantially more expensive than in the UK, though whether the increased fees are directly related to the existence of licensing could be up for debate.

While there is not currently a government mandated licensing system for private investigators in the UK, many detectives will join professional bodies and associations which have their own requirements and guidelines. Membership of these associations is entirely optional.

You may find private investigators claiming that they are licensed as they hold membership in relevant associations – while this is a matter of semantics, we feel that describing yourself as licensed on the basis of having joined a private group or association is somewhat deceitful. 

The value which is brought by the membership of private investigation associations is a matter for yourself, the consumer, to decide upon. 

Though it should be noted that professional associations incur costs such as registration fees and annual dues; if you decide to instruct an agency which boasts an impressive array of memberships, then you may find their fees are higher to compensate for their increased overheads.

While professional associations can provide assurances to the public that they are instructing reputable agencies, these associations ultimately exist to make money, and in some cases, you may find a reluctance for them to involve themselves in disputes between detective agencies and their clients.

The benefits of licensing private investigators

Believe it or not, most countries do not have government backed systems for licensing private investigators. The United States however does have stringent licensing systems for PIs and often serves as a primary example when we discuss licensing.

In the United States, licensed private investigators are often granted access to government databases and systems which are not open to the general public. For example, in some states it is possible for private investigators to run checks on vehicle license plates in order to check the vehicle’s owner, as well running criminal record checks for their clients and accessing other confidential data.

In some parts of America, licensed private investigators are also exempt from window tinting laws, which provide impunity for them to hide in their cars behind dark blacked out windows. 

In the UK, there have been two notable pushes for the introduction of licensing, once in 2001, and again in 2013. Despite discussions in parliament, these proposals ultimately came to nothing, and PIs remain unlicensed to this day. On both occasions where proposals were drawn up, there were no provisions for private investigators to gain access to privileged or confidential data, as far as we can tell.

With the current legal framework surrounding data protection, GDPR, and the like, our view is that it would be extremely unlikely that a licensing system would afford British private investigators access to any type of confidential or privileged information.

Licensing systems typically provide protection to private investigators against stalking laws, and may help to explain or justify their behaviour if they are ever questioned by the authorities. However, our view is that a competent private detective will not make themselves known whilst conducting surveillance, and so the benefit of such legal protections are likely to prove negligible in most cases.

Of course, security guards in the UK are bound by far more regulations than private investigators, and rightly so. Many activities require a license issued by the Security Industry Association (SIA), including close protection, door supervision, security guarding, vehicle immobilisation, or even monitoring CCTV cameras which cover a public space. The SIA licensing system is designed to ensure that those working in such roles are properly vetted, trained, and to help keep rouge elements out of the security industry.

The role of private investigators is much different to those working in the security industry, as we typically remain unnoticed and ‘invisible’ to the subject of the investigation. 

About PrivateInvestigators-UK

We are a leading detective agency based in the UK, and cover all areas of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and many other countries around the globe. Please feel free to read our homepage for more information about us and the services that we offer, or get in touch with us for a free quote.

Related blog posts

If you enjoyed reading this post, then be sure to check out these related articles:

• How to become a private investigator in the UK
• What clothes do private investigators wear?
• What type of cars do private investigators drive?
• How private investigators dig up dirt on people

Why Men Cheat on Their Pregnant Wives

May 13, 2021 - Reading time: 8 minutes

It may sound unfathomable, but it’s not uncommon for men to cheat on their pregnant wives. Some experts estimate that 10% of men start having affairs when their wives are expecting.

What is it about pregnancy that can turn a faithful man into a cheating husband? Why do men stray at a time when they should be closer than ever to their partners?

1. Their Emotional Needs Aren’t Being Met

Infidelity isn't always about sex. Some men cheat because their emotional needs aren’t being met. Pregnant women, rightfully, receive a lot of attention and care. Men may feel left out of the picture and neglected. 

A desire to feel cared for, wanted and needed can drive some men into the arms of other women when their wives are pregnant. 

Cheating gives them that temporary validation and positive attention they’re seeking and not getting from their relationship.

Emotional needs can mean a lot of different things:

• Admiration: Everyone, including men, has an innate desire to be admired. But admiration is often one of the first things to go in a relationship. Partners stop complimenting and praising each other. When admiration is replaced with criticism, this can drive men to seek admiration from another woman.
• Affection: Pregnancy and marriage can put things, like affection, on the backburner. But a lack of affection can degrade a relationship. When men feel like they are unappreciated or unwanted, they may seek these things in another woman.
• Attractiveness: Unfortunately, some men struggle with the physical changes that women go through during pregnancy. 
• Companionship: When couples first start dating, they plan dates and activities they both enjoy. These things can be neglected after marriage, and it can drive some men to seek out companionship in other women.
• Sex: If a man isn’t getting the sexual fulfilment he desires, he may seek it in another partner outside of the relationship. When a couple’s sex drive is out of sync, it can increase the risk of infidelity.

2. Pregnant Women Can Have a Lower Sex Drive

Pregnancy is a time of great change for women, and that includes their sex drive. In the first trimester alone, studies have shown that women have sex 20% less often because of their declining sex drive.

Several factors can affect a pregnant woman’s libido, including:

• Nausea or morning sickness
• Fatigue
• Fear of harming the baby
• Discomfort
• Feeling insecure

Lack of sexual intimacy drives many men to stray outside their marriage. A cheating boyfriend or husband may simply be looking to fill a physical need or desire. 

3. Some Men Look for Outside Support

Whether it’s a couple’s first or third pregnancy, a child means change. Some partners don’t adapt well to change together. 

A cheating husband may be feeling a whirlwind of emotions, including anger, stress, anxiety and fear. He may feel the need to look for support from someone outside of his relationship. Some men try to escape these feelings or their new responsibilities by seeking affection from other women rather than communicating with their partners.

4. Stress Can Drive Escapism in Men

Bringing a child into this world can be stressful. Research shows that for fathers-to-be, anxiety can be up to five times higher than normal during their partner’s pregnancy.

Life is changing. The future is uncertain. Couples may be arguing more than usual. Conflict and stress can cause some men to run away rather than resolve these issues with their partner.

The added stress of conflict and the pregnancy itself can drive some men to cheat because they’re looking for a way to escape reality. Cheating is just a form of escapism for some men. It’s their coping mechanism. That doesn’t make it right or healthy. But because they haven’t learned better ways to cope with their stress, they’ll try and escape reality by jumping into the arms of another woman.

5. Some Men are Ready to Call it Quits

Marriage and pregnancy complicate relationships. If a relationship was already on the rocks prior to pregnancy, some men may be ready to call it quits, but don’t know how to do it face-to-face. 

Instead, they use cheating as a way to end the marriage. They hope their wives find out about their extramarital affairs and end the marriage for them.

6. Fatherhood Can Lead to an Identity Crisis

Fatherhood can trigger an identity crisis in some men, even if they already have children. Having children changes everything. Suddenly, life isn’t all about you. 

Many parents lose their sense of self or identity. They feel disconnected with parts of themselves. Some men use cheating as a way to try and reconnect with those missing pieces or to fill a void.

7. Some Men are Bored

Boredom can drive men to cheat regardless of whether their wives are pregnant. Some men just aren’t ready to settle down and the idea of fatherhood may drive them to boredom. Others are just bored in general with the relationship (or their lives).

A desire for variety is a major driver of infidelity. Some men use cheating as a way to spice up their lives and kick boredom to the curb.

8. Childhood Trauma can Increase the Odds of Cheating

Men who have a history of childhood trauma – physical, emotional, sexual, etc. – may be more likely to cheat if they haven’t taken steps to address that trauma. 

Unresolved issues and exposure to infidelity during childhood can also make some men more likely to cheat on their pregnant wives. Research shows that children who are exposed to parents having an affair were twice as likely to cheat themselves with future partners.

Men who have a history of cheating are also more likely to cheat in the future, and pregnancy may be just the right trigger to drive his impulses. 

There are many reasons why men cheat on their pregnant wives – or why men cheat in general. Sex is sometimes the primary reason, but often, it boils down to unhealthy coping mechanisms, unfulfilled emotional needs or an ego that needs a boost. 

How we can help

If you believe that your boyfriend or husband might be cheating on you whilst you are pregnant, then trust your instincts and don’t suffer in silence. We can help to investigate your partner, check his activities, and gather evidence in the form of photos/video.

Often women will not feel comfortable confronting their partners about infidelity until they have solid proof, which is what we endeavour to provide as part of our surveillance service. Of course, if your partner is not cheating, then we can help to confirm this and provide evidence, without your boyfriend or husband finding out that he is being monitored by us. Our agents cover all areas of the UK. Feel free to read our homepage for more information about us, or get in touch with one of our experienced team members for help and advice. 

Related articles

• 10 surprising red flags that your partner is cheating on you
• How much does it cost to catch a cheating partner?

How to Catch Fly Tippers in the UK

May 7, 2021 - Reading time: 7 minutes

Fly tipping is one of the unfortunate problems that private land owners in the UK are faced with. With substantial clean up bills amounting to thousands of pounds in many cases, the financial impact of fly tipping can often prove devastating.

Fly tippers often leave behind hazardous waste which can be costly to remove and potentially harmful to your health. Construction waste containing asbestos is regularly found within fly tipped rubbish and has the potential to contaminate your land, leading to even larger clean up bills. 

Due to the costs associated with clean up, many landowners take steps to fortify and protect their land, with the goal of blocking access to nefarious individuals and their waste. As a leading detective agency based in the UK, we have dealt with many cases where land owners have simply had enough of fly tipping, and instructed us to stakeout their land with the goal of catching fly tippers in the act.

How to catch fly tippers in the UK

We believe that the illegal dumping of waste has no place in a modern society, and that fly tippers should be caught and prosecuted wherever possible. With that in mind, we have put together the following tips which can be used to help catch fly tippers.

1. Keep an eye on your property

If you own a piece of vacant land, then making regular visits to it should be a priority for you. If fly tippers deposit waste onto a piece of land and discover that it has remained undisturbed for several weeks or months, this can act as encouragement for them to continue and deposit even more rubbish on the site.

Keeping an eye on your property can help to nip fly tipping in the bud before it escalates. Similarly, maintaining your land by regularly cutting back vegetation and hedges can sometimes help to make it appear well maintained and thus less appealing to fly tippers. Fly tippers will typically look to deposit waste onto land where it may not be noticed for several weeks or months, which helps to lower their likelihood of getting caught. 

Joining your local “neighbourhood watch” or “farm watch” initiatives can also prove beneficial in many cases.

2. Install hidden cameras

If you are seeking to actually catch a fly tipper, then hidden cameras are a great means of doing so. Whereas overt cameras are often intended to act as a deterrent, hidden cameras can be used to gather evidence of fly tippers without them noticing or becoming aware of the surveillance. 

Overt camera which are not hidden can sometimes even prompt fly tippers to take steps to conceal their identities, such as obscuring the number plates on their vehicles whilst they unload rubbish. If your goal is to actually catch a fly tipper in the act and prosecute them, then using hidden cameras would be a good choice in most cases.

Camera technology has come a long way in recent years, and devices which are powered by solar panels, or rechargeable battery powered cameras can be utilized without a supply of mains power.

When choosing a camera, it’s important to select a model which is capable of recording vehicle number plates, and quality images of the perpetrator’s faces. The cameras should then be positioned in such a way that they remain discreet while capturing the best possible evidence.

If you are not technically minded or need help with installing a hidden camera on your land then we can help. We have installed camera equipment which has been used to catch those responsible for fly tipping on numerous occasions, and our detectives cover all areas of the UK. Please feel free to get in touch with us for a quote.

3. Conduct stakeouts on your property

While this may seem over the top to some, if your land has previously been subject to fly tipping then you will know that the clean up costs can quickly add up into thousands of pounds. Catching fly tippers red handed can provide the opportunity to pursue them through the courts with the goal of recovering any clean up costs they have caused you to accrue, as well as making the police aware so that they can hopefully begin proceedings in the criminal courts.

While conducting stakeouts, you should be mindful as to the position where you lay in wait, and make sure that you bring quality camera equipment which can be used to capture clear evidence. For stakeouts at night, cameras which capture high quality images during low light should be used. 

If you are not able to stakeout land yourself or require help, then our detectives can help to provide you with surveillance, with the goal of catching any fly tippers in the act.

4. Work as a community 

Fly tipping creates an unsightly blight on our country sides and urban areas, and with clean up bills across the UK reaching millions of pounds per annum, fly tippers cause land owners huge amounts of avoidable work and expense.   

Rather than deterring fly tippers from entering your land and encouraging them to dump rubbish elsewhere, we feel that one solution is to work together as a community to catch fly tippers, prosecute them, and put them out of business for good.

 

Working as a community to defeat fly tippers can take many different forms, from pooling resources to instruct private investigators to surveil an area with the goal of catching fly tippers in the act, setting up CCTV systems and sharing images with each other, or starting a neighbourhood watch program where community members keep an eye on each other’s properties.

Maintaining good relationships within your community is key. We suggest speaking to your neighbours and letting them know that you are not expecting deliveries of household or building waste on your property now or at any point in the future. Advise your community members of fly tipping activity in the area and ask them to jot down the number plates of any vehicles that are seen acting suspiciously.

Getting professional help

At PrivateInvestigators-UK, we are often instructed to help catch fly tippers, whether through our personal surveillance service, hidden camera installation, or other forms of investigation. If you would like to learn more about us and the different services that we offer then please read our homepage for more information, or feel free to contact one of our experienced team members if you require our help.