Episode 6 Doorstep Crime 999



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Transcript


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There's an area of crime that's getting worse.

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Too often it has a devastating effect on its victims.

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I'm talking about doorstep crime.

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We're celebrating the work of police

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and Trading Standards teams all over the UK,

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as they turn the tables on the crooks responsible.

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And you've been sharing your success stories

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and ideas for how to root out the rotters.

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Today, the distraction burglar who thinks he's found

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the perfect crime - but hasn't reckoned on the bravery

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of this Sussex consumer.

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To think that he could just...

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..sell my jewellery for that amount.

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Plus, have you ever wondered what happens

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when you pay rogue traders by cheque?

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Find out, as Trading Standards

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expose a money-laundering operation in south London.

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We will prosecute anybody

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who allows rogue traders to use their accounts

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to effectively launder money.

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And exciting stuff - we're out and about

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in Oxfordshire with an award-winning Trading Standards team,

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as they close the net on a gang of crooks!

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We need to go and find these people.

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Quicker we can stop it,

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the less harm there is to the residents of Oxfordshire

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and all those vulnerable people they're trying to take money from.

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Hello, and thanks to all of you for sending in your thoughts

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on doorstep crime, and, more importantly, how to beat it.

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For instance, John Dibley,

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who's a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator from Surrey.

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He says nobody wants their door keys or car keys fished right out

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through the letterbox, so his tip is to keep all keys

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out of sight of windows and letterboxes once you've locked up.

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But suppose you do fall victim to doorstep crime -

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who should you turn to?

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Well, Trading Standards would be a very good start,

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and we've been on the road with an award-winning team in Oxfordshire.

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Nationwide, law enforcement agencies are fighting back

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against doorstep crime - and that's certainly true in Oxfordshire.

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It's 8.30 in the morning, and Trading Standards officer

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Martin Woodley is already hard at work.

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A number of jobs coming...

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Martin heads up the doorstep crime rapid response team,

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which is made up of dedicated officers

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who work tirelessly to bring rogue traders

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and doorstep criminals to justice.

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We need to get out there and catch the people when they're there,

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because if you get there after they've gone,

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after they've got the money - normally cash -

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it's very hard to identify or find out who these people are.

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One of the things that sets the unit apart

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from other Trading Standards teams is that it's completely self-sufficient,

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thanks to police officer Jayne Newman,

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on attachment from the Thames Valley Police.

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With me in the team, I'm able to make the arrests

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straight away when we attend an incident,

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if an arrest needs doing,

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instead of the team having to wait for the police to attend.

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A typical day involves Martin and Jayne

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hitting the roads so that they can respond to any emergency calls from distressed consumers.

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Today they're investigating reports of driveway companies

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cold calling homeowners and using aggressive tactics.

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They will have their favourite areas to target. So, normally,

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it's quite wealthy areas and the elderly and vulnerable,

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areas with a lot of bungalows.

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The first lady they're visiting is so distressed by the incident

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that she doesn't want to be filmed.

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The lady's been visited twice within two days of each other

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by two separate companies trying to tarmac her drive,

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telling her that she's got to have it done.

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Interestingly, if you have a look at the flyers they've left,

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it's exactly the same image being used on both flyers.

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In addition to the strikingly similar leaflets,

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both companies were forceful and quoted a price of £2,000.

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From experience, Martin knows the likelihood of this

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being a coincidence is extremely slim.

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But the biggest price is the impact these rogues have

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on the people they target.

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I sometimes think if only the offenders could see

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the effects they have on some of the people's lives

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after they've done the offence,

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if they could see what they've left behind,

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maybe that might make a few of them change the way they go around

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and what they do.

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Just minutes after leaving the scene, Martin and Jayne

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may have a lead on the gang that have been cold calling nearby.

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We've just received a call from another area

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that we've now got to respond to, because they are there at this time.

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We're going to see if we can find them and establish what they've done,

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and if a crime's been committed and we find them, I'll be arresting them.

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A cross between Cagney and Lacey and Starsky and Hutch,

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they are out to catch these cold calling crooks red handed -

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but only if they can get there before the rogues leave.

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We'll check in with Martin's team in Oxford a little later on.

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Now, here's another example of doorstep crime.

