0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Police!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down! Get down!- On the floor now!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Put your hands behind your back, now.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Here at the Fake Britain house, things might look familiar,
0:00:28 > 0:00:33but don't be taken in - because this is a house that's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36In this series I'll be revealing the counterfeits,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40copies and cons that are flooding the market, fooling the public,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44making money for the criminals and maybe even putting you in danger.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We'll be investigating those fraudsters
0:00:46 > 0:00:50who are cashing in by selling something that isn't real,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54and we'll be showing you how to avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Today on Fake Britain, we lift the lid on the fake cigarettes
0:00:59 > 0:01:01that could burn down your house.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04My father said, "There's been a fire at home
0:01:04 > 0:01:06"and your mum's dead."
0:01:06 > 0:01:10And the nationwide crackdown on the fakers putting our lives in danger.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11We've got a huge supply here.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Who can you trust to fit your burglar alarm?
0:01:15 > 0:01:18The fake certificates putting livelihoods at risk.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20I'd already been the victim of a burglary.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I didn't want another criminal in my home.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27And we meet two pioneers of two very British folding bikes,
0:01:27 > 0:01:29both of whom are losing out to the fakers.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32All these products are fakes.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Here on Fake Britain we've seen a lot of these.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45They look like real cigarettes, but they're fake and illegal.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47They're often made in filthy conditions,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51and anything from rat droppings to mould have been found in them.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54But there's a new danger with fake cigarettes,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59and, as we're about to find out, just one of these could be deadly.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Cigarette fakers are blazing a trail across the country.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Over 80% of UK-branded cigarettes seized by the HMRC are fake,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14and last year over a billion illicit cigarettes were seized.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Fake Britain has investigated fake cigarettes before,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20but now there's a shocking new development
0:02:20 > 0:02:24meaning fake and illegal cigarettes can kill in more ways
0:02:24 > 0:02:25than you might think.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29So police and trading standards teams across the country
0:02:29 > 0:02:30are cracking down.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Julie Grant from Spalding in Lincolnshire has had personal
0:02:37 > 0:02:41experience of the devastating effect of fake cigarettes.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46Mum and Dad had been married for 51 years.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48They met in their late teens.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Being a close-knit family,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Julie ended up living just down the road from her mum and dad,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56June and Peter Buffham.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Mum had had a couple of strokes at the age of 50, which had affected
0:03:00 > 0:03:07her mobility, and she ended up not being able to walk, move around.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09She couldn't lift her own legs up.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Dad had to do everything for her.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15He would get her ready on a Sunday evening
0:03:15 > 0:03:19so that she could sit for an hour while he nipped out for a pint,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22his little bit of respite after looking after her all day,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24and she'd be happy.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28She had nothing much left in her life since her disability,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31but she did enjoy a cigarette, and that's what she'd have been doing.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34She'd have been sitting having a soft drink
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and a cigarette watching her soaps.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40She'd have the phone on her knee just in case she needed Dad.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43In one of those evenings when Julie's dad had gone out,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Julie was at home with her husband.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47All of a sudden,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50they received a phone call from the local police station.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I spoke to this officer who said he had my father
0:03:53 > 0:03:55at Spalding police station,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and he needed me to go up there straightaway.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Julie and her husband drove straight to the police station.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05She'll never forget what happened next.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10My father just looked up at me and said, "There's been a fire at home
0:04:10 > 0:04:12"and your mum's dead."
0:04:14 > 0:04:20Obviously he was in tears, and I gave him a hug. We were both in tears.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24But...you're hearing, but you're not quite understanding what's going on.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30The fire had torn through June Buffham's lounge.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32The devastation was such that the family weren't able
0:04:32 > 0:04:35to go to the house that night.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39But when Julie finally got there, she was shocked by what she found.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40It hit me like a brick.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Mind-blowing.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45If you've never experienced a fire,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50you cannot comprehend what you're actually seeing.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Absolutely total devastation.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57The heat had just melted the television - it wasn't burnt,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00just melted, because of the heat.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Complete mess.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04With the help of the coroner and the fire services,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Julie was able to piece together what had happened to her mum.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Mum fell asleep, dropped the cigarette into the chair,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14where it lay there.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18And after laying there for what we've been told since
0:05:18 > 0:05:21would only have been a very short period of time,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23it would have ignited.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24And because my mum was disabled
0:05:24 > 0:05:27and was unable to get out of the chair,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29there was no escape route for her.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34So the fire had totally engulfed my mum.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39But the investigation didn't end there,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41and it started to focus on the type of cigarette
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Julie's mum had been smoking.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49The coroner's assistant asked my father the question,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53did my mother smoke the brand called Jin Ling?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55And my father said that yes,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59those were the cigarettes that Mum would have been smoking.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03And the coroner said that those would be used as part of the investigation.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05It really didn't mean anything to us -
0:06:05 > 0:06:09as far as we were concerned, they were just cigarettes.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Jin Ling is an illegal brand, created for the black market
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and smuggled across the world.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And it can be dangerous
0:06:17 > 0:06:20because of the type of paper used in the cigarettes.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Dave Coss is a fire investigator with Derbyshire Fire and Rescue.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29He was the first to examine the scene of the fire
0:06:29 > 0:06:31at June Buffham's home,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and he thinks he knows what caused her death.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36In November 2011,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40the European directive came into force within the EU
0:06:40 > 0:06:43that basically said that all cigarettes sold on retail market
0:06:43 > 0:06:48within the European Union has to be reduced ignition propensity -
0:06:48 > 0:06:52ie, they have to have two fire safety bands within them,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56which will reduce the chances of the cigarette continuing to burn
0:06:56 > 0:06:59if it's dropped down the side of a settee or a chair.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Studies at the time were showing anything up to about 70%
0:07:03 > 0:07:08less likelihood of a cigarette that's got the safety bands catching fire
0:07:08 > 0:07:11when compared to a fake or illegal or illicit cigarette,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13which has no fire safety features.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Dave shows us how to tell the difference
0:07:16 > 0:07:20between a genuine reduced ignition propensity cigarette
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and a fake cigarette without the safety bands.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26First he examines a genuine Marlboro cigarette,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30taken from a pack that we bought from a local shop.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31Drawing a line with a marker pen
0:07:31 > 0:07:33down the inside of a cigarette paper,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36the fire safety bands become clearly visible.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39In order for a fire to continue burning, it needs heat,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42it needs oxygen and it needs fuel.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45And the idea behind the band is that the band is airtight,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48so it takes away the air from those three components.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49So it only leaves the fuel and the heat,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52which eventually means the fire will self-extinguish.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55But what about the fakes?
0:07:55 > 0:07:59We gave Dave a fake Marlboro cigarette and a Jin Ling cigarette
0:07:59 > 0:08:04from packs that were seized by Wolverhampton Trading Standards.
0:08:04 > 0:08:10Clearly no fire safety bands within the paper.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13If you compare that with the cigarette on the left,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15you can clearly see the two breaks in the line -
0:08:15 > 0:08:17those are the safety bands.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Therefore you can confirm the two on the right are fake cigarettes
0:08:21 > 0:08:24or illegal cigarettes, and the one on the left is a genuine cigarette.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Dave wanted to demonstrate to Fake Britain
0:08:29 > 0:08:31why fire safety bands are so important
0:08:31 > 0:08:33by carrying out a simple burn test
0:08:33 > 0:08:37in which fake and real cigarettes are lit and allowed to burn down.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42We're five minutes in on the clock.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44As you can see, the genuine Marlboro
0:08:44 > 0:08:47with the fire safety band in has extinguished itself.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50The moment the smoulder has hit the fire safety band,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52the fire safety band has extinguished it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56The fake Marlboro and the Jin Ling
0:08:56 > 0:09:00are almost halfway to three quarters burnt through.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Ten minutes in and the fakes have failed miserably.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08The fake Marlboro's completely burnt down to the core,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and if we look at the Jin Ling,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13again, we're right down to the filter,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and the filter is starting to burn now.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Down the side of a settee, that's ten minutes worth of sustained smoulder,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23which would be sufficient to set fire to the settee.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24If you notice, now,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27the Jin Ling one's actually starting to burn the filter.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30It's not even extinguished when it's hit the filter -
0:09:30 > 0:09:32it's carried on burning straight through.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37Dave thinks this could be the key to June Buffham's death.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41When we examined the Jin Lings that we'd recovered from the house,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44outside, it became very clear to us, obviously,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46that they were fake cigarettes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49They've not got the safety bands in them.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52So when this particular cigarette was dropped down the side of the chair,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55it would have continued to smoulder for up to 20 minutes
0:09:55 > 0:09:58before it actually started the fire.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03At June Buffham's inquest, the Lincolnshire coroner linked
0:10:03 > 0:10:08illegal cigarettes with the house fire that caused her death.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13The reality is, I've got something in my hand here that killed my mum.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Innocently killed my mum.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Because of the way they're manufactured,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22because of the paper that's used round the outside.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Because it won't extinguish.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Um...
0:10:27 > 0:10:28They're killers.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29Simple as that.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And they need taking off of the high street.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34And they ARE being taken off the streets.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Later we're out with trading standards
0:10:36 > 0:10:40and the police as they discover shocking numbers
0:10:40 > 0:10:43of these potentially dangerous fake and illegal cigarettes.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47I've just noticed you were quickly trying to rush away with this bag.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57These are becoming an increasingly popular sight on our streets.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01More and more people are whizzing around on folding bikes.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03One minute you're sitting on it, the next,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05you're carrying it like a briefcase. Very clever.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08This is a Brompton, and this one is a STRiDA,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and both were invented and developed by British designers -
0:11:11 > 0:11:13but take a look at these.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Almost identical to the Brompton and the STRiDA,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19but both illegal copies.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23The fakers' wheeling and dealing is damaging British business,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and putting cyclists at risk.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Britain's gone collapsible crazy.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33The folding bikes are now a common sight in our cities,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37as commuters pedal their way to and from work.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41And the Brompton is a very British success story.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43The company now has 230 employees,
0:11:43 > 0:11:49who hand-build around 45,000 folding bikes every year.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Bike nut Will Butler-Adams is Brompton's managing director.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55We make folding bikes.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59We are marginally obsessed with making folding bikes...
0:11:59 > 0:12:02because they work.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04It's not easy to make a good folding bike,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06with its multiple joints
0:12:06 > 0:12:10and the constant stress from daily folding and unfolding.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Trying to design something that puts up with that day in, day out,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17year after year, is really tricky.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22And that requires attention to detail in every tiny little area.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24And that's what we spend our time doing.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Will is mad about genuine Bromptons.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31But he's hopping mad about copies,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35which have been appearing all over the internet.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37The problems began when Andrew Ritchie,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39the inventor of the Brompton,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41allowed a company in Eastern Asia
0:12:41 > 0:12:45to make a licensed copy of the Brompton for distribution.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49He gave his baby away and tried to teach somebody how to do it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52They didn't make it themselves - they got this person to make it.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54That person got this person to make it,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57that person got this person to make it, Chinese whispers.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00The net result was a pretty diabolical thing.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05So Brompton backpedalled, and the license for Eastern Asia
0:13:05 > 0:13:08to make shoddy Bromptons was not renewed.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11That's when the copycats shifted up a gear.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13People who had been suppliers thought, "Ooh!
0:13:13 > 0:13:14"Maybe we can do it ourselves."
0:13:14 > 0:13:17They never understood what they were doing from the outset.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21And in the meantime, our bike had moved on - but still they carried on.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26And that is a place where we have seen copies coming in illegally.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32The illegal Bromptons were imported into several European countries.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34They weren't carrying the Brompton name,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37but they all shared its unique design,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39which is protected by copyright.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41When the Oxford folding bicycle,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45which looks identical to the Brompton, appeared in Spain,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Brompton went to court.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49They were trying to copy the look,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52and make people sort of think
0:13:52 > 0:13:57that this was from the same family as the Brompton.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59And we won the case.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The Spanish court ruled that the Brompton copy did infringe
0:14:02 > 0:14:05their intellectual property rights.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06Despite the win,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Will is still concerned that people could be fooled
0:14:09 > 0:14:14into thinking they're buying a bike made by Brompton when they're not.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16The interesting thing about the Brompton is,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19people don't look at a bike and look at the label
0:14:19 > 0:14:20and go, "That's a Brompton."
0:14:20 > 0:14:24The Brompton's so iconic, you know, you see one whizzing along,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27you know, "Oh, there's a Brompton."
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Because it's so unique.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31That's what people are trying to take,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35and that's what they're trying to extract value from
0:14:35 > 0:14:37in order to dupe the customer.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Despite Brompton's wins against the fakers,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42there are still huge numbers of bogus Bromptons out there
0:14:42 > 0:14:44for sale on the internet.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45These are fake Bromptons.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47No two ways about it.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52The fact that there is a bike that's indirectly pretending to be us,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54selling off our reputation
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and all the time and energy and work that we put in
0:14:57 > 0:14:59to delivering that reputation,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03by taking care with what we make, is really sad.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And Brompton isn't the only British folding bike
0:15:09 > 0:15:11to fall victim to the copycats.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Mark Sanders is the inventor of the distinctive STRiDA folding bike.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21It took him years of research to perfect the design.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24It took massive effort.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27I mean, I spent every waking hour
0:15:27 > 0:15:30just absolutely obsessed with this project.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35The end result was a folding bike with a clever triangular design.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37The unique folding handlebar system
0:15:37 > 0:15:42and locking and front joint system are protected by patents.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44But that hasn't stopped the fakers.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49There's probably about 30 different factories making fakes.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52There's, you know, maybe ten times the production
0:15:52 > 0:15:56out of the fake factories than there is out of the official factory.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00And so, if you added all the fakes together with the official,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03probably 90% of them are fakes.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The first time I saw a fake STRiDA,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11it was "STRiDA" but without the "i", so, "STRDA".
0:16:11 > 0:16:13And it was advertised, you know,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16"Revolutionary folding bike - STRDA."
0:16:16 > 0:16:21A quick look on the internet reveals a shocking number
0:16:21 > 0:16:22of fake STRiDA bikes for sale.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Whoa! Look at all these STRiDAs!
0:16:28 > 0:16:30This is quite amazing!
0:16:30 > 0:16:32How many are there?
0:16:32 > 0:16:35You can see they're making a lovely business out of it.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Look at them all lined up, ready to go.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42All these products are fakes of the genuine STRiDA bike.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45And it's not long before Mark stumbles across
0:16:45 > 0:16:48what looks like a promotional video for his STRiDA bike -
0:16:48 > 0:16:51but the video has been made by the copycats.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55'More and more people require the bicycle with personal style...'
0:16:55 > 0:17:00The cheek of trying to sell a product that I've designed
0:17:00 > 0:17:05as their own to other people! It's just so funny.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08You know that this has come out of one of those fake factories
0:17:08 > 0:17:11which have no quality control.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Will Butler-Adams of Brompton and Mark Sanders of STRiDA
0:17:14 > 0:17:18take the safety of their folding bikes seriously.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20What about the fakes?
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Will and Mark decided to get hold of fake versions of their bikes.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Seconds into the unboxing of the copycat Brompton,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29and Will isn't impressed.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32So, first thing we notice, before we even go any further,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35this has snapped off. The roller wheel.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Mark Sanders isn't faring much better with the fake STRiDA
0:17:39 > 0:17:40he bought online.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44The brake pivot screw has actually just dropped out.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I mean, that is just so dangerous!
0:17:47 > 0:17:48And - whoops!
0:17:48 > 0:17:51That is a joke. Well, that's not working.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53It's not even clipping.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57It's a lot more flimsier than the genuine article.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Oh, my... No, no, that's... Oh, hold on, the reflector's fallen off.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01HE LAUGHS
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Yep, this is good.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05And all this folding flimsiness
0:18:05 > 0:18:07before our aficionados have even ridden the bikes.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Yay!
0:18:09 > 0:18:10So you stop, and - whoop!
0:18:10 > 0:18:11That's pretty...
0:18:11 > 0:18:14HE GRUNTS ..iffy.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16God! It feels terrible.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17It's all floppy.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20The handlebars are loose, the crank's loose,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22the whole frame's loose!
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I don't even dare ride it at any speed at all.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Incredible!
0:18:29 > 0:18:30It's so rickety.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34I can't actually lift my legs up,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36because they're hitting the handlebar.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37Here we go. Whoa!
0:18:38 > 0:18:41The crank is incredibly loose.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43It's so unbelievably bad.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Aah!
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Aaaah!
0:18:50 > 0:18:53It's like cycling on a blancmange.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Will decides to carry out an impromptu brake test on his bike.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58OK? And I'm going to shove the brakes on...
0:18:58 > 0:18:59now!
0:19:00 > 0:19:02I mean, that is a joke.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Joking aside, Mark and Will's hands-on experience
0:19:07 > 0:19:11with copycat folding bikes has left them with serious safety concerns.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I know the standard that the genuine thing has to pass,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19and the testing it has to go through,
0:19:19 > 0:19:24the careful analysis of all the materials that go into it,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28the really strict quality assurance of every single component,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30before it's even allowed on the bike.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33All that stuff is ignored on a fake.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39And then I feel really scared for people that buy those products.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44But these folding bikes aren't just endangering the people riding them.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47They're also threatening the British designers
0:19:47 > 0:19:51and inventors responsible for bringing the originals to our roads.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56What happens with small to medium sized British companies
0:19:56 > 0:20:00is that they will spend all their time doing the R and D,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04developing new designs, developing new products, testing them,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06and then they will get them out on the market,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and then somebody will just copy all that work.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Fake products are bad for UK plc.
0:20:16 > 0:20:23And if we don't do something to protect the innovators
0:20:23 > 0:20:27and the risk-takers, then they won't be there.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30And that would be very bad for the British economy.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Earlier we saw the devastation
0:20:41 > 0:20:43that fake cigarettes can leave in their wake.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46My father said, "There's been a fire at home
0:20:46 > 0:20:49"and your mum's dead."
0:20:49 > 0:20:53The fire that killed June Buffham was linked to a Jin Ling cigarette.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Jin Ling is a Russian brand designed purely for smuggling.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02In other words, it's a fake and illegal brand -
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and it's exploded onto the international market.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Customs officials are calling Jin Ling
0:21:07 > 0:21:10the most seized brand in Europe.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13The packaging resembles the American brand Camel,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15even down to its colouring and typeface,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18but instead of a camel on the Jin Ling package,
0:21:18 > 0:21:19there's a mountain goat.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23These fake cigarettes are even out there in our shops.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Over several days, Fake Britain followed trading standards
0:21:28 > 0:21:30and the police across the country
0:21:30 > 0:21:34on the hunt for the potentially deadly Jin Ling cigarettes.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35Good boy.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Debra Craner and her team from Wolverhampton Trading Standards
0:21:38 > 0:21:42are joining forces with two specialists with a nose for fakery -
0:21:42 > 0:21:45tobacco detection dogs Indie and Bradley.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47He's got the dream of all jobs.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48You have, yeah.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Working with dogs all day, yeah.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Debra and her team know that Jin Ling cigarettes can kill,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59so it's a race against time
0:21:59 > 0:22:02to get them off the shelves before anyone else is harmed.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Their intelligence has led them to a shop suspected of selling
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Jin Lings and other fake tobacco products.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Hi, I'm from trading standards.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Wolverhampton City Council.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15We're just here today, we're just doing routine inspections,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and we just want to look at your tobacco and cigarettes.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Time to unleash Indie.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28I just want the dogs to check the other side of the till.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Just cos you think that void, there's some...
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Just there.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It's not long before she finds something of interest
0:22:37 > 0:22:39right behind the counter.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41- Oh, yeah.- No government health warning on them.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Been brought in illegally to the country.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Quite possibly the cigarettes are counterfeit,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49but it will be confirmed.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53So far they haven't uncovered any of the Jin Lings.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54But just around the corner,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57it's not long before Indie sniffs out something else.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58Oh...
0:22:58 > 0:22:59And there we go.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Well done, Indie, well done.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Good girl. Good girl.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Concealed within these bin bags,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11an array of fake Golden Virginia and fake Amber Leaf.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15It's great to see the dogs working and in action.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Hundreds of fake cigarettes have been seized already,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22but still no sign of the potentially deadly Jin Lings.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24But there's still the basement to check,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and Indie the detection dog doesn't need to be asked twice.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Good girl! Good girl.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Indie's very interested in this sofa.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Oh, yeah. We've got a huge supply here.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Finally they've found what they're looking for.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42This sofa is concealing thousands of Jin Ling cigarettes -
0:23:42 > 0:23:46the very same fake brand linked to the death of June Buffham.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49This is just a huge supply.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Debra's shocked by what they've found - and where they've found it.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55It's the first time I've come across, inside the sofa -
0:23:55 > 0:23:58but these unscrupulous traders,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01they're always trying to keep one step ahead.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02They're always thinking of, you know,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05"Where will trading standards not look?"
0:24:05 > 0:24:09And that's the advantage today, particularly, of having the dogs.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13The fake cigarettes are counted,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16bagged, tagged and taken away for analysis.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20In total they seize well over 5,000 Jin Ling cigarettes.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26With no time to lose, Debra and the team race to the next shop
0:24:26 > 0:24:29suspected of selling Jin Ling cigarettes.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33This time, the officers will have to keep a low profile.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37This area has a few shops where they have got lookouts.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39And previous operations that we've carried out,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42we've been aware that people are looking out
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and making those quick calls warning people to get rid of stock.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It appears as if the lookouts are earning their keep,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55as Debra meets a man who's in a hurry to leave.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I just noticed you were quickly trying to rush away with this bag,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- so I'm just going to put this bag here, because...- Yeah, yeah.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Oh, yeah. I'm going to take a look in this bag, OK?
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Cos I can already see you've got some cigarettes in here.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11He was just about to leg it, so I've just had to stop him from legging it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- Right.- With a bag.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14He's got hundreds of Jin Lings
0:25:14 > 0:25:17and other fake cigarettes in his rucksack.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20And with thousands of pounds in cash found behind the counter,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22clearly business is booming.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Goodness me.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27So, yeah...
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Certainly the Golden Virginia is confirmed by the brand holder,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32that is counterfeit.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36There's a strong possibility, therefore, that the others will be.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Over in Lincolnshire,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42trading standards officer Dan Brown is hoping
0:25:42 > 0:25:46that detection dog Bradley's keen sense of smell
0:25:46 > 0:25:49will smoke out some of the fake cigarettes flooding the county.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Being a black market brand,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56it's easy to spot an illegal packet of Jin Ling cigarettes -
0:25:56 > 0:25:59but it's harder to tell whether a packet of Marlboro cigarettes
0:25:59 > 0:26:02is the real thing or just a convincing fake.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Luckily Dan has some help
0:26:04 > 0:26:07in the form of this portable counterfeit cigarette detector.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10What we've got here is a handy little device
0:26:10 > 0:26:13that reads the seal in the tobacco packaging.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14And it's an indicator
0:26:14 > 0:26:17to whether the packet of cigarettes is genuine or not.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19We'll look at this packet of Marlboro that was found in the back,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and this one that we've taken off the shelf here, look.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24When I put this genuine packet of cigarettes on here,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27they will get an amber or a green reading.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30The machine confirms that these cigarettes are real.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33But with some of the other cigarettes they've seized,
0:26:33 > 0:26:34it's a different story.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Then we get this packet of Marlboros that we found out in the back.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Place this on the reader - the indicator will stay on red.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44It doesn't turn amber or green.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47This is not a Marlboro Red - it's a Marlboro red light.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So therefore I suspect that they're counterfeit.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56With over 25,000 fake cigarettes seized between them,
0:26:56 > 0:26:57it's a great result
0:26:57 > 0:27:01for Wolverhampton and Lincolnshire Trading Standards.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03We've got the Jin Ling brand of cigarette
0:27:03 > 0:27:06that fail the ignition propensity testing.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07They do not self-extinguish,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09so they'll keep on burning all the way down.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Later we see the shocking results of our fake cigarette burn test.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Anyone within that room would be unconscious or dead now.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29When you've worked hard for your home
0:27:29 > 0:27:30and everything that's in it,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33you might want to protect it with a burglar alarm.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Your insurance company will probably ask you to get it fitted
0:27:37 > 0:27:41by someone who's accredited by an official security approval body.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45If you get burgled, this certificate is a seal of approval,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48meaning that your insurer should pay out.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51But THIS certificate is a fake,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54and it's not worth the paper it's written on.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Do you know who's fitting your burglar alarm?
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Having your home burgled can take a great deal of getting over,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07but in Britain it's a reality for one person every 40 seconds.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12There are over a million victims of burglary or attempted burglary
0:28:12 > 0:28:14across the country every year.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Lorraine White knows how it feels.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27When I was burgled, my bedroom had been completely ransacked,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31my jewellery had been taken, other property had been taken.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37The burglar had stolen Lorraine's possessions and her confidence.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41You do not feel safe in your own home.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45You feel very paranoid about locking doors and windows before you leave.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48When you arrive home, is there someone in your house?
0:28:48 > 0:28:52You feel very vulnerable, very insecure.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56I needed a burglar alarm to help with the security in relation to that.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Lorraine's insurance company said her burglar alarm
0:28:59 > 0:29:01would need to be fitted by a company
0:29:01 > 0:29:05approved by one of the two main security approval bodies.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09Either NACOSS NSI, the National Security Inspectorate,
0:29:09 > 0:29:15or SSAIB, Security Systems and Alarms Inspections Board.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17You should be able to trust security companies
0:29:17 > 0:29:19with either of these stamps of approval.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22It means they've vetted their employees.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25And going with an approved company means you're much more likely
0:29:25 > 0:29:28to get an insurance payout if you get burgled.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33Lorraine searched the web and found burglar alarm fitter Nick Parker.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35When I called Nick Parker on the telephone,
0:29:35 > 0:29:39I specifically mentioned that I needed him to be qualified,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41needed him to be approved.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45He stated that he was, and that is a service he could provide for me,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49so I agreed to let him come along and give me a quote inside my property.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Lorraine went with the quote.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57Nick Parker fitted the alarm and gave her everything she needed
0:29:57 > 0:29:59to satisfy her home insurance company.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03This was the certificate that I got sent from Nick Parker.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07As you can see, it says "SSAIB", which is exactly what I needed
0:30:07 > 0:30:10to comply with the insurance company regulations.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13I sent that to my insurance company, they accepted it,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16and that's what gave me my house insurance cover.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21Lorraine was finally starting to feel secure in her own home.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23But all that was about to change.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26I received a telephone call from trading standards
0:30:26 > 0:30:30claiming that Nick Parker was actually a fraud.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37Nick Parker told me he was NACOSS and SSAIB registered.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Trading standards informed me that he wasn't.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42He'd actually lied about that.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47It was time for Lorraine to look a little closer
0:30:47 > 0:30:51at the security certificate she'd given to her insurance company.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53I now know that this certificate is fake.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Everything on it is fake.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59The logo, the signature from the "chief executive" -
0:30:59 > 0:31:01who am I to question it?
0:31:01 > 0:31:05I can't tell a fake certificate from a genuine one.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Lorraine had unwittingly misled her insurance company
0:31:08 > 0:31:11about the new alarm being approved.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14This fake certificate had left Lorraine uninsured for two years,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18and at risk of losing everything for a second time.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21I was paying him to provide me with a service
0:31:21 > 0:31:23in relation to a burglar alarm,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25that effectively was a waste of money,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28because my insurance company wouldn't have paid out.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Had it have happened to me a second time,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34and not being covered by my house insurance,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36and losing absolutely everything again,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39I don't know how I would have coped with that.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Nick Parker made me feel very angry.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46I'd already been the victim of a burglary -
0:31:46 > 0:31:48I didn't want another criminal in my home,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51and technically Nick Parker is a criminal
0:31:51 > 0:31:52because of what he's done.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Shockingly, Nick Parker's fakery
0:31:56 > 0:31:59didn't stop at his claims of being SSAIB accredited -
0:31:59 > 0:32:04as Mark Rolfe from Kent Trading Standards discovered,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Parker's claims of quick response times to his customers in Kent
0:32:08 > 0:32:09also didn't ring true.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12All of the numbers that Parker uses here
0:32:12 > 0:32:15are, in effect, fake local numbers.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18They're all genuine numbers inasmuch as they'll ring,
0:32:18 > 0:32:23but they'll ring on his mobile phone at his business address in Thanet.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Which, from some of these towns listed here, is an hour's drive.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29So this is him making a fake claim
0:32:29 > 0:32:32to suggest that he is a local business
0:32:32 > 0:32:35based in all of these towns across Kent.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37As Parker's lies unravelled,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Mark Rolfe discovered that he was also lying
0:32:39 > 0:32:43about being accredited to the highest NACOSS Gold standard.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49But Parker's fakery didn't stop there.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Terry Roffey runs Brook Security,
0:32:52 > 0:32:58a successful NACOSS NSI accredited burglar alarm company in Kent.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Terry's business was also to fall prey to Nick Parker.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08We've worked really hard at building up a reputation for quality service.
0:33:08 > 0:33:09Customer friendly.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13And then we had a call out of the blue from trading standards
0:33:13 > 0:33:17to tell us that we had unhappy customers that had been misled.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21They've had to pay cash. Level of service was poor.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24After a lengthy conversation with trading standards,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27the name Nick Parker came up.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28Terry was horrified to learn
0:33:28 > 0:33:33that Parker had been falsely trading under the name of Brook Security
0:33:33 > 0:33:36on a local website providing free business listings.
0:33:36 > 0:33:42This guy was trading under our name, issuing fake certificates, really.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46We issue a certificate of compliance that's required by insurers
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- or often required by insurers -
0:33:49 > 0:33:53and the work he was doing was, in effect, fake,
0:33:53 > 0:33:55with fake documentation.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Terry showed Fake Britain
0:33:57 > 0:34:01what a genuine accredited security certificate should look like.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03It's got the name and address of the client,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06it's got the standard that the system has been installed to,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09it's got the details of the date of installation,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13information of our accreditation body, certificate number.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16So, it's a lot of detail on there.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19This is one that was issued for a fake system.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23It has no detail of the standard that the system is installed to,
0:34:23 > 0:34:27it has no detail of the client's address
0:34:27 > 0:34:29and premises that it was installed at.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32It's totally fake, it's not worth the paper it's written on.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37To this day, Terry can't tell exactly how much
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Nick Parker's deception has cost his company.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44We would've had losses of thousands of pounds
0:34:44 > 0:34:48in lost income from the installation
0:34:48 > 0:34:52and ongoing support services that we provide to them over the years.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57By now, Mark Rolfe from Kent Trading Standards
0:34:57 > 0:35:00had enough evidence against Nick Parker.
0:35:00 > 0:35:01As far as he was concerned,
0:35:01 > 0:35:05Parker's fakery constituted a huge breach of trust.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10When we as homeowners decide who to use to fit a burglar alarm
0:35:10 > 0:35:12to our house, we're actually trusting them
0:35:12 > 0:35:15with the security of our families and our possessions.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19For people to find out that actually their burglar alarm engineer
0:35:19 > 0:35:23has committed fraud to get the business from them
0:35:23 > 0:35:26actually undermines their confidence in the security industry.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Finally, sentencing day arrived for Nick Parker -
0:35:32 > 0:35:34and Mark Rolfe was there for the result.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Nick Parker's been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment,
0:35:38 > 0:35:39suspended for two years,
0:35:39 > 0:35:44to a night-time curfew, so he can't leave his home between 7pm and 7am,
0:35:44 > 0:35:45and to a £5,000 costs order.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50It's exactly the right kind of sentence for the kind of fakery
0:35:50 > 0:35:52and fraudulent behaviour that he was involved in.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56We tried to catch up with Mr Parker...
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Just wondering if you've got anything to say to the victims.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01..but he wasn't in a talkative mood.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09If you want to check if your alarm company's accredited with NACOSS NSI
0:36:09 > 0:36:14or SSAIB, you can search for NSI approved companies on their website,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18or search for a registered firm on the SSAIB website.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Earlier we followed trading standards officers
0:36:30 > 0:36:33seizing thousands of fake cigarettes across the country.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35They uncovered a haul of Jin Lings -
0:36:35 > 0:36:39the very same brand that caused the death of June Buffham.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Emma Milligan from Lincolnshire Trading Standards
0:36:43 > 0:36:47lives and works just down the road from where June Buffham died.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50It was a great shock to Lincolnshire Trading Standards
0:36:50 > 0:36:52to hear about the death of June Buffham,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56where the coroner linked her death to fake Jin Ling cigarettes.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01It did spur us on to look at the safety of these products.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05Emma and other trading standards officers across the country
0:37:05 > 0:37:08now have the power to prosecute people selling fake cigarettes
0:37:08 > 0:37:11because they're potentially dangerous.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Previously we only took cases under Trade Marks Act,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19so it's more likely that a trader will be prosecuted
0:37:19 > 0:37:24for selling unsafe product that, you know, could lead to a house fire
0:37:24 > 0:37:26and a tragedy, like we saw in Lincolnshire.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Emma and her team have had some big wins against the criminals
0:37:31 > 0:37:36selling potentially dangerous fake and illegal cigarettes.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37In a landmark case,
0:37:37 > 0:37:41they brought the first ever prosecution in the country
0:37:41 > 0:37:44against a shopkeeper on safety grounds.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Shapoor Atiqi of Boston Food and Wine
0:37:46 > 0:37:49admitted selling non-self-extinguishing,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52potentially dangerous Jin Ling and other fake brand cigarettes
0:37:52 > 0:37:55out of this shop - which is now under new ownership,
0:37:55 > 0:37:56and has a new name.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00Lincolnshire Trading Standards, along with Lincolnshire police,
0:38:00 > 0:38:02found fake Jin Ling cigarettes underneath the floor.
0:38:02 > 0:38:07Mr Atiqi had to do 270 hours' community service,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09along with paying over £5,000 fines.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15The coroner had linked fake Jin Ling cigarettes
0:38:15 > 0:38:18to a tragic house fire where June Buffham died.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Trading standards takes this matter so seriously
0:38:21 > 0:38:24that we wanted to protect other consumers from purchasing such goods.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Tonight, Emma's joining forces with officers from Lincolnshire Police
0:38:30 > 0:38:34to hunt down a man who's been selling illegal and fake cigarettes.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38The suspect that we're looking for today
0:38:38 > 0:38:41has been linked to the supply of unsafe cigarettes.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48They hunt high and low in the neighbourhood for the suspect.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50DOORBELL RINGS
0:38:56 > 0:39:00The officers get a lead that the man could be at this address.
0:39:00 > 0:39:01Hello?
0:39:01 > 0:39:03HE KNOCKS
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Can you open the door, please? It's the police.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08- Hello.- Hi.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11We're after someone we believe you might know, might be living here.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16The man they're looking for is nowhere to be seen.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18But, interestingly, the man answering the door
0:39:18 > 0:39:22was later convicted of tobacco-related offences.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25One of the males inside did work at one of the premises
0:39:25 > 0:39:28where we have found unsafe and illegal tobacco.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31So he may know the whereabouts of the suspect.
0:39:31 > 0:39:32Right...
0:39:34 > 0:39:38The man they set out to arrest is Khalid Muhammad Jasin.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43He's been found guilty of 30 charges related to illegal tobacco,
0:39:43 > 0:39:44and they didn't find him.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51The most recent government figures show
0:39:51 > 0:39:55that there were 42,000 house fires in the UK between 2012 and 2013.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59The London Fire Brigade told us
0:39:59 > 0:40:02that half of accidental fatal fires last year
0:40:02 > 0:40:05were caused by smokers' materials.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07And nearly ten fires a week
0:40:07 > 0:40:10are caused by the careless disposal of cigarettes.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12It's not known how many of those fires
0:40:12 > 0:40:15are started by fake cigarettes.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18There is a massive increase in risk of death and injury
0:40:18 > 0:40:21to those people smoking in their own homes,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23that carelessly discard their cigarettes.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Lincolnshire Fire and Recue were so concerned
0:40:28 > 0:40:31about the risks surrounding fake cigarettes falling onto sofas
0:40:31 > 0:40:35that they decided to run a demonstration to raise awareness.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42Fire safety manager Karl Turrill agreed to let Fake Britain film it.
0:40:44 > 0:40:45They'll use an ageing sofa,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49produced before the introduction of fire safety legislation.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51It's the sort of thing you might find in many homes
0:40:51 > 0:40:53across the country.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57This is one of the fake cigarettes we've got here.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00We're going to place it on the side of the sofa.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03As you can see, the cigarette has taken.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05The fake cigarette smoulders away,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08and just a few minutes later, the flames take hold.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Already it's starting to produce quite a lot of smoke.
0:41:10 > 0:41:11That smoke is toxic.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14As things heat up,
0:41:14 > 0:41:18Karl uses his thermal imaging camera to measure the temperature.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21That's up past 400 degrees there, now.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24I can zoom in there -
0:41:24 > 0:41:28437 degrees. It's an acrid, burning smell.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33All it takes is one or two breaths of this and most people will pass out.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36It's not long before the fire is raging out of control,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40and the Fake Britain camera crew is pulled back for their own safety.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45The amount of smoke that's being generated now
0:41:45 > 0:41:47is just much too dangerous for us to be near.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50You can see the vast amount of smoke that's being produced,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52just from one little sofa.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55All of this started from the one fake cigarette.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58As the temperature inside this makeshift sitting room
0:41:58 > 0:41:59hits 540 degrees,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02it's hot enough to reduce the television
0:42:02 > 0:42:05into a bubbling mass of molten plastic.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Karl's under no illusions as to the consequences
0:42:09 > 0:42:11of an inferno like this.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Smoke - thick, black, acrid smoke.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Anyone within that room would be unconscious or dead now.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26This fire is a perfect demonstration of what illegal cigarettes,
0:42:26 > 0:42:27fake cigarettes can do.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32The fire reached temperatures of well over 700 degrees.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36And it's basically torn through that entire room in minutes.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Anyone in there, sadly, would not have made it.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Cigarettes in general are terrible.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47But fake cigarettes are even worse.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57That's all from Fake Britain.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58Goodbye.