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 > 0:00:10Police!
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Police officers - stay where you are.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23You're under arrest.
0:00:25 > 0:00:31In this series, I'll be investigating the criminals who make their money at your expense,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and I'm going to show you how not to get ripped off.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Today on Fake Britain:
0:00:37 > 0:00:40We go on the trail of the diesel fakers.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43We like to get in at HM Revenue and Customs.
0:00:43 > 0:00:49We uncover the remarkable story of the secret consignment of fake oil drills bound for the Middle East.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53I thought, "Could this really be happening in Peterborough?"
0:00:53 > 0:00:58And find out what happens when mini-pig breeders start telling porkies.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Now, we all lock up our homes securely from intruders when we go out, but worryingly,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13it's not just burglars who threaten our security.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18You imagine going out for the day, returning home and finding that
0:01:18 > 0:01:22somebody else had moved in, and it's all thanks to a fake landlord.
0:01:24 > 0:01:31Angela Belalij and her family had moved out of their council house in East London for two weeks
0:01:31 > 0:01:33while building work was being carried out.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37We drove past the house, and noticed that there were curtains up.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I tried my key, so I could have a look at the house,
0:01:40 > 0:01:45and I couldn't even use my own door key in the house.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49And that's when one of the gentlemen that were living in there
0:01:49 > 0:01:52opened the door and started shouting at me, asking who I was.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56I explained, "This is my house, who are you?"
0:01:56 > 0:02:03He started shouting that this is his house, he lives here, who am I, I've got no right to the house.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06It was very confrontational, in my face shouting.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11So my husband, Terry, came along to stop any confrontation
0:02:11 > 0:02:15and basically stop the man being so aggressive towards me.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Angela was the victim of a fake landlord.
0:02:18 > 0:02:24They'd broken into her home while she was away, changed the locks and rented it out to someone else.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28They make a tidy profit by asking for cash deposits upfront.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33In cases like this, often the new tenants are victims too,
0:02:33 > 0:02:38as the deposits and rent they may lose can run into thousands of pounds.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Angela called the police and council,
0:02:40 > 0:02:45but the tenants said they'd paid rent upfront, and refused to budge.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Because there is somebody in my property, it doesn't feel safe here
0:02:49 > 0:02:52because they know who I am, they've seen me on several occasions.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55And it is quite a violation.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59It shouldn't feel like that no matter where you are, especially walking past your own home.
0:02:59 > 0:03:05Angela had no option but to stay here in the temporary accommodation the council had moved her into.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07You'll have to excuse the stairs.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11We've not laid carpet because we don't know where we'll be living week to week.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14And all because of a fake landlord.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18We've got all the suitcases around the place because we can't put up wardrobes
0:03:18 > 0:03:24because we don't know if we'd have to dismantle them within 24 hours if we had to move again.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27So basically, we're living out of the suitcases.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It's horrific.
0:03:29 > 0:03:35Angela and her family miss their old home, and while the police and the council try to sort out the problem,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39all they can do is wait.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42But Angie's family weren't the only victims.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45George Pope was their next door neighbour.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47One day, he took his dog for its usual walk.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51After falling ill, he stayed the night at a friend's house.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56When he returned home, he found a fake landlord had visited his property too,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and illegal tenants had already moved in.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01I came back here at midday on the Saturday.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I put my key in the door, and it didn't fit.
0:04:04 > 0:04:10And suddenly I noticed outside the porch way loads of orange bags, and when I undone them, that's my stuff.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14So I walked straight out and phoned the council's emergency service.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19As I did, I saw a Lithuanian fella walking in the garden.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21I said "Excuse me, what are you doing?"
0:04:21 > 0:04:25He said "It's my home now. I paid a £3,000 deposit for six months".
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I said "I've been here four and a half years, mate.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31"It's my home and I pay the rent and bills."
0:04:31 > 0:04:35So of course the police were called, and it took them six hours to come round.
0:04:35 > 0:04:43What had looked like an isolated incident was in danger of taking over the whole neighbourhood.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46The tenants alleged they had the right to live there.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48They produced a letter from an estate agent,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52saying the property had been rented out to them.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56It was looking like George and Angie might never get back in.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I was very near to fainting. Yes, I did cry.
0:04:59 > 0:05:05Knowing that other people were in the place...wasn't fair, wasn't right.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Traumatic and frightening.
0:05:07 > 0:05:13After two weeks, the police eventually got hold of a copy of the letter.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18They had a legal document, or a headed document, but it was fake. It was false.
0:05:18 > 0:05:24But finding out the letter was faked was one thing, getting the tenants out was quite another.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27They weren't answering the door for anybody.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29The whole thing was extremely traumatic.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32I was shaking and shivering a lot of the time.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Never again, please, anything like it.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Later, we'll find out what's waiting for George when he finally gets back home.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58High fuel prices are something we've all had to cope with.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03But some people aren't prepared to pay the full price. This engine is diesel,
0:06:03 > 0:06:08and it's basically the same fuel that is used in heating and agricultural vehicles.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12But when you use it in your car, the tax you pay is much higher,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16which means there's money to be made out of a bit of criminal fakery.
0:06:17 > 0:06:23This low tax industrial fuel is dyed red to stop people using it in their cars.
0:06:23 > 0:06:29It stains the fuel tank and is a giveaway sign for inspectors.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Faking car diesel involves stripping this
0:06:32 > 0:06:37telltale red dye out and selling the industrial diesel on at a profit.
0:06:37 > 0:06:42Stuart Cruickshank is heading the Revenue and Customs team clamping down on the fakers.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48The duty on fuel accounts for an awful lot of revenue for the Treasury.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51I think it's about £25 billion a year.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56So any attack on that is to be taken seriously.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01It's estimated the fakery costs the taxpayer half a billion pounds a year.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07But it's not just the cost to the public - Stuart has his own concerns as well.
0:07:07 > 0:07:13Because this activity tends to be done covertly, the health and safety and the way it's done
0:07:13 > 0:07:17will inevitably mean there are risks in actually trying to find it.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22Sulphuric acid is often used to strip the dye out of red diesel,
0:07:22 > 0:07:27and if it's mishandled, it can maim, blind or even kill.
0:07:28 > 0:07:35A tip-off has brought the Revenue and Customs team to a truck stop in southeast England.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43It's one of Britain's biggest fakes, and Stuart's got to rely on all his detective skills.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Stuart finds a concealed entrance.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57And behind the garages, a series of storage sheds.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02A number of large barrels are enough to raise his suspicions.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05We've got a lot of containers, drums.
0:08:05 > 0:08:13But while he's found some barrels, Stuart has to rely on his experience at Revenue and Customs to unearth
0:08:13 > 0:08:16anywhere that might contain the factory.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19We're going to break open that container
0:08:19 > 0:08:22which we believe contains the laundering plant.
0:08:22 > 0:08:30But if they can't find the red diesel laundering plant, they're going to be leaving with red faces.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32What have we got?
0:08:36 > 0:08:41Later, we'll find out if Stuart ever finds the fake diesel.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49These cute little creatures have become the latest must-have pet.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53They've got celebrity owners like David Beckham and Paris Hilton.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56But some of those owners are going to be in for a bit of a shock,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00because these perky little porkers have been faking it,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and they'll soon turn into an oversized surprise.
0:09:05 > 0:09:13Introducing the perfect pint-sized pet - the mini pig, easy to look after and fun for all the family.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Margaret Smith's daughter Emma has always been a pig lover.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21We had a potbellied pig years ago, and she'd always wanted another one,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24but we wouldn't let her because it was quite a lot of work.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29Then we saw these advertised, these micro mini-pigs that were supposed to stay tiny.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32We got in touch with the breeder, and she said
0:09:32 > 0:09:37"If you look on this video, you'll be able to pick one out", which we did.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40He was like a little dog, really.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43But after a while, things began to change.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48The little pig they called Pigwig began to grow up...and up...
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and up...and up.
0:09:56 > 0:10:02We got in touch with the breeder when he was about ten months, and she said
0:10:02 > 0:10:07she was sorry, it was a one-off, she bought him in and it was bad stock.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12And I said "But you told us that you bred him", and she said, "I made a mistake,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16"there were some that I bought in elsewhere, and it was just bad stock.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20"You were one of the unlucky ones."
0:10:20 > 0:10:24So, this is the sun lounge where Pigwig used to sleep, when we first had him.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27When he was tiny it was absolutely fine.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31We had a child's gate, and that kept him for a few months.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Then, all of a sudden, he just kept breaking it.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36So we decided to invest in a stable door.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40But, as you can see, he had a go at that as well.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44And it wouldn't have been long before he would have ruined that.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49Margaret's now built a pen for Pigwig in her garden.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55But even this house made of wood is being tested by this not so little piggy.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58He decided to go through that, rather than use the gate.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00I've probably had the gate closed.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03So, he just went through there.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06So, that wire's not really strong enough, is it?
0:11:06 > 0:11:10But as Pigwig's got porkier he's also become harder to handle
0:11:10 > 0:11:15and a real danger if you get between him and his grub.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Pigwig wasn't as big as he is now.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21He was probably only a little bit bigger than Percy.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26And he'd broken into the shed and there was a sack of corn in there which he'd got.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29And I stupidly went into the shed
0:11:29 > 0:11:34and tried to take the sack of corn off him.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38We had a bit of a tug-of-war in the shed.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43He got hold of my trousers with his mouth and was sort of bashing around with his head.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46His nose bashed me.
0:11:46 > 0:11:52I was screaming in the shed because I was a bit frightened, because I wasn't sure what was going on.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56It happened so quick, I wasn't sure if he'd bitten me.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00It was just extremely painful.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05I ended up with a whacking great nasty bruise.
0:12:05 > 0:12:11But it was scary. And he was only half the size he is now.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15So, obviously, if the same thing happened now,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17it would be a lot scarier.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21He'd probably do a lot more damage, I would imagine.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Pig breeder Wendy Scudamore
0:12:25 > 0:12:28is alarmed that more and more people like Margaret
0:12:28 > 0:12:31are buying mini-pigs which are nothing of the sort.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37I think the worst cry for help that I've had from a person that purchased a micro-pig,
0:12:37 > 0:12:43she'd got an entire boar pig, something that should never, never be sold as a pet.
0:12:43 > 0:12:50It's living in her house, which is a small terraced house with a very small outside space.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53This lady had eight children.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57The boar had become sexually mature, he was lonely and he was aggressive.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00He'd started to attack her children.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03She was desperate, just didn't know what to do with the pig.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Didn't know where to turn for help.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10Luckily for Emma and Margaret, they had the space to keep Pigwig.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14It would have broken Emma's heart to have got rid of him.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17I know it would. And mine, because you do get attached to them.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22There's a lot of people that aren't in our position, they haven't got the space.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26So they've either still got them indoors or...
0:13:26 > 0:13:28I don't know what.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Or they have to get rid of them.
0:13:30 > 0:13:37Later, we'll meet the couple from Essex who ran out of space for their so-called mini-pigs.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42We started to realise that room wasn't going to be big enough. That's why we built our conservatory.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Across the country, fake landlords have been making money
0:13:54 > 0:13:58by breaking into properties while the occupiers are away and renting them out.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Angie Belalij found illegal tenants in her council house
0:14:02 > 0:14:07and she and her family had to stay in temporary accommodation.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12The legal wrangling went on for so long her temporary move is now permanent.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16And 72-year-old George Pope is another victim of the fake landlords.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21But today is the day he finally gets his home back.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Hopefully it's a new start, a new life for a 72-year-old boy.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30That's it, in. In we go, at long last.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34But things aren't exactly how he left them.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37This is where the washing machine was.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40That's gone. They're ruthless, they don't care what they do.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43They'd even taken his food.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Nothing in them.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47So sad.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51And upstairs as well.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Bit slow, as only one and a half legs.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56More worrying discoveries.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08And it seems the tenants didn't care much about taking money from a pensioner.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12One of my old wallets, which I won't find any more in because it only had £30 in that.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Nothing at all in it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16And his clothes as well.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Stone empty. That had my jeans in.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23For George, the whole experience has been overwhelming.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Bit shaky again.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Glad to be home but, you know.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32It's going to take a little while to settle in. But I'm home, I suppose.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37So I've got to look at it that way, try and keep bright, happy and positive.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52A tip-off has brought the Revenue and Customs team to a truck stop in southeast England.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54They are on the hunt for fake diesel -
0:15:54 > 0:16:01agricultural fuel that has had its red dye stripped out so it can be resold at a profit.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Well, we think it's in there. By a process of elimination...
0:16:04 > 0:16:08But they're struggling to find the processing plant.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11You can see that pipe, it comes straight through there...
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- Yeah. - Round here and into next door...
0:16:14 > 0:16:16It seems they're getting closer.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21And when it comes to uncovering a criminal, Stuart and his team don't need a door key.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25We like to get in - HM Revenue & Customs...
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Bingo! Everything you need to make dodgy diesel on a massive scale.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Red agricultural fuel in there.
0:16:32 > 0:16:39That then is distilled through these, we think it's probably acid, to take the red dye out.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44The finished product then goes into here, which is now having
0:16:44 > 0:16:48the red taken out, so you can't see whether it's red diesel or not.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52And then through these pumps, these pipes here, it goes out here...
0:16:54 > 0:16:57..to here. These are then filled up...
0:16:59 > 0:17:01..and put in the van
0:17:01 > 0:17:03and sold.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07This is quite a sophisticated, major business.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08This is a lot of fuel.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11And even more containers are nearby.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16They look like they've been used to deliver the agricultural diesel to the plant.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19So this is the storage here.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22They buy red diesel and then it's processed through there,
0:17:22 > 0:17:27and comes out into the vans, with the red dye taken out.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29225 gallons in these.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34So that's about 1,000 gallons of red diesel.
0:17:34 > 0:17:41With four full canisters on the forecourt, this one load is worth over £5,000.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43We're now going to test the theory.
0:17:43 > 0:17:49Using their mobile laboratory, the tanks are found to contain red diesel.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52The whole operation can now be shut down.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57That's an excellent result, it's one of the biggest laundering plants I've seen.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59And you'd never know it was here, would you?
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Very clever.
0:18:07 > 0:18:13Here at Fake Britain, we often think we might have seen it all, every kind of fakery you can imagine.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18Then, all of a sudden, something comes along which surprises all of us.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Now, when you think of the oil industry, you probably think of...
0:18:27 > 0:18:29But Peterborough?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Peterborough is a long way from the nearest oil field,
0:18:34 > 0:18:40but was still the centre of one of the most remarkable pieces of counterfeiting in recent years.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Rob Edmunds was on duty at Trading Standards
0:18:45 > 0:18:49when he got a call that was to turn into his biggest case ever.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53He was told by a lawyer that a local company were dealing in vital parts
0:18:53 > 0:18:55for multimillion pound oil rigs.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00The problem was they were fake.
0:19:00 > 0:19:06Initially, I thought, "I know nothing about the petro-chemical industry, but I better get as much information
0:19:06 > 0:19:11"as possible and hopefully enlist the services of people that do."
0:19:11 > 0:19:14It's something I've never come across in 20 years.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16It wouldn't be one of the things
0:19:16 > 0:19:20that I would readily associate with being counterfeited.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27It was a world away from Rob's normal work tracking down dodgy DVDs and hooky hairdryers.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31My first reaction was one of doubt.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It was an unusual area.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37I thought, "Could this really be happening in Peterborough?"
0:19:39 > 0:19:44But it was. Acting on the lawyer's tip-off, he went to a local industrial estate,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48walked into a warehouse and immediately found what he was looking for.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51We realised there was something amiss when you've got
0:19:51 > 0:19:55parts sort of strewn across the warehouse floor.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58You've got labels that
0:19:58 > 0:20:01give an address in Texas,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03as opposed to an address in Peterborough.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09These fake precision parts were being passed off as made by National Oilwells in Texas.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14They were destined to be used in complex oil drilling operations.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17If they weren't up to standard, the results could have been a disaster for the drilling teams
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and catastrophic for the environment.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24The man responsible for the fakery was Adrian Belsen.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28He didn't really say an awful lot. He was quite quiet.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33It might have been the case that he didn't think that we had enough experience or knowledge in this area
0:20:33 > 0:20:36to make an opinion and therefore notice that anything was wrong.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Initially, I asked Mr Belsen to open one of the pallets
0:20:40 > 0:20:45and he cut open a blue polythene and showed me the parts.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50Well, they were facing the wall, so there was no trademark evidence.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55But with all his experience in Trading Standards, Rob could smell a rat.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Obviously, I asked him to open other pallets which were at a different angle, so I could see the trademark.
0:21:00 > 0:21:07With the glue on the fake labels barely dry, Rob knew he had his man.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11In this case, I think he was just stunned that we were actually there.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15I don't think he appreciated the severity of the allegations.
0:21:15 > 0:21:21Also seized were a number of computers, and the evidence soon began to mount up.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Orders for the construction of the parts in China as well as
0:21:25 > 0:21:28orders for the finished drills worth hundreds of thousand of pounds.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Under caution, he did admit that he'd carried out this kind of
0:21:32 > 0:21:36business transaction many times over the last 20 years.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39It was a shock to me. I didn't think he'd actually admit it.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43I suspected he may have carried out this type of business before,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47but I didn't actually think he'd be so open in his answers.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52Adrian Belsen appeared at Peterborough Crown Court
0:21:52 > 0:21:55and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57The difficult part was actually moving the stuff
0:21:57 > 0:21:59because of its sheer size and weight.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Then we had to find suitable storage
0:22:03 > 0:22:07to store 30 tonnes of parts for an oil drill.
0:22:07 > 0:22:1230 tonnes of steel is not going to fit in your average Trading Standards evidence locker.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Instead, Rob found a secure location on the outskirts of Peterborough.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19These were the examples of the labels that were also seized.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22These were fixed to the outer packaging.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26With the parts seized and safely locked away, experts were called in
0:22:26 > 0:22:30to examine the haul. What they discovered was alarming.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35There are differences between these parts and genuine parts,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37technical differences.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40So, from that, you appreciate they may not be
0:22:40 > 0:22:44as reliable as the genuine part.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So there are possibly safety implications.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52It isn't known how many fake parts Adrian Belsen
0:22:52 > 0:22:54had sold over the years.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58But the consequences of any of them failing at a critical moment
0:22:58 > 0:23:00doesn't bear thinking about.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04As for this haul of counterfeits,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Rob is making sure that they never fall into the wrong hands.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Weighing in at 30 tonnes, their scrap value should help recoup
0:23:16 > 0:23:18some of Trading Standards' expenses.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Obviously it's satisfying, seeing this through to the bitter end.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26We now know the parts have been totally destroyed and won't be used.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30So, yeah, there's a great deal of satisfaction in that.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42So-called mini-pigs are the latest must-have pets
0:23:42 > 0:23:44and should stay under knee height.
0:23:44 > 0:23:50But around the country, owners have been some facing big pig problems.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Bryn and Sadie from Essex were also dreaming of their own little piggy.
0:23:54 > 0:24:00A lot of the photos you see, they are tiny. But the day we got them, we were surprised at how big they were.
0:24:00 > 0:24:06As a young couple buying their first home, they weren't sure there would be enough space for them all.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11We were worried at that point because we'd bought a house and were setting it up, we'd give them
0:24:11 > 0:24:17a little room and we were starting to realise that maybe that room wasn't going to be big enough for them.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19That's why we had to build our conservatory!
0:24:19 > 0:24:23You want Daddy cuddles, don't you? You want Daddy cuddles, eh?!
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Instead of sending their little piggies back to market,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Bryn and Sadie built their porkers a stylish sty.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32This actually came from Bournemouth,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34because this was the cheapest we could find.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36We couldn't afford to spend too much.
0:24:36 > 0:24:42We wanted them to be part of us still, and this was literally the best solution. But, erm,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I think it's a posh house for two pigs!
0:24:45 > 0:24:48While Hector and Oliver are happy and healthy now,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50it wasn't always the case.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Are you going to sit for Daddy? Sit, sit, sit. I know it's cold, isn't it?
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Shortly after Bryn and Sadie got them,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58one of the pigs became dangerously ill.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00They did settle in very well.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04It was just, obviously, we didn't have them long, and then, erm,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Hector actually got pneumonia, and
0:25:06 > 0:25:10the vet actually said to us that it was a 50-50 chance
0:25:10 > 0:25:14of whether they were going to live or not.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16And that was sort of a bit of a scary time.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20'Having nursed them back to health...'
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Do you want belly rubs, eh?
0:25:22 > 0:25:24'..Bryn and Sadie don't want to send them back.'
0:25:24 > 0:25:26We have thought about it
0:25:26 > 0:25:30because we do have a limited amount of space, and it is unfair to keep them.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34We are hoping they don't get much bigger, so we won't have to do it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38If they grow a couple more inches, I think we'll be all right.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43But it is a case of, if they do get bigger, we honestly don't know what step to take.
0:25:43 > 0:25:50Because we can't send them back, because we are afraid that they might go off to the slaughterhouse -
0:25:50 > 0:25:52that's not really what we want.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57You know, they are our pets, we do sit with them at night-time.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02- And they go off to sleep with us and... They are, well, part of the family, really.- Yeah.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Both Bryn and Sadie, and Margaret, did receive compensation from the breeder,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09but with costs of keeping full-sized pigs
0:26:09 > 0:26:13running into thousands of pounds, they're still well out of pocket.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15It has been a lot of cost.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19The stable door we had to buy in there was a couple of hundred pounds.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24We've had to fence in the garden more securely, and that's cost us.
0:26:24 > 0:26:31I suppose, in all, we must have spent nearly £3,000 in fencing and everything.
0:26:31 > 0:26:37Plus, obviously, he eats a lot more than a little tiny pig would! So, yeah.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Wendy Scudamore has been breeding pigs for years.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Pig-pigs, come on.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49She's concerned that other breeders are trying to create mini-pigs
0:26:49 > 0:26:51by just using the smallest or weakest pigs of a litter.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56Or that they're feeding them drugs to keep them under 21 inches high.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Either way, she thinks pigs don't make good pets.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Pigs are basically foraging creatures,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06and by foraging, I mean using its snout to look for food,
0:27:06 > 0:27:11and an indoor pig will still be inclined to do the same thing.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16It'll root through your carpets or through the sofa, or anything else it can find,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18because that's natural for a pig.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22There are all kinds of other habits pigs have.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25For example, a boar pig will scent wherever he goes,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29which is a constant trickle of urine leaving his scent marking.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32You can't possibly have that kind of thing in a house.
0:27:34 > 0:27:40And Margaret, whose mini-pig grew into a giant, has suspicions as to what's going on.
0:27:40 > 0:27:47I think it's all about money, because they're selling for around £1,000 now,
0:27:47 > 0:27:52and when you think you can buy that sort of pig for probably 50 quid,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55it's got to be about the money.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00And while the breeders are counting the cash, Wendy's just seeing the problems pile up.
0:28:00 > 0:28:06We are already seeing a lot of these pigs coming up for re-homing.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09It's a problem that's already beginning to mushroom,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13and it's going to mushroom out of all proportion, because there are going to be
0:28:13 > 0:28:17literally thousands of these pigs looking for new homes in the very near future.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28That's all from Fake Britain today. Bye for now.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:51 > 0:28:53E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk