The great celebrity photo booth robbery: stars' favourite photo booth caravan stolen from outside entrepreneur's south London offices

 
Theft: owners Tyson Benton and Victoria Pearce (Picture: Alex Lentati)
Matt Watts22 December 2014
WEST END FINAL

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It has hosted Alexandra Burke in a moustache, Emeli Sandé in shades and a very serious Elijah Wood.

The Photo Emporium, a £26,000 silver Airstream lovingly turned into a photo booth on wheels, has become a magnet for the stars since its launch three years ago.

But husband-and-wife owners Tyson Benton and Victoria Pearce, from Crystal Palace, feared they would never see it again after it was stolen from outside their West Norwood office.

Worried that police did not have enough evidence from CCTV to find the caravan, they launched a Facebook appeal with a £1,000 reward for tracking it down.

Hundreds of users shared the campaign — and last Tuesday it paid off, culminating in a mission to retrieve the caravan from where thieves had left it in Herne Hill. Mr Benton, 33, said: “We are just so happy. When we found out the caravan was stolen it felt like our Christmas was over.

Famous faces: Fearne Cotton poses with friends in the £26,000 vintage Photo Emporium caravan

“We are a small business and that kind of loss for us would be difficult to take. It’s a real victory for the power of social media. The Facebook detective really does work.”

The Photo Emporium, which is hired out for events, has previously hosted stars including One Direction, Damian Lewis, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Andy Murray and Fearne Cotton.

The caravan was recovered last week, after Rachel and Rob Kempster, who had seen the Facebook campaign, spotted it in Herne Hill. Police were called and Mr Benton’s brother-in-law, Tom Jarvis, the carpenter who had fitted it with its retro interior, helped retrieve it using an angle grinder to cut the locks and chains on the wheels.

Smile: Elijah Wood in the booth

It is thought the thieves dumped its distinctive “Photos” sign then left the van at the roadside to see whether it was fitted with a tracking device.

The couple who found it turned down the £1,000 reward, saying they were just happy to have helped find it. Mr Benton said: “The caravan was a bit bashed up from their botched robbery … and it was turned upside down inside.

Poser: Emilie Sande takes a picture with a pal

“We did a much better job at stealing it back. I’d love to have seen the looks on the thieves faces when they found we had stolen it back.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101.

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