0:00:02 > 0:00:07Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12- Police!- Police officers. Stay where you are!
0:00:22 > 0:00:23You're under arrest.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27In this series, I'll be investigating
0:00:27 > 0:00:29the world of the criminals who make
0:00:29 > 0:00:31their money at your expense -
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and I'm going to be showing YOU how NOT to get ripped off.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Coming up...
0:00:36 > 0:00:40How fake euros can get innocent holidaymakers banged up abroad.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I was in bits, to be honest. I was crying, you know what I mean?
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I was petrified. I was in a foreign jail. I didn't know nothing.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51And the heartbreak caused to animal lovers by the fake pet cremations.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54I asked if I could see him, but they said, "No, you cannot.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57"We won't let you see him, because of the state he's in."
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Apparently, he was covered in flies and maggots.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10If you're going on holiday to Europe,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14then the chances are, you'll be needing some of these - euros.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17We exchange our pounds for millions of these each year.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Now, these ones are real.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22But if the euros you get are fake -
0:01:22 > 0:01:24and trust me, there are loads of them out there -
0:01:24 > 0:01:27then you could be in very big trouble.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34This is a police raid on a counterfeiting ring in Italy,
0:01:34 > 0:01:39where the officers burst into a criminal operation producing millions of fake euros.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43The production is sophisticated and they are using hi-tech equipment
0:01:43 > 0:01:46to recreate as many of the security features as possible.
0:01:46 > 0:01:52This could affect you, as millions of fakes are out there - and they could be in your pocket.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Alan Williams and his family go skiing every year
0:01:55 > 0:01:59and look forward to their relaxing holiday away together.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00Last Christmas,
0:02:00 > 0:02:01we, as a family,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04decided to go to Kitzbuhel in Austria. I went to Thomas Cook
0:02:04 > 0:02:07in Cheltenham and booked a package holiday.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08When I went to pick up the tickets,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12I actually bought £2,000 worth of euros from Thomas Cook.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15I stuck them back in my bag and took them to Austria with me.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20But, having arrived in Kitzbuhel, and keen to get on the slopes as soon as possible,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Alan bought the lift passes and things started to go wrong.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28When I went to buy the lift passes and she asked me for the 1,300 euros,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31I opened the plastic wallet which Thomas Cook had given me
0:02:31 > 0:02:33and took out the wodge of notes.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The girl started feeding them through a small scanning machine,
0:02:36 > 0:02:41and it bleeped and rejected one of the notes. It was clear there was a problem with it.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44In the meantime, I gave her a replacement note.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49But attempting to pass a fake euro meant he was guilty of a crime.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54And then, suddenly, a man appeared next to us and introduced himself as the police.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57He said, "I'd like you to come to the police station."
0:02:57 > 0:03:01It was clear to me that, if I didn't go voluntarily, he would arrest me and take me.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The police escorted them back to their hotel,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08where they searched their room and asked them to produce identification.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13He turned it pretty well upside down. He opened the Christmas presents and cards, looking for more money.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17And then in the police station, I explained where I got the money.
0:03:17 > 0:03:23I showed him the receipt from Thomas Cook. He examined all the other money and also the forged note.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Alan was held in the police interview room for five hours
0:03:27 > 0:03:31and the seriousness of the situation began to dawn on him.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34I was guilty of being in possession of a counterfeit note.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Merely being in possession is viewed as a serious crime on the Continent,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42and I'd have no option but to plead guilty to that if I was charged.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46But, of course, I've also attempted to buy a lift pass with a counterfeit note,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48which, again, is a serious crime.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53And, really, I felt the only thing to do was to try and assist him as much as possible
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and hope he'd decide it's not worth pursuing any further.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Because if they decide to pursue the issue, then I'd have no choice but to plead guilty.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07But there have been several cases of Brits abroad held by police for having fake euros.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09With 17 nations using the euro,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12it's the second most used currency in the world,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15so it's an attractive target for the counterfeiters.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Here in Frankfurt,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20at the headquarters of the European Central Bank,
0:04:20 > 0:04:26it's their job to coordinate all the information on all the forgeries found right across Europe.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Every time a new counterfeit is identified,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31a sample is sent to us as soon as possible.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36What I have on screen at the moment is a comparison of a genuine 50,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and the counterfeit.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42What is interesting, perhaps, is the way in which
0:04:42 > 0:04:45the counterfeiter has attacked the various security features.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47The most looked-at security feature,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51at least from a public perspective, is undoubtedly the hologram.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55The hologram shows two different pictures as it moves in the light,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58so it's difficult to forge.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00You can see that clearly on the left.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04But this is not the case with the fake on the right.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08One other thing we could draw attention to here is the watermark.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11You can see that, with the counterfeit,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14the watermark is, in fact, printed, whereas...
0:05:14 > 0:05:18if we look in the watermark area on the genuine,
0:05:18 > 0:05:19it's essentially invisible.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23The third main giveaway is how the note actually feels.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27These lines here - as you can see, they're raised and, consequently,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31when we run our nail across the finished entity, we feel -
0:05:31 > 0:05:34or we rather hear - a kind of washboard effect.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35I'm not going to feel that,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38or hear it, with this note because it's a counterfeit.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42This particular counterfeit note was made in the UK.
0:05:42 > 0:05:48The quality of the fake notes varies, but 75% of them are made on professional printers.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51He'll make something as good as he feels it necessary,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55in order to be accepted by the ultimate victim.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59The police accepted Alan's story, as he had the receipt from Thomas Cook
0:05:59 > 0:06:02to prove he had changed the money in good faith.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Thomas Cook refunded the note, as a gesture of goodwill,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09but do not accept that the counterfeit came from them.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13I just felt I was an unfortunate victim of a note that had slipped through the system.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17But actually, I was being treated under the Austrian legal system
0:06:17 > 0:06:19as though I was a major currency swindler.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Alan got off lightly.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25But later, we'll find out what happened to Carl Redden,
0:06:25 > 0:06:26who wasn't so lucky.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I was actually locked up with life prisoners -
0:06:29 > 0:06:35rapists, drug dealers. You name it, they're in there.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47Every year, there are between 40,000 and 80,000 DNA tests done in the UK
0:06:47 > 0:06:49to determine the paternity of a child.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54Stuart Richards works for the Child Support Agency,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57who are there to ensure that the parent caring for the child
0:06:57 > 0:07:00gets financial support from the other parent.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Stuart leads one of the CSA's investigation teams.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Our role is primarily ensuring we make the correct calculation
0:07:07 > 0:07:09of maintenance to support the child,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11and then ensure the money flows to that child.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16It's a very important role, in terms of ensuring that parents have the opportunity and wherewithal
0:07:16 > 0:07:18to support their children through their growing life.
0:07:18 > 0:07:24But not everyone is happy to accept their responsibilities.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28We investigate any allegations where there are fraudulent attempts by people
0:07:28 > 0:07:30to avoid paying their maintenance.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34That type of fraud may be that they attempt to suppress their income levels,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36or they may undertake a DNA fraud,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39to try to show they're not the parent of a child they are.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44This type of fraud is not the norm, but it's more common than you might think.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47In the last two years, there have been seven convictions in the UK,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50with 32 cases ongoing.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51What people will do
0:07:51 > 0:07:55is they're provided the opportunity to take a DNA test,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58to prove unequivocally whether they are the father of the child or not.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01The fraud people will undertake, in regard to that,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04they'll get somebody else to go and take the test.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06So they will try and get another person - different DNA -
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and they believe that'll be the end of the matter.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13But it's not that simple to defraud the system.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16This young mother, whose identity we have to protect,
0:08:16 > 0:08:21fell pregnant by her boyfriend, who wasn't so pleased by the news.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25I told him I was pregnant and his response to me was,
0:08:25 > 0:08:30"Well, we can carry on seeing each other. Just get rid of...
0:08:30 > 0:08:32"the baby."
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Whereas my response was, I wasn't going to get rid of the baby.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40- SHE CLEARS HER THROAT - So then I was just told that he was...not going to be around.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45There was absolutely no contact at all.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Once he decided to go his way, that was it.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53She had a baby girl and sent the father a photo of his daughter,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55in case he ever wanted to get in touch.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59But I still got no reply, no answer to anything,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01so I just left it, then.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06But five months down the line, it all sort of unravelled,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08cos I got an e-mail from his wife.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Shocked that he was married, things started to make sense.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17And it was his wife who told her to contact the Child Support Agency.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19They demanded that he contribute financially
0:09:19 > 0:09:20to the upbringing of his child,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23but he denied that he was the father.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Some people do contest they are the father
0:09:25 > 0:09:29and, rightly, there is a process in place to enable them to challenge it.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32When that happens, we facilitate them to provide a DNA sample,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35which will prove whether they're the father or not.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39A DNA sample was taken from the mother, daughter and man in question,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and sent off to be tested.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I was expecting it to come back that obviously,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I'm her mother and he's her father.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49There was no doubt in my mind of who the father was
0:09:49 > 0:09:53so, to me, it was like a straightforward test.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56DNA is the body's genetic blueprint.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01Testing DNA can conclusively prove whether a man is the true father of a child.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Everybody's DNA is unique.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06We can get a DNA sample by taking a simple mouth swab
0:10:06 > 0:10:09from the inside of somebody's mouth. Having extracted that DNA
0:10:09 > 0:10:12from the mother, the child and the alleged father,
0:10:12 > 0:10:18we can go through and carry out a number of different tests that identifies markers in the DNA.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20These genetic markers, because they're inherited
0:10:20 > 0:10:23half from the mother, half from the father,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25if you look at the DNA pattern of the child,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27you can see every single marker in there.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31If it isn't from the mother, it must come from the man we're testing,
0:10:31 > 0:10:32if he is the father of the child.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37This allows us to provide a conclusive analysis of paternity.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41I received the DNA results through the post and when I opened them,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44it said that he wasn't the father.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49I phoned the CSA, like, pretty much straightaway.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52And I kind of... I explained to them that, you know,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I'd received the results and that I wasn't happy,
0:10:55 > 0:11:01because I know that he was the father, but it's saying that he's not.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04She was told that DNA testing provides definitive proof
0:11:04 > 0:11:06as to the identity of the father.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11But she was sure who the father was, so something wasn't adding up.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15We use doctors to take samples so that at the appointment,
0:11:15 > 0:11:20the doctor can confirm that the person from whom the sample's being taken is the right person.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21We use photographic evidence
0:11:21 > 0:11:24and we also collect signatures from people at the appointment.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28We can be absolutely certain everything is accurate and correct.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31So, if you can't escape from your DNA and who you are,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34how is this fraud even possible?
0:11:34 > 0:11:39All I got in response was that them tests are 99.999% certain.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I said, "Well, I'm not disputing your testing system,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45"I'm disputing who took the test."
0:11:45 > 0:11:49I knew he would have pulled some sort of stunt.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Whoever's gone is not my daughter's father.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55She was absolutely categoric and emphatic that this man was the father
0:11:55 > 0:11:57of the child involved here,
0:11:57 > 0:11:58and clearly wanted to progress it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02When we heard her information, we sent an investigator to meet her,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06and we showed her a photograph of the person who had taken the DNA test.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09The mother in this instance was absolutely categoric -
0:12:09 > 0:12:11that was not the man she had named as the father.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I explained, I've never seen him before in my life.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19Didn't have a clue who he was. So I know he's not my daughter's father.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And they... Obviously, then, they turned round and said,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25well...they would be opening a fraud...
0:12:25 > 0:12:30My case would have to be transferred to the fraud side of things.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The person named on that application was not the person in the photo
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and, by inference, clearly not the person who took the DNA test
0:12:36 > 0:12:38that came back negative.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42This is a very serious fraud, both emotionally and financially.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45It could result in a parent knowingly cheating their own child
0:12:45 > 0:12:49out of tens of thousands of pounds over the course of their childhood.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The impact on those people - it's not just about the money.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54It's the emotional impact on the mother and child
0:12:54 > 0:12:56when they go to these lengths -
0:12:56 > 0:12:59particularly a fraudulent length - to show they're not the father.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01For the mother and child in this case,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04where they fraudulently attempted to show they are
0:13:04 > 0:13:07not the father of a child, is an utterly despicable act.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11We undertook an arrest of the man named as the father. He was questioned at that point.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13What had actually happened was,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17he'd asked somebody to go to the doctor in his place to take the test,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21ensuring that the DNA result would come back negative.
0:13:21 > 0:13:27Subsequently, he has been to court and been found guilty of offences under the Fraud Act.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29He now has a criminal record and,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31obviously, the maintenance he was due to pay,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33we've secured that now.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36But there was an arrears of maintenance that he had accrued.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38He has gained nothing in doing this.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43I just pity him, for him to sink so low
0:13:43 > 0:13:46to be able to pull stunts like that.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Relieved that he's had to take responsibility at last,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52she's never regretted her decision.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54I can thank him for the best thing I've ever had,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and that's my little girl.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59She's the best thing that ever happened to me.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01I wouldn't be without her.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10When a pet that has been loved and a constant companion
0:14:10 > 0:14:14finally passes on it can hit some owners really hard.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17They want the best for it, even after it's died.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22As our investigation reveals, some pet owners have been fooled.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27That dignified final farewell that they paid for and cherished turned out to be anything but.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30It's the fake pet cremation scam.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34When Bournville, Linda's older dog, died,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37they paid for an individual cremation for him.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39We expressed the wish to the vet
0:14:39 > 0:14:41that we wanted him solely cremated,
0:14:41 > 0:14:42by himself,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44and we wanted his ashes back,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48to go with our other pet, who had died the previous year.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54So we understand his body was collected the following day from the vet's by the crematorium.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59We got the phone call the following week from the vet
0:14:59 > 0:15:02to say they'd received Bournville's ashes back.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Me and my son went to collect his ashes.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10Just when they thought they'd laid him to rest, the RSPCA called.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13A man out walking one morning had come across the bodies
0:15:13 > 0:15:17of four dogs dumped in a field, one of whom was Bournville.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21First initial reaction was disbelief.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22No, this couldn't happen.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24This is not right.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Bournville died in my arms and we've got his ashes here.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32We've got him here. And she described his markings and he was microchipped.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34She said, "He's registered to you."
0:15:34 > 0:15:37We went to identify the body and it was Bournville.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Obviously, because he'd been lying in the field
0:15:41 > 0:15:46for perhaps a good week and a half,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48two weeks,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51he obviously wasn't a pretty sight.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53He was a marvellous dog.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55His character, his personality.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59You couldn't get one better. You couldn't get one better.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03That's what hurts, because he was a member of our family.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06A member of our four dogs.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08These were our children, as well.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14To know that he was just dumped, as though he was rubbish,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17is very heartbreaking.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19But she wasn't alone.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Found dumped in the field along with Bournville was the body of Sam,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25a black Labrador, whose owner Angie
0:16:25 > 0:16:27had had him put to sleep at the vet's.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30I assumed he was going to go to a crematorium
0:16:30 > 0:16:32and that he was going to be cremated
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and that his ashes would be scattered.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39But she too had the news that the cremation she'd paid for had failed
0:16:39 > 0:16:43to happen and Sam's body was just dumped in a field.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47We just couldn't believe that we were being told this.
0:16:49 > 0:16:55We just didn't understand how anyone could do anything like that.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57I asked if I could see him,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59but they said, "No.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04"You cannot. We won't let you, because of the state he's in."
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Apparently, he was covered in flies and maggots.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11He was in a terrible state.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Both Sam and Bournville had been sent by the vet
0:17:15 > 0:17:17to Peak Pet Cremations, to be cremated.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21In reality, Emma Bent, who ran the company, had no cremation licence
0:17:21 > 0:17:25and her incinerator had not worked for several years.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28This resulted in around 3,000 pet owners
0:17:28 > 0:17:31being conned by her fake cremations.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33And it was big business.
0:17:33 > 0:17:40The kiln in question was apparently found in total disrepair.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44It was all rusted up and hadn't been used for a long time.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48They've either been burned on bonfires
0:17:48 > 0:17:51or dumped at various locations.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57There's other evidence to say that she'd been disposing
0:17:57 > 0:18:01of clinical waste on bonfires.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Now this clinical waste included syringes
0:18:05 > 0:18:09that had still got
0:18:09 > 0:18:11medication in the syringes
0:18:11 > 0:18:18that were used to euthanise animals with.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Now, had a child got hold of that,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24it doesn't bear thinking about.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Since then, Sam and Bournville have been cremated
0:18:28 > 0:18:33under the high standards of the Association of Private Pet Cemeteries & Crematoria.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35These are Bournville's genuine ashes
0:18:35 > 0:18:37that we witnessed at Bournville's cremation.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39We're just so pleased we know
0:18:39 > 0:18:42we've got this as the real Bournville's ashes.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Emma Bent had been receiving these pets from the vet
0:18:46 > 0:18:48and getting paid to cremate them,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51but was instead just dumping their bodies in the local area.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54She was charged with separate counts of fraud
0:18:54 > 0:18:56by the Crown Prosecution Service,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00the Environment Agency and Trading Standards, and was sentenced
0:19:00 > 0:19:03to eight months in jail for fraud and having no licence.
0:19:03 > 0:19:10We found it so hard that a business lady, a business woman,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13can be so hard-hearted.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Everything was, to our way of thinking, very callous.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Whilst this is an extreme case,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24it does highlight the discrepancies in the cremation services on offer.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Pet owners routinely aren't being given the cremation they believe they're paying for.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34For a lot of people the perception is individual cremation equals their pet
0:19:34 > 0:19:37being looked after akin to a human service.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Simply that's not the case in the majority of situations using
0:19:41 > 0:19:44bigger companies that come round once a week.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48There are a whole range of services on offer when your pet passes away,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51with many claiming to cremate your pet individually.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55But they differ widely in their meaning of "individual".
0:19:55 > 0:19:59I'm part of an association that adheres to a strict code of practice
0:19:59 > 0:20:01that defines what individual means.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05I hope our definition is in keeping with what the general public
0:20:05 > 0:20:06believes individual to mean,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08which is one pet cremated,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11whether they be a hamster or Great Dane, on their own
0:20:11 > 0:20:15in an enclosed chamber, until the cremation is fully completed.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19All their ashes are then removed and given back to the owner.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Some companies will do numbered tray cremations, where 10-15, possibly
0:20:23 > 0:20:29more, pets are placed on trays then put into a chamber at the same time.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33The other practice that does go on is effectively a communal creation.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37And, literally, that is a scoop of ashes taken from that communal
0:20:37 > 0:20:41cremation, which is put into a casket and given back to that owner.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Again, unfortunately, that is under the guise of individual cremation.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48So it's important to know exactly which
0:20:48 > 0:20:52cremation service your vet uses, to make an informed choice
0:20:52 > 0:20:54about how to say goodbye to your pet.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Until something like this happens,
0:20:56 > 0:21:01you don't ask the questions, because you don't feel you have to.
0:21:01 > 0:21:08People need to go out there and find out for themselves what's what.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18When the euro came into circulation in 2002, it was hailed as the most
0:21:18 > 0:21:21counterfeit-proof currency ever to roll off the presses.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23But they were wrong.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Carl Redden works at the fruit and veg wholesale markets in Birmingham.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31He wanted to propose to his girlfriend on a romantic holiday
0:21:31 > 0:21:34in Cyprus, but it didn't go to plan.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36I proposed to her on the
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Monday afternoon, just down by the poolside.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43A few drinks flowing, everything was nice and I proposed to her that day.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45They popped out to the local shops
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and all romance came to an abrupt end.
0:21:48 > 0:21:54We walked into the shop, got our bits and bobs, went to the counter,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56paid with a 50-euro bank note.
0:21:56 > 0:22:02The lady behind the till scanned it, passed it back, said it was fake.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I said, "Are you sure, love?
0:22:05 > 0:22:07"Check it again. I don't know."
0:22:07 > 0:22:11She's gone, "Yeah, it's fake. I'm going to have to phone the police."
0:22:11 > 0:22:14I said, "OK, fair enough. I'll wait here.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17I waited for maybe 15-20 minutes, police came,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19asked me about the bank note.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22"Yes, it's mine." Asked me where I got it from.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Which I got it from England, Birmingham, obviously, where I live.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27My nan got them for me.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30So then they arrested both of us,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32took...put us into separate cars,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34er...straight to the police station.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38I didn't see the Suzanne then for...until we went to court,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40three days after.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43In court, the judge asked them if they had anything
0:22:43 > 0:22:44to say in their defence.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46So I said, "Look, you know, we haven't...
0:22:46 > 0:22:49"we don't know about this euro note.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53"Er...we've come here for a holiday, you know, we proposed yesterday.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57"We're all-inclusive, so we didn't even need this money, you know.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59"Please, can you help us?"
0:22:59 > 0:23:02And the judge just said, "Well, we'll give you bail
0:23:02 > 0:23:05"but we want 5,000 euros each, per person.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08"And you're to stay in the country." Obviously, me and Suzanne
0:23:08 > 0:23:12haven't got 5,000 euros each in our pockets to pay bail.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15So she said, "Well, you'll go to prison until it's paid."
0:23:15 > 0:23:19They had no idea how they'd got hold of fake euros
0:23:19 > 0:23:25and only hours after getting engaged they'd swapped their honeymoon suite for jail cells.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28People just haven't got 5,000 euros lying around,
0:23:28 > 0:23:29do you know what I mean?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I don't think nobody has, do you know what you mean?
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Not in my kind of lifestyle, anyway.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I haven't got no-one just to phone and get money straight there.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40In the end, it took their families two whole weeks
0:23:40 > 0:23:43to raise enough money to bail them out of prison.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48And then Carl finally discovered how he'd got the fake euros.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50He asked his nan to change his money for him
0:23:50 > 0:23:53when she went to the Post Office, before he went on holiday.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57But he didn't know that she'd been the victim of a con.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02There was a man outside the Post Office, all suited and booted, selling euros.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04He said to my nan, "Oh, all right, love?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07"Commission's a bit high on the dollars, on the euros,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10"blah, blah, blah." And Nan's like, "Ooh, yeah, love."
0:24:10 > 0:24:13He said, "Well, I'll sell you some euros and I'll do a better
0:24:13 > 0:24:16"commission than what the Post Office are doing." So...
0:24:16 > 0:24:19yeah, well, Nan's just gone, "Yeah, great deal for me son,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22"well, me grandson." And that was it.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27Hearing this information, Carl was desperate to find proof of his innocence.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30I was like, "Aw, Nan, you've got to try and do something.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32"Do you have your receipt? Did you have anything?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35"Is there a camera outside the Post Office that could trace,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38"just trace something back to where you've got them from?"
0:24:38 > 0:24:42And she went, "No, there was a man outside, well dressed, looked smart."
0:24:42 > 0:24:47But she did go to the police here, West Midlands Police, Kings Heath,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51put a statement in and the police said, "There's a lot of this happening."
0:24:51 > 0:24:53With no evidence to prove his innocence,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Carl's ordeal was far from over.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58He was ordered to stay in the country until the next court date,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01which was adjourned for a further six months.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04So in order to get them back home more quickly,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07their lawyer suggested that he changed his plea.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13We can get Carl to plead guilty, Suzanne gets off and Carl gets a fine
0:25:13 > 0:25:17or a suspended sentence, or both together, worst-case scenario.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21And all this can be over with and you can go back home, and that'll be it.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Little did he know that a fine was nowhere near the worst-case scenario,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29as he learnt when his sentence was passed in court.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32I was in the dock and the judge has called me,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35he's saying in Greek so I didn't really understand.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38The last word I heard was ten months.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42So I'm... I've looked at my lawyer, because he's sat just there,
0:25:42 > 0:25:43just to the right of me.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46And he's putting his head down and I'm, you know,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50I'm...I'm... I nearly fell over, you know,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I'll be totally honest with you. It was such a shock.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56When he phoned up to say that he'd been sentenced ten months,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I thought he was having a laugh.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00I thought he was on the plane home coming back.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03But then he said, "No, I'm serious, I got ten months."
0:26:03 > 0:26:05I just couldn't believe it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07The police have come and got me, I'm in handcuffs,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09I'm in custody, that's it.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Carl was sentenced to ten months in Nicosia Prison in Cyprus,
0:26:13 > 0:26:19all for possessing a fake 50-euro note, worth just £42.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Inside there...was horrendous, it was horrible.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25It was dirty, it was smelly, there's...
0:26:25 > 0:26:30You know, you're in a foreign place, no-one speaks English.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I was moved to, er... it was called the Lifers' Block.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37And I was actually locked up with life prisoners.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42Rapists, drug dealers, you name it, they're in there.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46I was in bits. I was crying, you know what I mean, I was petrified.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I was in a foreign jail, I didn't know nothing.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52People used to laugh about my case, they used to laugh at me
0:26:52 > 0:26:55because of... You know, it was a 50-euro banknote,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58you know, I got a ten-month sentence
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and I was locked up with life prisoners.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03After serving eight months of his sentence,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Carl was finally released to return home in handcuffs.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09So you're walking through the airport,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13you feel like a right criminal. People stare at you and, you know,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17you feel victimised, you know what I mean?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20You get people staring at you as if you're a big-time criminal.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22You wouldn't think it would happen to you,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25to get arrested for something you haven't done
0:27:25 > 0:27:27and actually do prison for it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Seeing that, I can honestly say I'm quite scared.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40The first and most important thing to do is to get a local lawyer.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44The fact is that the laws on these things vary for every country within Europe.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48So you need a local lawyer who can advise you on how to answer
0:27:48 > 0:27:52police questions and what to do. So that's the first and most important thing.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54The second is, make contact with people -
0:27:54 > 0:27:57the British Foreign Office, friends and family at home.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01And the third thing, often we see cases where people are told
0:28:01 > 0:28:03to sign things in a language they don't understand,
0:28:03 > 0:28:08or they're asked questions when the police interviewer doesn't really speak English.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11So, ask for an interpreter or a translation of documents.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Don't sign things in a language you don't understand.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23That's all from Fake Britain today. Bye for now.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:48 > 0:28:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk