0:00:03 > 0:00:05Up and down the country right now people are fighting back against
0:00:05 > 0:00:07a particular kind of crime. It's unpleasant work
0:00:07 > 0:00:10but I am pleased to say there are plenty of success stories.
0:00:10 > 0:00:16I am talking about rip-off rogue traders and cold-calling conmen.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19We're here to name and shame the culprits, and, along with police
0:00:19 > 0:00:20and trading standards teams,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24to celebrate your success stories in bringing them to justice.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Today we hear from a brave lady in Surrey who fought back
0:00:33 > 0:00:36against an unlikely pair of distraction burglars.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41I could tell that she was agitated and was trying to keep me in there.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42She said, "sit on the stool."
0:00:42 > 0:00:44I said, "No, I will not", and I pushed my way out.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Plus, the shocking story of a brazen doorstepper.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Unbelievably, he started work on people's driveways
0:00:54 > 0:00:57without waiting for their consent.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02I decided over the weekend that it was not in the budget
0:01:02 > 0:01:05and I don't have the money but he kept on and on and on.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I was getting fed up and said I did not want to go ahead,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I thought, "What the hell have I got myself into?"
0:01:12 > 0:01:14And take a look at this extraordinary footage
0:01:14 > 0:01:17of a distraction burglar in action.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I am happy to see he was brought to justice. We find out how.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23The victim in this case was second to none. She was really fantastic.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26She recalled what happened, despite being partially sighted.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Without her assistance and detailed recall
0:01:29 > 0:01:33we would have struggled to put together
0:01:33 > 0:01:35a lucid account of what happened.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Hello, and once again I would like to say a personal thank you
0:01:44 > 0:01:45for all your letters and e-mails.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50They do make for a fascinating read. It's a pleasure to share them.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Your experiences with doorstepping crooks have shocked and amazed us.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Your tips on how to deal with them have been very much appreciated.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Thanks to your heroic actions
0:02:00 > 0:02:02we now have many more of your stories to tell
0:02:02 > 0:02:06as we continue our fight against doorstep crime.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09First, let's meet a very brave lady from Surrey.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13By the look of things she has the right idea on how to treat
0:02:13 > 0:02:14these doorstep wrong'uns.
0:02:16 > 0:02:1888-year-old Renee Burrell lives alone.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21She enjoys nothing more than spending time
0:02:21 > 0:02:22with her son and daughter
0:02:22 > 0:02:25and even tuning in for the occasional football match.
0:02:25 > 0:02:31But when a pair of distraction burglars struck in September 2010
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Renee had to think fast in dealing with them.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It's a good thing she did because this despicable duo
0:02:36 > 0:02:40would stop at nothing to get their hands on her cash.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43I was relaxing at home when the doorbell went.
0:02:43 > 0:02:49I went to the door and there was a man and a young woman.
0:02:49 > 0:02:55It seemed as though she was so tall against him. He was only short.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Not suited to each other at all.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I said to them, "Where do you come from?"
0:03:01 > 0:03:05He said, "We're from Age Concern." OK.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09This girl was going to take some exams
0:03:09 > 0:03:15and they had said that she could go around and talk to elderly people.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19I thought that was good. So I will let you in.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24The wrong thing I did, I did not ask for identification.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28The oddly matched couple were James Nolan and Samantha Gray,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30a shameful pair of pilferers.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Typically they would befriend their victims by posing as charity workers
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and sometimes even as police officers.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Nolan said he had to return to the office to collect an important form
0:03:41 > 0:03:46but in fact he loitered outside whilst Gray distracted her inside.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51We came in here and she was asking me about photographs and children.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54How many children I had, and so on.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58For a little while I did not even suspect.
0:03:58 > 0:04:05Then she said, "Can I have a drink of water?"
0:04:05 > 0:04:09I said, "Yes, certainly, go in the kitchen, it is just there,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11"go and get it."
0:04:11 > 0:04:13"Oh, no, I can't do that", she said,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16"you have to come with me and do it."
0:04:16 > 0:04:18All the while Gray kept Renee in the kitchen
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Nolan was searching the house looking for cash
0:04:21 > 0:04:24but Renee soon realised that something was up.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28I could tell she was agitated and she was trying to keep me in there.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31She said, "Sit on the stool."
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I said, "No", and I pushed my way out.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Good girl, Renee.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39But when she caught Nolan in her hallway
0:04:39 > 0:04:43he made the bizarre pretence of carrying out a security check.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48I came out here and he was saying, "What has happened with this door?"
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Like this, you know, each side of the wood.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55I said, "What are the earth are you doing?"
0:04:55 > 0:04:58He said, "You ought to have some locks to go on this door."
0:04:58 > 0:05:03Despite Norman's desperate pretence, Renee had a feeling
0:05:03 > 0:05:06he had already found her purse containing £200.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09But she thought better of confronting him.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I was frightened, of course,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13but I did not want to show them I was frightened.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18If you do, they have taken the better of you.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21No. All I wanted was them out.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25I said, "I think you better go."
0:05:25 > 0:05:29I did not say, give me my purse, which I knew he had,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31because I was afraid he would hit me.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37So I'd rather he took my £200. Which he did. And they went.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41We think Renee was right not to tackle the deceitful duo
0:05:41 > 0:05:46and she did brilliantly well by keeping calm and calling the police.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I said, "I have just had somebody in my house
0:05:49 > 0:05:52"and they have stolen my purse."
0:05:52 > 0:05:58That's all I could think about. That's literally what they did.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01They're just stealing your money. I did what I had to do.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05I would not want to do it again.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Renee's encounter with this pair was truly horrific.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Unfortunately she was not the only one to be scammed.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15I'm afraid there were many more.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19In fact, Nolan and Gray were linked to 35 other cases
0:06:19 > 0:06:22of distraction burglary across the south-east which netted them
0:06:22 > 0:06:27over £3,000 in cash plus jewellery and other valuables.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31But time was running out for the devious duo.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Thanks to some determined detective work by Surrey police
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and the bravery of victims like Renee.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40We'll catch up with her a little later on.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42I'm really looking forward to it.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Here's another example of doorstep crime.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49I'm Martin Woodley from Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53I want to tell you about a man using aggressive techniques to gain work.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55I want your viewers to know
0:06:55 > 0:06:57how we caught him and brought him to justice.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Thanks for that, and I must say it sounds most intriguing.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03We're always keen to hear about success stories
0:07:03 > 0:07:07and we have been to meet Martin to find out exactly what happened.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10The victim wishes to remain anonymous
0:07:10 > 0:07:13but is more than happy to tell her story as a warning to others.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16So we are calling her Jean.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19For legal reasons we're unable to identify
0:07:19 > 0:07:21the rogue who ripped Jean off
0:07:21 > 0:07:24so we will call him John Smith.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27The victim didn't really want the work done but I think she felt
0:07:27 > 0:07:30so pressured, and in the end agreed
0:07:30 > 0:07:33just to basically get rid of him.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Our story goes way back to 2001 when Jean hired Smith
0:07:37 > 0:07:40to lay a new driveway at her Oxfordshire home.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44But the job was botched and left over shoddy paving, a blocked drain,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49and a bill for a whopping £2,500.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Jean thought she had seen the last of Smith and his cronies
0:07:53 > 0:07:59until 10 years later when in January 2011 she was given a nasty shock.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05The door went, and I was absolutely aghast
0:08:05 > 0:08:08that the same guy was back
0:08:08 > 0:08:13and also, admitted that he had worked on my drive
0:08:13 > 0:08:16all those years before.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18To which I told him, in no uncertain terms,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I was disgusted with his behaviour.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25And in fact, he still owed me money from 2001.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29You'd have thought that after his previous swindle
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Jean would have told the shameless rogue to sling his hook.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Unbelievably though, Smith used all his charm to persuade her
0:08:36 > 0:08:39that her driveway we was in need of urgent work.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42After quite a lengthy conversation, of yes,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44it needs doing, which I admit it did,
0:08:44 > 0:08:49but nothing was in my budget to spend on tidying up my drive.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53He said, "We will talk about it again next week."
0:08:53 > 0:08:58I thought, "Thank God for that. He's gone."
0:08:58 > 0:08:59But like a bad smell,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Smith re-appeared on Monday morning complete with his gang.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Jean was bemused, understandably.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11I said, "I decided over the weekend it is not in the budget.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15"I do not have the money." But he kept on and on and on.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16I was getting fed up with him
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and told him I did not want to go ahead.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21I said, "If you do start you're not getting a penny more than £200."
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Uh-oh. That throwaway comment was all that Smith needed
0:09:25 > 0:09:29to start ramping up the pressure and the price
0:09:29 > 0:09:32to begin work on her driveway.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Jean was feeling confused and very vulnerable.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Then he wanted to make a proposal of widening both sides,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41and it went up to £950.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46And then up to £1,300. Then he said, "I can relay it for £3,000."
0:09:46 > 0:09:52That's when I got really panic-stricken. He would not stop.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55He just kept on and on and on.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59I thought, "what the hell have I got myself into?"
0:09:59 > 0:10:01At no time did she have any paperwork,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04she did not know who they were, who she was dealing with,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06they gave her false names.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Also, they did not tell her about her seven days to cancel.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11She had no idea that she did not have to get the work done anyway.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13She could have cancelled that contract any time.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Martin is absolutely right.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18We're all entitled to a seven-day cooling-off period
0:10:18 > 0:10:21for products and services sold in our homes.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24But things were spiralling out of control for poor Jean.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26It seemed she was being held to ransom
0:10:26 > 0:10:29by Smith and his heartless gang.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But they do say once bitten, twice shy,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36and this plucky lady was about to start fighting back.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41That point is when I came in and phoned my nephew.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45He said, "Put the phone down, I will phone trading standards."
0:10:45 > 0:10:52The relief was immediate that I was no longer dealing with this alone.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Once we got the call we contacted the local units,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58they went out the location,
0:10:58 > 0:11:03and luckily all the offenders were still there.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07The victim was very scared, very concerned about what was going on,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09but most of all she was very frightened
0:11:09 > 0:11:14by the fact that there was five of them and she was on her own.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18In fact, the response of police and trading standards was so swift
0:11:18 > 0:11:22that Smith and his band of rogues simply did not stand a chance.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27The road was blocked at both ends by the police.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29They were caught red-handed.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Smith and his associates were arrested
0:11:31 > 0:11:33and taken away for questioning.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Thanks to Jean's quick thinking in contacting her nephew
0:11:36 > 0:11:40her nightmare was over in a matter of minutes.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43She was absolutely right to trust in her family
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and tell her family and then get them to help her out.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49The first thing to do is absolutely tell somebody else.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Trust in them,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54and get that information to the relevant enforcement agencies.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Trading standards were on the case.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Evidence emerged that Smith had targeted vulnerable residents
0:12:01 > 0:12:03in other regions.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06A day after the incident I give some investigation
0:12:06 > 0:12:11and I found out that Croydon Trading Standards were aware of them.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14So I contacted them and established
0:12:14 > 0:12:17that they had been doing the same things, being threatening,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and also pretending to be from a charity as well.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23But I am afraid that the person that they targeted over there
0:12:23 > 0:12:25was too afraid to give a statement.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27But it did not matter
0:12:27 > 0:12:29because once they were caught trying to rip off Jean,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Smith and his cronies were taken off the streets at last.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36All that remained was for Martin Woodley and his team
0:12:36 > 0:12:39to decide what to charge them with.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Because she had said no and on numerous occasions
0:12:42 > 0:12:45they had kept on and on and on and forcing her eventually
0:12:45 > 0:12:47to have the work done,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50we decided to go down the route of an aggressive practise.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And it was for this aggressive practise
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and failing to give cancellation rights
0:12:57 > 0:13:02that John Smith was fined £9,200 at Oxford Crown Court
0:13:02 > 0:13:07after the hearings in December 2011 and January 2012.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11For Trading Standards, across the UK, we are always delighted
0:13:11 > 0:13:14if we can get a result through the court process.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18And across the UK we're all working together to try to make sure
0:13:18 > 0:13:20we can bring these people to justice.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25For me, I just want to try and help those elderly and vulnerable
0:13:25 > 0:13:27that have been targeted by these people.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Jean has certainly learnt a valuable lesson
0:13:30 > 0:13:31when it comes to dealing
0:13:31 > 0:13:35with undesirable doorsteppers in the future.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Out of it has come strength to deal with these sort of people.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Which has amazed me.
0:13:40 > 0:13:47I no way now will take anybody knocking on my door
0:13:47 > 0:13:50offering me any service whatsoever.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52I tell them that they are totally unwelcome
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and I do not want to see them
0:13:54 > 0:13:59and I do not want their product and I do not want them anywhere near me.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Still to come...
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Another brave lady who played a vital role in capturing a doorstep offender.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08The victim in this case was second to none. She was really fantastic.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Without her detailed recall, we really would have struggled
0:14:11 > 0:14:14to put together a lucid account of what had happened.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Once again, thank you very much
0:14:21 > 0:14:23for sending in all your letters and e-mails.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27I've had a letter from a Mrs Check, who lives in Staffordshire.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29She says, "we must all be very careful
0:14:29 > 0:14:32"because there are many bogus callers about."
0:14:32 > 0:14:33If she suspects a cold caller,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36or someone posing a risk to her property,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38she phones the police with her suspicions,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41but she would never, ever do business at the door.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44So, Mrs Check, thank you very much indeed for that advice and your letter.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Earlier, we saw how Rene Burrell
0:14:46 > 0:14:49bravely stood up to cold-hearted burglars.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52The police investigation was very sophisticated,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and I was keen to meet the officer to find out
0:14:55 > 0:14:57how they brought these crooks to justice.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00And what a pair they are too!
0:15:00 > 0:15:04James Nolan and Samantha Gray were desperate distraction burglars
0:15:04 > 0:15:07who struck at homes right across the South East.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10They posed as charity workers or police officers
0:15:10 > 0:15:14to steal thousands of pounds from vulnerable people.
0:15:14 > 0:15:1988-year-old Rene Burrell was conned into letting them into her Surrey home,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22where they stole her purse, containing £200.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24It's very frightening.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Especially when you're old and you're on your own.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34It was an extremely challenging case for the police to co-ordinate
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and I'm really looking forward to meeting the detective
0:15:37 > 0:15:42whose very hard work managed to bring James Nolan and Samantha Gray to justice.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Detective Sergeant Prabh Bajwa has been with the Surrey Police
0:15:46 > 0:15:50for more than 12 years and led the search for the conniving couple.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55It strikes me it must have taken a great team effort
0:15:55 > 0:15:57on behalf of the police to actually track them
0:15:57 > 0:15:58and eventually crack the case.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Definitely. When we first got this case in our office,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04we were all very passionate about getting these people.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07One of our main concerns was they were beginning to use
0:16:07 > 0:16:09a bit of violence, pushing victims out of the way.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13It was only a matter of time before one of them got seriously injured.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18How unusual is it to have a woman at the forefront of a scam like this?
0:16:18 > 0:16:21They weren't just a team, obviously, but is it unusual in your job
0:16:21 > 0:16:24to find women who are up to this kind of scam?
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Yes, definitely. She contributed a lot to this crime.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29She was the first person that would knock on the door.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31She gained the trust of these elderly people
0:16:31 > 0:16:35and would gain entry initially, and then he would follow afterwards.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40What was it in the end that actually allowed the police to crack this case?
0:16:40 > 0:16:43It was definitely the fact that they were so distinctive,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45the female being 5'10" - 5'11",
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and the male being 5'3" - 5'5".
0:16:48 > 0:16:50They were such a distinctive couple,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53it was only a matter of time before they came to notice.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55They were offending from their vehicle, living in their car,
0:16:55 > 0:16:57committing the crime there,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59and then moving onto the next kind of target area.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02The breakthrough came when a police patrol vehicle
0:17:02 > 0:17:06spotted Nelson and Gray in their car and moved in to arrest them.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08But the pair weren't giving up that easily.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11As they pulled up next to the vehicle,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13the offenders' vehicle reversed and drove off.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15There was a short pursuit, following which,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18both people from the vehicle got out and ran off.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22In the confusion, police managed to grab Samantha Gray.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26But Nolan escaped, minus one rather important item.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29He left one of his shoes in the vehicle and ran off,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32so we didn't get hold of him. Samantha Gray was arrested.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35It was quite apparent that they were living day to day in that vehicle
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and using the proceeds of crime to fund their drug habit.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42With Gray now in custody, it wasn't long before police caught up
0:17:42 > 0:17:44with her hapless and shoeless accomplice.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46James Nolan was arrested.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It was a stop check by a Metropolitan Police officer
0:17:49 > 0:17:51who identified who he was.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54He was under the influence of drugs and alcohol
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and was slumped over in his car.
0:17:56 > 0:18:02Nolan and Gray were finally brought before the courts in May 2011
0:18:02 > 0:18:05ending a callous three-month crime spree during which
0:18:05 > 0:18:11they stole £3,000 in cash and valuables from 35 people.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13James Nolan received eight years in prison
0:18:13 > 0:18:17and Samantha Gray got six years.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18How do you feel about that,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22when you see them actually in court and they get their sentence,
0:18:22 > 0:18:23how does that take you feel?
0:18:23 > 0:18:27It definitely is a great feeling, knowing that all the hard work
0:18:27 > 0:18:29that my team and I put in definitely paid off.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Without my team, this would not have been achieved.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34I had a lot of officers working very long hours,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36collecting all the information,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39trying to almost predict where they would be going next.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- I'm very proud of the team I had at the time.- I bet you are.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49Of course, one person who's really happy to see them behind bars is Renee.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50I thought they deserved it.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54If that's the way they live, I mean,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57I don't think you will ever stop those sort of people anyway
0:18:57 > 0:19:00but at least if they're locked up inside, they can't do it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03And I'm glad to say that this courageous lady
0:19:03 > 0:19:06has also learned a really valuable lesson.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Well I'm more careful.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13They would certainly have to show me their card before I let anybody in.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Well obviously, our thanks go to Renee for sharing her story
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and to DS Bajwa and her colleagues.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24The people of Surrey must feel really reassured to know
0:19:24 > 0:19:28that their police force take such a hard line on doorstep crime.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31You can rest assured that the authorities will respond promptly
0:19:31 > 0:19:34if the call for help comes quickly enough,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36as indeed our next story shows.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42This CCTV footage reveals distraction burglar Daniel Malyon
0:19:42 > 0:19:45casually walking out of the sheltered accommodation block
0:19:45 > 0:19:50just moments after stealing money from 91-year-old Hilda Ellis.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55The last thing he expected was that the brave lady would fight back.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Hilda is unable to appear on camera,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01but her daughter Lorraine is keen to share her story.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06My mum's character is very stubborn, very strong willed.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08We all try to go up and help her
0:20:08 > 0:20:11because she's partially sighted as well, but she doesn't like that,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15so we do try to let her have as much independence as we can do.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Malyon committed his cowardly crime in September 2011,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24just hours before Lorraine was due to visit her mum.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Detective Constable Matt Rogers headed up the investigation.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31We think these individuals target the sheltered housing
0:20:31 > 0:20:34because the premises itself is fairly recognisable
0:20:34 > 0:20:37as a local authority controlled sheltered block of flats -
0:20:37 > 0:20:39that would have been obvious to him.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42He would have walked up a pathway away from the road
0:20:42 > 0:20:44to gain access from the building where the occupants,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48by virtue of their age, are perhaps particularly vulnerable.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53He may have chosen an apparently easy target in a secluded location,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55but Malyon had no idea
0:20:55 > 0:20:59that his every move was being captured by CCTV cameras.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00Before the burglary takes place,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04the offender enters the communal area of the flats and he's clearly
0:21:04 > 0:21:08having a look around, looking for something to perhaps take,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10moving objects before leaving
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and going into the residential area of the flats.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16You can see him on the camera knocking on the door
0:21:16 > 0:21:18of another resident on the ground floor.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Thankfully, the resident of that flat is not in,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24so he doesn't actually manage to gain access to that particular room.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28It's incredible to see how nonchalant he is as Malyon
0:21:28 > 0:21:31wanders around the building looking for a suitable victim.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Shortly after walking up these stairs,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36he knocked on the door of Hilda's flat.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38The victim has answered her door
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and she's confronted with the offender standing there.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44He's got some relatively fresh injuries to his face.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47He tells her a story, how he'd just been assaulted
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and his money had been taken and so she agrees to help him.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52She's trusting of him.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55She has no reason to disbelieve him at this stage.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Our victim has gone inside and the offender followed her into her flat
0:21:58 > 0:22:00whereby they sit in the lounge,
0:22:00 > 0:22:06he asks her for some money for a bus ride back to Southend I believe,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08and the victim had obliged with some money,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10but he's demanded some more cash from her.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Hilda gave Malyon the money he asked for.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20Then he asked for a glass of water, and while her back was turned,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23he just helped himself to the rest of the cash in her purse.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27His pockets full, Malyon made his excuses and left
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and that's when Hilda sensed that something wasn't quite right.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37Mum decided to look in her purse, realised that the money had gone,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40tried to contact me and I was in town,
0:22:40 > 0:22:45managed to get a telephone call to say what had happened, flew up there.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50By the time I got up there, the CID and forensics were round there.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Mum was in a very bad state,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56really upset, felt stupid, vulnerable,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59believed every word the guy said.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Upset as Hilda was at being taken in by Malyon,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07she was determined that the gutless thief should be brought to justice.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10The victim in this case was second to none, really fantastic.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12She could recall very clearly what happened to her.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Despite being partially sighted, she was able to give us
0:23:15 > 0:23:18a very detailed description of the offender, about his clothing,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22about his physical appearance, where he'd been and what he'd done,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24so without her assistance, without her detailed recall,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26we really would have struggled
0:23:26 > 0:23:28to put together a lucid account of what had happened.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Combined with the CCTV footage, Hilda's detailed statement
0:23:33 > 0:23:35gave the police all they needed
0:23:35 > 0:23:39to identify this really unpleasant thief.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Within 24 hours of tricking his way into Hilda's flat,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45police officers tracked down Daniel Malyon.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49He was arrested and charged with burglary.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50After being charged with this offence,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53the offender thankfully pleaded guilty at Crown Court.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56This was of some relief to me, I have to say,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58but mainly to the victim and her family
0:23:58 > 0:24:00because it avoided her having to attend court
0:24:00 > 0:24:03or give evidence in some fashion at court,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06which no doubt would have been of great stress to her
0:24:06 > 0:24:08if she'd been asked to do that.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13At Ipswich Crown Court on 24th November 2011,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Daniel Malyon was sentenced to three years' imprisonment
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and justice had been done.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Brave as she'd been, the impact of Malyon's despicable actions
0:24:22 > 0:24:24has stayed with Hilda and her family.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25He's scum.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30I don't think the criminals realise what affect it has on people
0:24:30 > 0:24:33when they do these crimes.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35They're out for what they can get
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and as long as they get what they want,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41that doesn't matter to them who they hurt,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43how much it effects the victim.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48I daresay that DC Rogers also feels a certain amount of satisfaction
0:24:48 > 0:24:50in bringing this man to justice
0:24:50 > 0:24:55because his own family has been affected by this type of crime.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57This has happened to my grandmother in London.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00I have first-hand experience of the type of upset and distress
0:25:00 > 0:25:03that it can cause the victims and their families
0:25:03 > 0:25:07when they are subject to these despicable offences.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09In that respect, it means a lot to me
0:25:09 > 0:25:12when these offenders are brought to justice, yes.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15The whole experience has been tough for Hilda and her family
0:25:15 > 0:25:17but as Matt Rogers explains,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21there are lessons we can all learn from their ordeal.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22My advice to householders
0:25:22 > 0:25:25who are confronted with this type of sob story at their front door
0:25:25 > 0:25:27from strangers who have knocked on their door
0:25:27 > 0:25:30asking for money or some sort of assistance
0:25:30 > 0:25:32is to treat it with caution
0:25:32 > 0:25:34and treat it with some suspicion as well.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Keep them out of your flat, don't open the door
0:25:36 > 0:25:38and if in doubt, ring the police.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Since I found out this guy's been sentenced
0:25:41 > 0:25:47I feel a lot more relieved to know that he can't pick on another victim.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49People are safer.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54My mum is safer and that makes me happy.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Our thanks to Lorraine and her mum
0:26:02 > 0:26:04for letting us hear the details of that story.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06There's just enough time to read your poem
0:26:06 > 0:26:10which has been sent in by Maureen Davies of South Wales.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Seven stanzas, by the way, on the subject of rogue gardeners.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14I'm not going to read them all,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17but I think when they came to the door looking for their money,
0:26:17 > 0:26:18I think she was a bit surprised,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and this is one of the verses which she wrote. She said...
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The lady in the poem ends up, I'm afraid, being ripped off,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and I hope it wasn't based on real life, Maureen.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43There we go. The moral is, don't deal with doorstep gardeners.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46We're here to fight back against doorstep criminals
0:26:46 > 0:26:47and we'd really love to hear more
0:26:47 > 0:26:50about how you've stopped them ripping you off.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53You can always find the details about how to reach us at...
0:26:54 > 0:26:56May I just say, thanks for watching
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and I hope you'll join me again next time.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd