Other useful options include the installation of navigation equipment such as the models fitted to luxury cars. These can also operate in unison with a laptop and provide a record of journeys and locations for your clients. There is even scope for the vehicles movements to be sent directly to your office to keep them automatically appraised of your whereabouts without the need for voice  communications.

One thing that I haven't mentioned so far is weapons, for personal protection. This again is a matter of personal choice and while I do not condone the use of weapons in most circumstances, It is obvious that there are a myriad of hiding places for practical self-protection devices around a typical van. If you are licensed to carry weapons or require the means to protect yourself from a potential threat, you will ap­preciate the flexibility that this has to  offer.

With imagination, you can see that other options exist, storage space for clothing, a water container , even a toilet facility can be incorporated into the van. More importantly there is room-for other aids to successful surveillance. Consider the following scenario to see what I mean and then extrapolate your own ideas for your personal needs.

Imagine you are tailing your client, he takes a taxi, then is dropped off at a shopping precinct. You let out one of your operatives to follow him, then he gets another cab and suddenly he disappears. Well, what if the operative you discharged from the van took with him, for example, a mountain bike. He wouldn't look out of place in a shopping precinct, and could have any number of reasons to stop and check a tyre, or fiddle with something else on the bike. Then when he sees the target take the cab, he mounts the bike and gives chase. Invisibility can be maintained, he can make radio contact and give you a direction to follow, then in normal traffic can follow the target until you can catch him and bring him back on board.

That's just one possible scenario. In the USA I have seen vans equipped for up to eight operatives and containing everything from skateboards to surfboards to act as cover for operatives. Clothing can be changed and a team of six can be given the flexibility to work as a team of eighteen. For regular work of this nature, you may want to opt for a long-wheelbase version of your chosen van, but for now lets con­centrate on the most popular aspects of the business.

Unless you are engaged in the more extreme areas of surveillance, you are likely to be monitoring the movements and activities of ordinary people carrying out their ordinary lives. This simplifies matters in that you can adapt more easily to operating from a van where all you need to do is maintain a static  watch on a target or track and record the movements of certain individuals. Only when you land more extensive work on a corporate level would you need to consider further investment in equipment and accessories.

Generally, extra seating, storage, a couple of bikes, plus your surveillance equipment is all you will need to carry. Remember to make it all appear quite normal though. As with any vehicle, routine police checks can occur and if the van looks like the lair of a bunch of mountain bikers it attracts less attention than if it appears like something out of Mission Impossible! Also ensure that the equipment is well se­ cured. Remember that the van has to be made mobile at a moments notice - so be prepared to dump food etc. into a handy bin.

One final point worth mentioning in the area of equipment is the extra tools and emergency equipment that should be carried. A simple list would be something like this:

• Trolley Jack and professional wheel-brace (for faster wheel  changes)
• Spare bulbs, fuses, and traditional breakdown  equipment
• Fire extinguishers specifically for electrical  fires
• Snow shovel - useful for mud and other  uses
• Basic tools plus a decent hammer (for instant panel re-shaping)
• Torches and other emergency lighting
• A good breakdown recovery service in case a fault means you need to abandon the vehicle while

Obviously I could expand this list indefinitely, but you get the general idea. If you are working in a poten­tially hostile environment and feel that the threat of  vehicle tampering exists, you may wish to consider the addition of more sophisticated equipment such as Goodyear EMT (Extended Mobility Tyres) which enable you to drive at normal road speeds after suffering a  puncture.

Sensible additional precautions would also include:

• Bonnet locks to prevent tampering.
• Carry a spare distributor cap, leads and rotor arm as the removal of these is the most common method of vehicle disabling.
• Consider the fitment of "bullet-proof' glass to prevent unauthorised entry to the  vehicle.
• Replace the traditional locks with more unusual types that will either prevent or at least seriously de­ lay any attempt at forced entry.
• Modifying the exhaust so that the visible tailpipe is not the functional one, thus preventing the classic potato in the tailpipe method of  vehicle disabling.

You must make a personal choice as to the level of expenditure and the degree of effort you put into the preparation of the vehicle. Most people tend to look at a basic equipment level and then develop and expand it as they develop their business - this is what I would recommend. There is little point in invest­ ing too much on the off-chance of being offered a high profile, high risk contract when the bulk of your work is of the more mundane variety.

If you have a large budget, there's one other option: