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 > 0:00:12Police officers. Stay where you are.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23You're under arrest.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29I'm going to be investigating the world of the criminals
0:00:29 > 0:00:31who make their money at your expense.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I'll be showing you how not to get ripped off.
0:00:34 > 0:00:40Coming up, how high street banks are giving you fake money over the counter.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44We reveal the alarming results of our special investigation.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49The fake vet whose attempts at surgery shocked the local community.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53I don't think I've ever seen anything as bad in my career,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56in terms of attempted surgery gone wrong.
0:00:56 > 0:01:02And the story of the fake pedigree puppy that caused heartache for its owners.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06With Ruby, we couldn't say goodbye to her, so that were hard.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Incredibly, all of these pound coins here
0:01:15 > 0:01:17that came out of my piggy bank are fake.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22Experts believe there are 38 million of them in circulation right now.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24But who's making them?
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Well, we've been following the investigators who are hot on the trail.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37Inspector Nick Caveney is leading an operation that's cracking down on the pound coin counterfeiters.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Today, he and his team of officers,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45along with experts from the serious organised crime agency
0:01:45 > 0:01:47and the Royal Mint, have received a tip off
0:01:47 > 0:01:52that fake pound coins are being produced on a rural premises in the South of England.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57We've got intelligence of good quality that informs us that the premises
0:01:57 > 0:02:00have got some form of coin press.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Inspector Caveney has officers on stakeout watching the site
0:02:04 > 0:02:06from the surrounding woodland.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09They're in contact over the police radio.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13He's unloading something from the rear. I can't see what it is.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17I don't think he's going to be around for much longer once he's unloaded it all.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20It could possibly be metal of some sort. It sounds quite heavy.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24With the suspect about to leave, the officers have to hurry.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30The site is located between woodland and some farm buildings,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34so their initial raid is crucial to avoid any escape attempts.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39The plan is for one team to block the front with a marked van
0:02:39 > 0:02:42while Inspector Caveney's team, joined by a dog unit,
0:02:42 > 0:02:47will gather in the woods and then swarm the site from all sides.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Strike, strike, strike.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58As the officers enter the site, a man is arrested and their search begins.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01OK, so we've got one person on the premises at the moment.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07We're going to spread out and take the rest of the units at this stage.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12The man being held is one of two men the police were targeting today.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15The other suspect is nowhere to be seen.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22The task that lies ahead for these officers is huge.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25The sprawling rural site contains a mass of outbuildings
0:03:25 > 0:03:27and containers and even with many hands,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31searching for fake pound coins here will be tough work.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32Hang on, what was in this one?
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Later, we uncover the fascinating secrets that are being hidden
0:03:38 > 0:03:42in this part of rural England.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51I bet you're saying right now, "Oh, isn't he gorgeous?"
0:03:51 > 0:03:53You won't be talking about me, will you?
0:03:53 > 0:03:58I bet you're also saying, "Surely fraudsters can't be faking man's best friend, can they?"
0:03:58 > 0:04:02But oh, yes, they can. Here is the story of the fake pedigree puppy.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Are you all right, old chap?
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Julie Smith from Oldham has always been an animal lover
0:04:09 > 0:04:13and she's had a pet pooch for as long as she can remember.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18After her last dog, Cinders, sadly passed away
0:04:18 > 0:04:22her family all chipped in to buy another canine companion.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Even my daughter emptied her money box and put £50 of her money in,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30what she was saving for a trip to France in November.
0:04:30 > 0:04:36Julie saw a well-worded advert for pedigree Labrador puppies in a local paper
0:04:36 > 0:04:37and full of excitement,
0:04:37 > 0:04:42she went to the address in Rochdale the following Saturday afternoon.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45But when she arrived, she was shocked to see that the puppies
0:04:45 > 0:04:48were being kept in plastic storage containers.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Puppies are meant to be playful, run all over the place.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55These were just sat in the box whimpering, but when I saw them,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58I just fell in love with her.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Smitten and feeling sorry for the pup,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Julie asked to see the paperwork mentioned in the advert,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06as proof of its health and pedigree before she bought it.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09She was given this certificate.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12I looked it over. I thought, "Well, it seems OK,"
0:05:12 > 0:05:15with the National Kennel Club thing and the stamp on the bottom.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19I didn't think there was anything wrong with it. I've since found out it's bogus.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24I've never seen papers before, so I thought, "Yeah, that must be what they're like."
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Unaware that this certificate,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30which has nothing to do with the genuine Kennel Club,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35was a fake, Julie paid £350 for the puppy and drove home.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Back in Oldham, her 13-year-old daughter Paige was waiting
0:05:39 > 0:05:42with a present for the newly-named Ruby.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43This is my teddy bear
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and I gave it to Ruby so it'd feel like her mum
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and she wouldn't get lonely at bedtime.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Her family spent a happy evening with Ruby, but the next morning,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54all was not well.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Ruby had started vomiting every time she had something to eat or drink.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01She was no better on the Monday morning,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04so I phoned the vet's at 9am, as soon as it opened,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and arranged to take her down at 10:15am.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Later, we find out just how serious this illness became for Ruby,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16all hidden by a fake pedigree certificate.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30Back at the rural site suspected of being used to produce counterfeit pound coins...
0:06:31 > 0:06:36..officers searching through the many outbuildings have had some success.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38We've just found a plastic bag, square plates,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42and lots of cut-out round circles.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44The discovery was made hidden away
0:06:44 > 0:06:47in a stable block at the back of the site.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Phil Hawkins from the Royal Mint is leading a small team
0:06:51 > 0:06:54who are analysing the metal offcuts.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56His colleague is using a micrometer
0:06:56 > 0:07:01to confirm that the holes are of the correct diameter and thickness
0:07:01 > 0:07:04to have produced fake pound coins.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08So, what we've got in there are the offcuts
0:07:08 > 0:07:11of what we believe are counterfeit coin pressings,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15so square offcuts with four round, punched holes in them,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19so that's obviously suspicious and in line with what we expected to find at the location.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Which was the unit where the noise was coming from?
0:07:25 > 0:07:31With a huge search narrowed down to just three rooms in the rear stable block,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34later, we'll find out what the officers find hidden there.
0:07:42 > 0:07:48Earlier, we saw how Julie Smith bought a new Labrador puppy after seeing an advert.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52The ad promised the puppy had been fully vet-checked
0:07:52 > 0:07:57and Julie was given this certificate to prove it was a healthy pedigree pup.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59But the certificate was a fake.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05In fact, Ruby was seriously ill and couldn't keep her food down.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09She was no better on the Monday morning, so I phoned the vet's at 9am,
0:08:09 > 0:08:14as soon as it opened, and arranged to take her down at 10:15am.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Veterinary surgeon Kirstine Pierson was working on the day Ruby was brought in.
0:08:20 > 0:08:27Ruby was quickly diagnosed with parvovirus. She was seriously ill.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33Parvovirus is probably one of the most nasty canine dog diseases
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and can cause very nasty diarrhoea and sickness,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40with bleeding into their intestines.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44So it can quite quickly, if it's untreated, cause dehydration and death.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49With only the fake pedigree certificate to go on,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Kirstine had no idea whether Ruby had ever been vaccinated at all.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Desperate to find out the truth about Ruby,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02Julie tried to contact the man she bought her from for £350
0:09:02 > 0:09:06just two days earlier, but her attempts were unsuccessful.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11With nowhere else to turn, she then tried the contacts on her fake certificate.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13There's no phone number or anything on it.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18I got no reply from numerous emails I sent to the email address on here.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23Back at the vet's, Kirstine had confined Ruby to the isolation ward
0:09:23 > 0:09:27because her illness was so contagious.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Julie and Paige came down in the afternoon to visit her.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32She was by herself in a room.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35She looked unhappy, but when I went in to stroke her
0:09:35 > 0:09:39she seemed to perk up a little bit and looked a bit happier.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I didn't want to go away and leave her. I wanted her to come home,
0:09:42 > 0:09:47but I knew that she couldn't because she had to have more treatment to make her better.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50We were all willing her, as I say, against the odds, to get better
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and it's heartbreaking when they then go downhill like this
0:09:53 > 0:09:57and you have to make the phone call to say to the owner,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01"I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do and she's suffering
0:10:01 > 0:10:04"and we're going to have to put her to sleep."
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I think it's... We all hate that moment.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11After owning her new puppy for just two days,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Julie received the heartbreaking news
0:10:13 > 0:10:17that Ruby was going to have to be put down.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21As well as grieving her death, the illness covered up by the fake certificate
0:10:21 > 0:10:23had also left her with a huge vet bill.
0:10:24 > 0:10:30In total we spent over £635, and all I've got to show for it is...
0:10:30 > 0:10:33a useless bit of paper, that's not worth the paper it's written on.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37We didn't get to say goodbye to her.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40We've always been there when our pets have died, we've been to the vet
0:10:40 > 0:10:42with them and waited while they put them to sleep.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46But with Ruby, we couldn't say goodbye to her, so that were hard.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50At least Ruby got two days of love and she got a name.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Still to come, the fake vet with counterfeit qualifications
0:11:03 > 0:11:07who performed surgery on horses with disastrous results.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10It was a completely botched job.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15And how the banks are putting fake pound coins in OUR pockets.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Back on the hunt for counterfeit pound coins,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28officers have already found a sackful of what they believe
0:11:28 > 0:11:31to be the offcuts to the counterfeiting process.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35What they're really looking for are fake coins.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's a long and complex process for the police.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45And now there is just one room left to search,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and it's right at the back of the stable block.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- What?- Coin bags.- Hang on...
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Loads of them.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02In the yard, the officers are still talking about the coin bag discovery
0:12:02 > 0:12:05when suddenly the search team hits the jackpot.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Boss...
0:12:07 > 0:12:09They've found counterfeit coins.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11They're all counterfeit, are they?
0:12:11 > 0:12:12Where did you find them?
0:12:12 > 0:12:15They were... In the end room of the stables
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- there's thousands of money bags and they were amongst them.- OK.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Bill Hawkins and his colleagues from the Royal Mint
0:12:23 > 0:12:25are inspecting the bag of fake coins.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27They're very bright...
0:12:30 > 0:12:32With their search now complete,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35police say their operation has been a success.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41But there's been no sign of the press needed to produce these fakes.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Later in the programme,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47we find out just how commonplace fake pound coins have become.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Take a look at this - "Dominic Littlewood,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03"Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery".
0:13:03 > 0:13:04How impressive is that?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07That means I am a vet.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Apart from the fact, it's a fake.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Now, Murdoch University in Western Australia does exist,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17but I didn't spend five years' hard graft trying to get this.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I spent just 20 minutes online with a dodgy website.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24And it was a certificate just like this that a man used
0:13:24 > 0:13:29pretending to be a vet, but with devastating consequences.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32The rural economy is still big business
0:13:32 > 0:13:35in the countryside around Liverpool.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Veterinary surgeon Shamus Miller has run a successful
0:13:39 > 0:13:42equestrian practice here in Rufford for about 22 years.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Recently, a run-in with Russell Oakes, another local resident,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51forced him to make a stand in the fight against fake documentation.
0:13:51 > 0:13:57We knew Russell Oakes for many years. He worked locally as an osteopath.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02He'd quite a fan club, in terms of the work he was doing.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05There was a lot of people had a lot of respect
0:14:05 > 0:14:07for his work on horses' backs,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09talked a good job.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13One morning, Shamus read an advert in the local paper
0:14:13 > 0:14:16for a new, fully-equipped veterinary clinic
0:14:16 > 0:14:18that was opening just down the road in Formby.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20That seemed odd to us,
0:14:20 > 0:14:26because the facility wasn't there and we didn't know of anyone that would be doing this,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29then it evolved that it was our friend Russell.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Came as a bit of a surprise to us that he turned up,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38having registered as a veterinary surgeon.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Veterinary is a five-year degree course and, you know,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46he was registered having qualified in Australia.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50So, you know, it seemed incongruous that he was working locally on the one hand
0:14:50 > 0:14:54and he was doing a five-year degree course in Australia at the same time.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59In Formby, James Greenwood, from a local equestrian centre,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01had known Russell for many years
0:15:01 > 0:15:05as he often visited to perform osteopathy on their horses.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08James heard all about Russell's training.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10We were basically hearing
0:15:10 > 0:15:11he was going to college,
0:15:11 > 0:15:16going to night school, he was doing his degree to become a vet.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20When James questioned Russell about how quickly
0:15:20 > 0:15:24he had qualified as a vet, he was told that his experience
0:15:24 > 0:15:28as an osteopath meant that his degree was fast-tracked.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33We saw the actual degree. It came via the Royal Veterinary College.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36He was going to rent a building, an office to set the business up for himself.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39It was going to be Formby Veterinary Practice,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43and the building behind us is the building he was going to rent.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49As a respected local vet, Shamus Miller thought he should check
0:15:49 > 0:15:53that Russell was officially listed on the veterinary register.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56He was surprised to find that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
0:15:56 > 0:16:00had accepted his paperwork and his name was on their register.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Even after these assurances, Shamus couldn't shake his suspicions
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and a few weeks later, his worries deepened
0:16:09 > 0:16:13after he visited a horse Russell had obviously mistreated.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14Come on.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16'He administered a preparation
0:16:16 > 0:16:19'that we normally use intravenously to the horse.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21'He administered it orally.'
0:16:21 > 0:16:27The anti-inflammatory that was used in high doses can cause gastric ulceration,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31so we felt that just squirting it down the horse's mouth directly into his stomach
0:16:31 > 0:16:34was going to take the lining off the poor lad's stomach,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and this was responsible for the pain that he was experiencing.
0:16:38 > 0:16:44Angry that the horse had suffered unnecessary pain, Shamus and the other local vets
0:16:44 > 0:16:49decided to check directly with the university where Russell claimed to have graduated.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53A secretary for one of the other vets just emailed
0:16:53 > 0:16:57the university in Australia and the Australian State Board and said,
0:16:57 > 0:17:04"We're thinking of employing an Australian graduate, Russell Oakes. Can you confirm his status?"
0:17:04 > 0:17:08And they basically emailed by return, "Never heard of him, mate".
0:17:08 > 0:17:14It subsequently transpired that Russell had registered with imitation documentation.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16It was fraudulent documentation.
0:17:16 > 0:17:22Murdoch University had no involvement in issuing this certificate.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Fakes like this one are made by criminals online,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28and affect universities and colleges all over the world.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36Later, we see what happened when fake vet Russell Oakes started performing surgery on horses.
0:17:44 > 0:17:51Last year on Fake Britain, we revealed how many fake pound coins were on the capital's busy streets.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55A year on, and the Royal Mint say the situation is getting worse.
0:17:55 > 0:18:01Over 2.5% of the pound coins in circulation are now believed to be counterfeits.
0:18:02 > 0:18:08Experts say part of the problem is that banks are not thoroughly checking coins for fakery
0:18:08 > 0:18:13and are handing out counterfeits to their customers. But can this really be true?
0:18:14 > 0:18:20We decided to carry out the largest independent investigation ever undertaken in Britain
0:18:20 > 0:18:25of pound coins given out over the counter by the banks. We withdrew
0:18:25 > 0:18:281,000 pound coins from five different high street banks
0:18:28 > 0:18:33and we took out heavy haul to counterfeit coin expert Andy Brown.
0:18:33 > 0:18:39Andy runs a company in Andover that installs coin validation systems into vending machines.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41Here we have...
0:18:41 > 0:18:46£1,000 from HSBC, 1,000 from Barclays, 1,000 from
0:18:46 > 0:18:47Royal Bank of Scotland,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51£1,000 from Lloyds and £1,000 from NatWest,
0:18:51 > 0:18:57and today we're going to carry out a test on those coins to see how many of those are actually fraudulent.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02The first part of the process is to run the coins through a coin validator.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07This will find many of the fakes as it tests each coin's dimensions,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10weight and its metallic composition.
0:19:10 > 0:19:16During this electronic sorting process, Andy, who has one of the largest collections
0:19:16 > 0:19:21of fake pound coins in the country, tells us how he's seen the counterfeiters improve their fakes
0:19:21 > 0:19:25since he started checking them in 1991.
0:19:25 > 0:19:31This first batch of coins we were seeing were just lumps of lead, no imprints or anything on them,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36and even having to file them to fit in the slots of the vending machine.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41A few months later, they started to put an impression on and making the coins of a better quality,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and that moved on to them spraying the coins
0:19:43 > 0:19:49into a better looking colour, and now the problem was moving away from the vending industry
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and into general circulation,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55until eventually, now, where we have pound coins
0:19:55 > 0:19:58that look almost perfect,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00even using the same metal content.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05These almost perfect fakes have become so prevalent,
0:20:05 > 0:20:11that the Royal Mint believe there are over 41 million of them currently in circulation.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15It's very likely that you have spent a fake coin this week.
0:20:15 > 0:20:21Downstairs, the electronic coin checking is ending, but the very best counterfeits
0:20:21 > 0:20:23are too good for this machine.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28To find all the remaining fakes, every coin must now be checked by hand.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30After using the electronic coin mech,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33this is now the laborious part of having to dig through
0:20:33 > 0:20:36and visually inspect every single coin for the fakes.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Later, find out exactly how many fake pound coins we discovered
0:20:54 > 0:20:58when we checked £5,000 withdrawn from high street banks.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Back in Rufford, equestrian vet Shamus Miller
0:21:10 > 0:21:16discovered that Russell Oakes, a local osteopath, had bought a fake vet degree online.
0:21:16 > 0:21:22After fraudulently registering as a vet, Oakes seriously mistreated horses in the local area.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Shamus reported him to the Metropolitan Police
0:21:25 > 0:21:30and was told that Russell had been investigated and was going to be stopped.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32A little bit later on that day,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35I got a phone call, and that morning
0:21:35 > 0:21:39he'd attempted to castrate a couple of stallions
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and made an absolute mess of the job.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44When he received the call,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Shamus rushed to help the stricken horse.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52He was bleeding profusely. He'd struggled sedating the horse.
0:21:52 > 0:21:58It was a completely botched job. It was half completed.
0:21:58 > 0:22:06I don't think I've ever seen anything as bad in my career in terms of attempted surgery gone wrong.
0:22:07 > 0:22:13Josh Slater is Professor of Equine Clinical Studies at the Royal Veterinary College.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17He accepts the brightest students for the five-year full-time course,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21that is regarded as one of the toughest in the country.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26This is the type of critical training Russell Oakes lied about completing.
0:22:26 > 0:22:32Today, Professor Slater's students are learning how to deal with an emergency.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35A horse has a four-inch nail wedged in its hoof.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39This horse is a perfect example of why you need so much training to be a vet.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It would be very easy to arrive at this horse.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44The horse isn't particularly lame.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48You can pull the nail out and tell the owner, "That's the job done,"
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and, actually, in all likelihood what's happened,
0:22:50 > 0:22:55is some very important structures in that horse's foot will have been damaged by that nail,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and over the next 24 to 48 hours, a fatal infection
0:22:58 > 0:22:59is likely to set in,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03resulting in the death of the horse. And without the proper training,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06you simply would not have that depth of understanding
0:23:06 > 0:23:08to be able to provide that proper level of care.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13As well a posing a serious threat to individual horses in his care,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Josh knows that Russell Oakes's
0:23:15 > 0:23:21actions could have had far graver consequences for the UK's entire equine industry.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26All it takes is one person not to follow proper hygiene precautions with protective clothing,
0:23:26 > 0:23:31and disinfection to move from one premises with disease on it on to another,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35and that could be the start of an outbreak that could sweep right through the country
0:23:35 > 0:23:38and literally destroy the UK horse industry.
0:23:39 > 0:23:47Russell Oakes was finally caught and sentenced to two years in prison after admitting 41 counts of fraud.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, who registered Russell with his fake documents,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55told us they were shocked to discover that his paperwork was all faked.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02After removing him from their register, they thoroughly revised their document-checking procedures.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08Shamus Miller is just happy that Russell is unable to cause pain and suffering to any more animals.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13At the end, I felt relief more than anything else.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18I don't think there was any personal vindication or gratification
0:24:18 > 0:24:21from exposing him. Far from it. I think the fact
0:24:21 > 0:24:25that he was found out and admitted the guilt of it
0:24:25 > 0:24:29and has been stopped is the most important thing.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40In Hampshire, counterfeit pound coin expert Andy Brown and his team
0:24:40 > 0:24:45have spent eight hours checking for fakes in our £5,000 sample.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50Now with all the checking finished, the results are in.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54The banks gave us 168 counterfeit coins.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58These fakes have been separated out from the rest of the sample.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00So how did the banks fare individually?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Surprisingly, across the board, all of the figures are higher
0:25:05 > 0:25:07than what's being seen by the Mint's testing.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11The Royal Mint believes that on average,
0:25:11 > 0:25:16there will be 28 fake pound coins in every £1,000 sample.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Astonishingly, all our samples contained more fakes than that.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24The lowest came from NatWest, who gave us 29 fakes.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Barclays gave us 30.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Lloyds TSB gave us 33.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Next, was HSBC who gave us 35,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35and the highest amount came from RBS,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37who gave us 37 fakes.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Our investigation suggests that there may be over:
0:25:46 > 0:25:48That's nearly:
0:25:54 > 0:25:58We contacted each of the high street banks directly for some answers.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03Surely we should expect to receive genuine money when we withdraw our cash from the bank.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08All the banks replied either that they took fraud very seriously,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11or that they had detection systems in place
0:26:11 > 0:26:13to avoid counterfeits entering circulation,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and all fakes found would be withdrawn.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Lloyds TSB and Barclays added that they will replace
0:26:21 > 0:26:24any fake coins they give to their customers.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28None of the banks expressed surprise at our findings
0:26:28 > 0:26:29or offered an apology.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Andy, we all know there are fake coins out there.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41What has shocked me is these have been given out by the banks.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- That's outrageous!- Exactly.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Unbelievable that banks could freely accept fake pound coins
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and then give them back out again.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51If I looked at these, 167 out of 5,000 coins,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54even now, knowing they're fakes, they don't look bad.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- Nope.- So how can you tell?
0:26:56 > 0:26:57There's a number of ways.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01- Just for general public, there are a couple of good coins.- Right.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Here are a couple of fakes.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06One of the ways we normally check is we try and line the coin up
0:27:06 > 0:27:11and we check its die axis and its head should line up with its side.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Basically, the Queen's face is upright.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17- When you turn it, the pattern on the other side should be the same.- Yes.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21- The fake ones don't line up. - That's right. The other obvious one for us is the rim -
0:27:21 > 0:27:24there's different inscriptions round it
0:27:24 > 0:27:26and you can compare that with a good one
0:27:26 > 0:27:27and it looks...the writing
0:27:27 > 0:27:30looks atrocious compared to a normal one.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- That's where fakers and forgers have trouble?- Yeah.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36What should people look out for and what should they do if they find coins?
0:27:36 > 0:27:41What everybody would like to happen with a fake coin is take it to the police station, hand it in,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44obviously tell them where you got it from,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48then the enforcement agencies will look to see where there's a high input of fakes
0:27:48 > 0:27:52- and then will target their resources in that area.- That's interesting.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55It's not just that you hand over your £2 or £3 and it's gone.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56- No.- If lots of people did that,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- that gives them something to target on.- Yes.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- So it could have quite a good effect on trying to catch these guys.- Yes.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07Another reason why local banks should have a process in place for checking for them as well,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11cos they would have the bigger resource, and the more that they find in that local area,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13they can try and target those people.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22That's all from Fake Britain today. Bye for now.
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