A pilot from Kilburn has been reunited with his stolen high value aviation headphones after he turned detective and tracked them down for sale on the internet.

The unnamed 46 year-old found the valuable equipment on online marketplace Ebay after they were stolen from his car outside his home in Kimberley Lane last month

After recognising them through its distinctive marks, he placed a successful bid and alerted Brent Police.

Detectives used eCops, specialist software which investigates activities on Ebay, to track the headphones to an address in south London before obtaining a warrant to search the seller’s home.

The innocent seller had bought the headphones as a present for his son, unaware that they were stolen, returned the item to the police.

DC Liam Perry of Brent Police, said: “On this occasion, the seller was also an innocent party, unaware that the item he had bought was stolen

“Tools such as eCops provide police with excellent opportunities to put a stop to the criminals who think they are safe conducting their illegal activities hidden behind a computer terminal.”