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Hi. My name is Betty and last year

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a doorstep conman came

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and thought he could steal my precious jewellery.

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I would like to tell viewers how he was caught

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and how they can avoid being caught themselves.

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Betty sounds as if she has a poignant story to share -

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but first, let's take a look behind the scenes

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of a typical doorstep crime.

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We mustn't forget that some rogue traders and distraction burglars

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are just a front to a whole network of criminal activities.

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The target of this crooked scam is an 86-year-old

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who's keen for his story to be told to benefit others.

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He wants to keep his identity private, so we'll call him Peter.

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It was in July 2010 that a smooth-talking salesman

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arrived at his front door in south-east London.

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I was cold called by a salesman who was well-dressed.

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He indicated that he'd had information that I was

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a previous customer of a company no longer in business,

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and that I was entitled to any remedial work

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to the wall facings of the property.

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By pure coincidence, Peter had been concerned about the appearance

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of some cracks in his rendering,

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so the salesman's offer of some free work seemed too good to turn down.

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The pricing was never mentioned. It was just said that

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the cracks would be covered by the warranty or guarantee.

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I agreed they could have a look at the situation, and within an hour,

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he said they could have someone, as they were working locally,

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to come and start the work, which they did.

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It was a classic doorstep ruse.

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Sadly, Peter was the perfect target.

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But before he could change his mind,

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the door-stepping rogues got down to business.

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But instead of repairing the cracks,

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they decided to remove half of his front wall.

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Within the hour, the men arrived,

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and before I knew, there was a hole

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three foot by three foot in the front of my bay.

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What started as an offer to fix some cracks now had poor Peter

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besieged in his own home with a gaping hole in his wall.

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Of course, in classic conman style, it soon became obvious

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that the "free work" first offered was anything but.

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He asked me for money for materials, which I agreed to.

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I did go to the bank, withdrew £16,000.

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I thought at that time that was enough...

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..but it didn't stop there.

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You're right. It certainly didn't.

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The crafty conmen then claimed that both the airbricks

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and the paving around the bay window would need replacing.

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I had to withdraw a further £15,000.

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I felt under pressure,

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but I just felt I had to get it done with.

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By now, the rogue builders had embezzled

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an incredible £31,000 from Peter,

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but they still weren't satisfied,

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and demanded another £3,000 when they completed the work.

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Reluctantly, Peter gave them a cheque,

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but now feeling uneasy about what had happened,

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he took the brave decision to call Trading Standards,

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who quickly made a shocking discovery.

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The work that was actually carried out

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was valued at only £2,500,

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so this is a hugely exorbitant price to pay

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for work that, frankly, wasn't necessary in the first place.

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So it seemed that Peter had seen the last of his life savings.

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But this was to be the turning point,

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because money leaves a trail,

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and the tenacious team at Bromley Trading Standards

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were on the case.

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'The next step was to find the money, and we did this by tracing

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'the cheques and cash transfers,'

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and more and more now, we are targeting

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those who allow their bank accounts to be used

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by way of forensic accounting,

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and we will prosecute anybody who facilitates this crime

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and allows rogue traders to use their accounts

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to effectively launder money.

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Their investigation led the team to Michael Anthony Joyce,

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a man who was in the business of cashing cheques

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with no questions asked.

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We decided we needed to interview the suspect

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to find out what sort of role he had in these events,

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and following our interviews with him,

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it became apparent that he had decided to enter into

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a business arrangement with the rogue traders

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on the strength of what was a five-minute interview with them

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at a motorway service station.

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Joyce admitted to a meeting with the conmen,

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during which he agreed to pay cheques and bank transfers

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into his account, totalling £291,000 -

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the tidy profit from a series of ruthless doorstep scams.

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Happily, though, the court wasted no time

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in finding Joyce guilty of money laundering.

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The court imposed a 30-month prison term in this case

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and we were very pleased with that.

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It shows courts take a dim view of this type of activity.

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Their unfortunate victim Peter can take great comfort in knowing

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that the gang's money man is now well behind bars -

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and the Proceeds of Crime Act means that he's hoping to reclaim

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at least some of his life savings.

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Still, it's a tough lesson.

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I feel I've been scammed, and I feel for other people

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that must be in the same situation as me.

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It's a simple lesson

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of not entertaining these people, because they're quite unscrupulous.

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They appear to be very nice

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but behind that mask, they're after all they can get.

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Although the doorstep criminals who targeted Peter are still at large,

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Trading Standards are working positively to ensure that

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the laundering of money is made much more difficult.

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The golden rule for all these cases is you can stop it

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before it starts, and that's simply by saying "no" at your front door.

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Never accept any offers at your front door,

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especially from a cold call.

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Well said, Rob. Now, still to come,

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the distraction burglar who met his match

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when he tackled this lady from West Sussex.

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I rang the police.

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They said that they thought they would be able to find him

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without any problem, because I also had his name.

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At this point, we return to Oxfordshire,

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where Trading Standards officer Martin Woodley is hot on the trail

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of doorstep crooks.

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Martin heads up a crack team

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which is known for its rapid response tactics

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to bring doorstep criminals to justice.

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Today, he and fellow team member PC Jayne Newman are investigating reports

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of driveway companies aggressively pushing for business.

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They're responding to an urgent call

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to a house where traders fitting this description have just called.

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Martin and Jayne hope it's the same gang

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who targeted another elderly lady this morning.

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Going to have a chat with the victim, see what's gone on,

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see why they've tried to...

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how much they've charged her,

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are they coming back to try and get the money from her?

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And, if they are, we'll see what we can do to help her.

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Frustratingly for Martin, the rogues are nowhere to be seen,

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but after speaking to the homeowner, who also wants to remain anonymous,

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it sounds as though it was the same gang.

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They told her they wanted to tarmac this bit of road here.

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We do not even know if it belongs to her.

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But that's the bit they said they want to do for £2,000.

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Luckily, the lady's said no,

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and she's called ourselves and the police,

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and now we're going to see if we can find them

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and ask them what else is going on.

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It's always wise to contact Trading Standards as soon as

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anything like this happens, so that swift action can be taken.

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He may have missed them this time, but Martin's not one

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to give in easily, and nor is his colleague Jayne Newman.

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What we're doing now is going to see another victim

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that has been targeted by these offenders,

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and we're going to see if there's any evidence of who they are.

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Incensed by what has just happened,

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the local man doesn't wish to be identified, but is keen

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to do all he can to see that these rogues are stopped in their tracks.

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He said, "Oh, I've got a leaflet for you about..."

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I said, "No, I'm sorry, but I can't afford that kind of thing."

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"Oh, but," he said, "it all needs doing."

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"It's all getting in bad state."

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I said, "Yeah, but I can't afford it!"

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"You don't have to pay for it straight away.

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"You can pay for it in the next three or four weeks."

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"But we'll do it for you.

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"It'll cost you £2,000."

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I said, "I don't want anything done. I can't afford it."

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Once again, Martin and Jayne have narrowly missed the crooks,

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but, with common threads between the cases,

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Martin's convinced it is the same gang.

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What he's given to us is another card.

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This card appears to have the same pictures,

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same format...the only thing that seems to be different

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is the name of the company, so...

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we've got reason to believe there's a reasonable chance

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that it's the same people, but just using a different name.

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Knowing full well that these doorstep criminals are in the area,

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Martin is determined to take decisive action.

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We need to get on top of it.

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It's something we need to stop as soon as possible.

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So we need to go and find these people.

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The quicker we can stop it,

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the less harm there is to the residents of Oxfordshire

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and all those vulnerable people they're trying to take money from.

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In addition to reading your inspirational emails,

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we've also really enjoyed meeting you in person

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to get your thoughts on doorstep crime.

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I think everybody can get involved to help stop doorstep crime

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just by being part of their own community.

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Scams are frequent and come in all forms.

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It's difficult, if someone's pleasant,

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to think that they perhaps have an ulterior motive.

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Who would have thought somewhere

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as tranquil and lovely as the West Sussex coast

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would play host to a devious doorstep crime?

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Well, 21-year-old Thomas Jeeves made it his playground.

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The young man was well-known to police,

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thanks to several convictions for theft.

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But when he knocked on the door of 78-year-old widow Betty Lewry,

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he met his match.

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Betty, just explain to me how you came across

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this conman in the first place. How did you meet him?

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Well, he came about the loft insulation.

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He seemed very pleasant. He was smartly dressed,

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nice hair, and...

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just a very pleasant person to talk to.

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That initial encounter led to Betty having her loft insulated

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by the company that Jeeves worked for.

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They did a good job and she was pleased with the work,

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so when Jeeves turned up on her doorstep several months later,

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Betty didn't have any cause for concern.

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He came to say that he wanted to inspect

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the work had been done properly,

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and I recognised him.

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But did you check his ID when he came?

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Yes, I did. He had it with his photo on it,

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so that's why I wasn't suspicious at all.

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And were you pre-occupied at the time?

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Yes, I was going on holiday the following day,

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so I was busy.

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So I just said to him,

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"Well, you know where it is."

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So you stayed downstairs getting ready for your holiday?

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And he was upstairs alone?

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Yes. He was such a pleasant chap

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that I didn't think anything about it.

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In a way, why would Betty be wary?

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After all, a familiar face, and a company that she trusted.

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Little did she know that Jeeves had been sacked

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by the insulation company,

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but had kept his identification card despite them asking for its return.

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While her back was turned downstairs,

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Jeeves rifled through her bedroom

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and stole some of her most precious and personal belongings.

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At what point did you realise that your jewellery had gone?

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It wasn't until the evening.

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I went to the dressing table to get my jewellery

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and realised that it had gone.

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And what exactly did he take?

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My engagement ring, my eternity ring.

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Some of the things, naturally, that my late husband bought me and,

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as I say, I was really upset because I can't replace them at all.

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He'd taken the most precious things that I still had from my husband.

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How much from a memory point of view does the jewellery mean to you?

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The world, really, because my engagement ring

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and the rings, well, I've had them so many years.

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45 years we were married, and it's just gone.

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As he left with his pockets full of Betty's most precious possessions,

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Jeeves was cool, calm and collected,

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but he had greatly underestimated her, because once she got over

0:18:140:18:18

the initial shock and heartache of what had happened,

0:18:180:18:21

Betty set the wheels of justice in motion.

0:18:210:18:23

I called the police, and they came out,

0:18:230:18:27

they were very good, actually.

0:18:270:18:29

They thought they'd find him

0:18:290:18:32

without any problems because I also had his name.

0:18:320:18:36

Calling the police was the best thing that Betty could have done.

0:18:360:18:40

Detective Constable Faye Satchwell-Bennett

0:18:400:18:43

headed up the investigation.

0:18:430:18:44

Betty was an excellent witness.

0:18:440:18:46

She knew exactly what had happened

0:18:460:18:49

and she was very consistent in her account.

0:18:490:18:51

Opportunist burglars target the vulnerable in society.

0:18:510:18:55

They met their match in Betty

0:18:550:18:57

because she could remember everything that happened.

0:18:570:19:00

With the information from Betty's statement, it wasn't long

0:19:000:19:04

before the police were able to trace Jeeves' footsteps.

0:19:040:19:07

Our investigations led us to a shop within Sussex

0:19:070:19:10

that advertised cash for gold,

0:19:100:19:12

and we know that on that very day,

0:19:120:19:14

immediately after he had stolen her jewellery,

0:19:140:19:16

he had gone to that shop where he had sold the items for £91.

0:19:160:19:20

Fortunately for us, they kept receipts

0:19:200:19:22

and he'd used his driving licence as identification

0:19:220:19:25

when he sold the jewellery,

0:19:250:19:27

and he then went on to a betting shop

0:19:270:19:29

where he bet away the money he'd got for the jewellery.

0:19:290:19:32

Awful. That's just £91 in exchange for the jewellery that held

0:19:320:19:37

over 45 years' worth of priceless memories.

0:19:370:19:40

Naturally, this news came as a real shock.

0:19:400:19:42

Very, very upset to think that

0:19:420:19:46

he could just sell my jewellery

0:19:460:19:52

for that amount.

0:19:520:19:53

And with everything that it meant to you.

0:19:540:19:57

Yeah. But...

0:19:570:20:01

That must have made it worse.

0:20:010:20:02

Yes, it did.

0:20:020:20:03

With the evidence stacking up against the suspect,

0:20:050:20:07

it was only a matter of time before he got his just deserts.

0:20:070:20:11

Many people will think this is a very brazen crime.

0:20:110:20:14

I think he relied on the fact that she was elderly

0:20:140:20:17

and that she would not remember him,

0:20:170:20:20

not remember his ID badge,

0:20:200:20:22

and probably take a period of time to realise the jewellery was gone,

0:20:220:20:26

so I think he believed that would happen.

0:20:260:20:28

With a strong case against Jeeves, the police wanted to prosecute,

0:20:280:20:32

but for Betty this meant the daunting prospect

0:20:320:20:34

of giving evidence in court.

0:20:340:20:37

-Did you hesitate about going to court?

-Yes.

0:20:370:20:40

I did think about it,

0:20:400:20:41

because it really is an ordeal,

0:20:410:20:44

but if it helps the police, I thought,

0:20:440:20:49

well, yes, I would go.

0:20:490:20:51

And how did it feel on that day in court? Were you very nervous?

0:20:510:20:54

Yes. Very nervous.

0:20:540:20:56

So did his defence try to accuse you of negligence

0:20:560:21:00

or being mistaken or anything like that?

0:21:000:21:03

They tried to make out that perhaps I'd left the front door open.

0:21:030:21:07

Also that I had a siesta.

0:21:070:21:11

You must have been incensed at that idea.

0:21:110:21:14

Well, I was extremely annoyed, to be perfectly honest,

0:21:140:21:17

because I'm not senile,

0:21:170:21:21

and I do know what I'm talking about.

0:21:210:21:26

How did you feel when you saw this guy in court?

0:21:260:21:28

Cos at the beginning you thought he was a nice young man.

0:21:280:21:31

Very plausible, very well-dressed,

0:21:310:21:33

but how did you feel on the day knowing he'd taken your jewellery

0:21:330:21:36

and invaded your privacy?

0:21:360:21:37

To start with, I began to feel a little bit sorry for him, I think.

0:21:370:21:42

-Why?

-He was young and what-have-you,

0:21:420:21:44

and I thought he had ruined his life,

0:21:440:21:48

but after seeing him in court and what he had been up to,

0:21:480:21:51

I think he deserved all he got.

0:21:510:21:53

It emerged that just three weeks before turning up at Betty's,

0:21:550:21:58

Jeeves had burgled an elderly man whom he'd befriended

0:21:580:22:01

a few months earlier. He stole jewellery,

0:22:010:22:03

used the man's bank card for purchases valued at over £1,400,

0:22:030:22:07

and wrote fraudulent cheques totalling £1,500.

0:22:070:22:12

But on the 11th April, 2011,

0:22:120:22:15

Thomas Jeeves got his comeuppance, when he was sentenced

0:22:150:22:18

to 21 months' imprisonment for distraction burglary.

0:22:180:22:21

'Justice had been done, but, as brave as Betty had been,

0:22:210:22:25

'the entire process was quite an ordeal.'

0:22:250:22:27

By this stage, you've been through

0:22:270:22:29

the trauma of having your jewellery stolen,

0:22:290:22:32

you've now had to deal with the police and go to court.

0:22:320:22:34

What have you learned? What's your personal lesson?

0:22:340:22:37

I'm very careful now when anybody comes to the door.

0:22:370:22:41

If they haven't made an appointment,

0:22:410:22:45

I won't let them in. Also, I had a chain put on the front door.

0:22:450:22:50

So now it's like Fort Knox, eh?

0:22:500:22:52

Yes.

0:22:520:22:54

Tremendous thanks to Betty for sharing her story with us.

0:22:570:23:00

It's comforting to know that, sooner or later,

0:23:000:23:03

the law catches up with doorstep criminals.

0:23:030:23:05

Well, now we move to Oxfordshire,

0:23:050:23:07

and the residents there must feel reassured

0:23:070:23:09

that Trading Standards officer Martin Woodley

0:23:090:23:12

is standing up for their consumer rights.

0:23:120:23:15

Martin and PC Jayne Newman are on the trail of a new gang of doorstep criminals

0:23:170:23:22

who are posing as two different companies,

0:23:220:23:24

cold calling vulnerable residents in Oxford

0:23:240:23:27

and bullying them into having their driveways fixed or replaced.

0:23:270:23:31

So far, Martin and Jayne have met three victims

0:23:310:23:34

and gathered several pieces of evidence against the gang.

0:23:340:23:37

As often can happen with a rapid response team,

0:23:370:23:39

their pursuit has been interrupted

0:23:390:23:42

by an urgent call from a worried consumer.

0:23:420:23:44

On arrival, this case has a striking similarity

0:23:440:23:48

to the others.

0:23:480:23:49

We've turned up at this complaint.

0:23:490:23:51

You can see they're doing two driveways.

0:23:510:23:54

Obviously from first indications

0:23:540:23:56

is that not enough earth has been taken away,

0:23:560:23:59

and the hardcore that had been left

0:23:590:24:02

was very poor quality. This is definitely not

0:24:020:24:04

a type one, which they stipulated on the paperwork.

0:24:040:24:10

This is just crushed-up rubble you could get off any builder's site.

0:24:100:24:14

It's disgusting that these crooks have tried to charge a fortune

0:24:160:24:19

for what is nothing more than rubble. Martin and Jayne

0:24:190:24:22

aren't certain if this driveway crime is linked

0:24:220:24:24

to the gang they've been pursuing,

0:24:240:24:26

but it's certainly given them plenty of new leads to explore.

0:24:260:24:29

Either way, rogue traders are targeting residents

0:24:290:24:32

on Martin's patch, so he intends to get hold of them

0:24:320:24:34

as quickly as possible.

0:24:340:24:37

We're playing catch-up at the moment,

0:24:370:24:39

but this is the sort of job where they just move off.

0:24:390:24:42

We're now going to do an area search.

0:24:420:24:45

We suspect they may be in another location.

0:24:450:24:47

This seems like a classic case of doorstep crime, but the good news is

0:24:470:24:51

that after interviewing the residents,

0:24:510:24:53

Martin and Jayne think they have amassed enough evidence

0:24:530:24:56

about these persuasive cold callers.

0:24:560:24:59

Within the last two days, with the information we've got

0:24:590:25:03

and all the information obtained from witnesses

0:25:030:25:05

and intelligence, we now know who we're dealing with.

0:25:050:25:09

It's very similar scenarios to what's happening all the time,

0:25:090:25:13

in these similar scams.

0:25:130:25:16

Martin and Jayne continue their enquiries

0:25:170:25:20

and are confident of a successful outcome.

0:25:200:25:22

And if any other doorstep criminals are thinking about

0:25:220:25:25

plying their trade in Oxfordshire, Martin has a word of warning.

0:25:250:25:29

Let me get the message out to those that think

0:25:300:25:32

they can come into Oxfordshire and take advantage.

0:25:320:25:35

It doesn't matter where you are,

0:25:350:25:37

we will even get warrants to come over cross-border

0:25:370:25:41

to come and find you and deal with you.

0:25:410:25:44

It's a great example of the essential work being carried out

0:25:440:25:47

by the doorstep crime team. Martin's dedication to his job

0:25:470:25:51

was recognised when he was awarded an MBE

0:25:510:25:53

for services to local government in the 2011 honours list,

0:25:530:25:57

although, being a team player,

0:25:570:25:59

it's an accolade that he's reluctant to take all the credit for.

0:25:590:26:03

I felt very proud, not only for myself,

0:26:030:26:05

but also for all the other Trading Standards officers across the UK,

0:26:050:26:10

because it's representation for everybody

0:26:100:26:13

trying to achieve the same goal.

0:26:130:26:15

And well done to that crack team in Oxford.

0:26:190:26:22

Well, there's time for one last letter.

0:26:220:26:24

This is from Jane in Wiltshire,

0:26:240:26:26

whose tip is to always keep a piece of paper and pencil handy,

0:26:260:26:30

on the windowsill or in your car, so that you can make a note of

0:26:300:26:33

any registration number or details of anyone acting suspiciously.

0:26:330:26:37

I think that's a good tip, so thanks for that, Jane.

0:26:370:26:40

As you know, we're here to fight back against doorstep criminals

0:26:400:26:43

and we'd really love to hear more about

0:26:430:26:45

how you have managed to stop them ripping you off.

0:26:450:26:48

You can always find the details

0:26:480:26:50

about how to contact us here:

0:26:500:26:54

All I can say is, thank you very much for your company,

0:26:540:26:56

I hope you'll join me next time. From all of us, bye-bye.

0:26:560:26:59

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