A MAN was reunited with his stolen laptop when a computer shop’s software led police right to it.

Masters student and personal trainer Sean Burgess thought he would never see the machine again when it was stolen from his car in Broadstone, Poole.

But the shop that supplied it, 365 Computers of Moordown, had installed a program intended to enable its staff to fix any technical problems remotely.

Staff watched from the shop as the computer was used every afternoon and they passed details to the police.

Mr Burgess had the laptop stolen last month after leaving it in his car overnight.

“There was a spate of burglaries that night and they put a brick through my window and stole it from under the passenger seat,” he said.

He went back to 365 Computers to talk about replacing it and was told they might be able to help him track it down.

“On their login screen, it flashed up as being active and somebody still using it,” he said.

David Bridgewater, sales manager at 365 Computers, said: “All the machines we supply will go out with that on because if people have any problems at all, it makes it easier and quicker to sort out any issues that they have.”

He said the shop has around 500 customers connected to the software and could see the internet provider (IP) address at which the computer was being used every afternoon. The shop emailed the details to police.

“We didn’t know where that IP address was but the police, with their sophisticated way of doing things, were able to locate where it was,” said Mr Bridgewater.

Police later visited an address and recovered the machine.

Mr Burgess said: “It was a massive relief. I’m a full-time student doing a masters degree.

“I had a lot of uni work and stuff like that. The main thing I’m doing is my dissertation, which I had backed up, but there were different bits and bobs of information on it. All my music was on it too.

I’m a personal trainer and it had all my clients’ details on it.”

Dorset Police said two 39-year-old Poole men had been arrested in connection with the case and bailed until late December.