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! - Down on the floor! Down!
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Put your hands behind your back now.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26Here at the Fake Britain house,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29we'll reveal the fakes that are flooding the market,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33conning people like you and me and making money for the criminals.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37We'll investigate the fraudsters who are selling us something
0:00:37 > 0:00:40that isn't real and could be dangerous.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44And we'll help you avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45Today on Fake Britain,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48the dangerous ladders that could lead to disaster.
0:00:48 > 0:00:49I could have broke my ankle,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53and I am self-employed - that would have been my livelihood.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56The fluffy hot water bottles that could kill your child.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59All that separates the child using this from mains electricity
0:00:59 > 0:01:01is this thin piece of plastic.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06The experts using technology to catch the identity fakers.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08His image has been placed onto this counterfeit visa
0:01:08 > 0:01:10in order for him to gain status.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17And the fake wood-burning stove installers putting lives at risk.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19We expected to have a fully-functioning wood burner
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and instead, our home was filling with smoke.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32It is very useful, but it is also potentially very dangerous.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Yes, it is a ladder.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38We would all expect that any ladder we buy would be safe.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Every ladder sold here in the UK has to meet basic safety standards.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Unfortunately, Fake Britain has found that is not true.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51Knowing that when you're standing up here, not a great feeling.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58It is reckoned there are two million ladders in use across the country.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01You can buy one from a whole range of places,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03from online sellers to major supermarkets.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10But last year, ladders were the cause of over 50,000 visits to A&E.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Little wonder that they need to meet stringent product standards
0:02:15 > 0:02:17before being sold to the general public.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23All ladders manufactured and supplied within Britain and the EU
0:02:23 > 0:02:27should be manufactured to specific standards and correctly classified.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33But as Keith Dorman from Cambridgeshire discovered,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36not every ladder's safety claims can be trusted.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Keith had decided to buy a ladder,
0:02:38 > 0:02:43so he went online and quickly found one that he thought could do the job.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47The product clearly stated it could hold 150kg,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49or around 23st.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53The weight stated on the details of the item,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57I automatically thought that would take my weight.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01But the ladder wasn't all that it appeared to be.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05The first time I used it, I took it into the kitchen to hang a curtain
0:03:05 > 0:03:10and as I put my foot on the bottom step,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14put some weight on, the step folded around my foot.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18And I stepped back in shock that it had broke.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Keith feels as though he had a lucky escape.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25I could have broke my ankle.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29And I am self-employed - that would have been my livelihood.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33So, to me personally, it could have been...
0:03:33 > 0:03:34terrible.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Fake Britain has discovered that Keith is not the only victim
0:03:36 > 0:03:39of potentially dangerous ladders out there.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Online, there are dozens of reports of ladders buckling or breaking,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48sometimes on their very first outing.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54And so, the authorities have decided to investigate
0:03:54 > 0:03:56whether some retailers
0:03:56 > 0:03:58are selling ladders that carry fake claims
0:03:58 > 0:04:00about their strength and safety.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Acting on a tip-off, Ian Millward from Derbyshire Trading Standards
0:04:05 > 0:04:09decided to test the market for fake ladders.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11We went out looking for examples of these.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Some of these were only available online,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16some were available through high-street stores.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20All of the ladders that Trading Standards test-purchased
0:04:20 > 0:04:22displayed various safety markings,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26including claims to meet specific ladder safety requirements.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Ian Millward wanted to see if the safety claims were genuine,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35so he sent the ladders for independent testing.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41The telescopic ladder tested by Trading Standards extends to 3.75m
0:04:41 > 0:04:45and is a type of ladder used by many professional tradesmen.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47And in this case, when it was tested,
0:04:47 > 0:04:52two of the lock-in pins have actually seized in place.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54The safety claims on this ladder were fake
0:04:54 > 0:04:56and this fault could have resulted in
0:04:56 > 0:04:58fingers being trapped between rungs.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03All four of the retailers that sold these ladders,
0:05:03 > 0:05:08including a supermarket chain, were given a caution by Trading Standards
0:05:08 > 0:05:11and all of these products have been removed from sale.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Fake Britain decided to investigate if other potentially dangerous
0:05:17 > 0:05:20ladders with fake safety markings might be on sale.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Following a tip-off from an industry insider,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28we purchased a telescopic ladder from a Cardiff branch
0:05:28 > 0:05:32of cash-and-carry Makro UK, now part of the Booker Group.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35The ladder was of a similar type to the telescopic one
0:05:35 > 0:05:38previously bought and tested by Trading Standards,
0:05:38 > 0:05:39and claimed to have been tested
0:05:39 > 0:05:42by the safety certification company SGS.
0:05:44 > 0:05:45We sent the ladder to be tested
0:05:45 > 0:05:48at the British Standards Institution, BSI.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Mark Mayo is BSI's ladder expert.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55We're testing this ladder to the requirements of EN 131,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58because that's what it is claiming compliance with.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Mark will test the ladder for torsion,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06which is the degree to which it twists when subjected to pressure.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11By law, this ladder should be able to twist no more than 18 degrees,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14meaning it won't topple over if the person on it
0:06:14 > 0:06:17shifts their weight to the left or right.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31Initial reading is 25.9, which is way over the 18 that is allowed,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and it is rising as the twist continues in the ladder.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40The readings are still going up.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43It is a definite failure to EN 131.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45As we saw from the packaging and the ladder itself,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49they are claiming to meet the requirements of EN 131.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50That is fake.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It doesn't meet that requirement, as we can quite clearly see,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and the ladder is not fit for purpose.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57It is a big fail for the ladder.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01It carries fake safety labelling and it could be dangerous.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05We contacted Blackspur, part of Hamble Distribution,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08who supplied Makro with the ladder that we bought.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Blackspur sent us this SGS certificate and report
0:07:11 > 0:07:15for the ladder, which we sent to SGS for inspection.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20SGS revealed that the certificate and report had been faked,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23telling us some of the results have been altered.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35The test results that had been faked related to torsion.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Blackspur told us that they had been cheated
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and that the genuine report had been altered without their knowledge.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45We contacted Booker Group plc, who own Makro, and they said...
0:08:03 > 0:08:07A passport is probably the most sophisticated and complex document
0:08:07 > 0:08:08we will ever hold.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11It is made under high security conditions and it is designed
0:08:11 > 0:08:16to protect you, your identity and the security of the country.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19ID documents are the most forged in the world
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and telling the real from the fake can be extremely challenging.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26We followed the work of the National Document Fraud Unit
0:08:26 > 0:08:29as they took on a case of suspicious IDs.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Around 200 million people enter and leave Britain every year.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Border Force teams stationed at entry points across the UK
0:08:39 > 0:08:41are responsible for making sure everyone
0:08:41 > 0:08:45coming into or leaving the country is who they claim to be.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49But the use of fake ID documents is on the rise.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Last year, Home Office enforcement teams arrested
0:08:52 > 0:08:56over 10,000 people attempting to use fake documents at the border.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03When authorities need to detect whether an identification is fake,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06they contact the National Document Fraud Unit.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10The team there are uniquely equipped to uncover identity fakery.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Henry Bara is in charge of thousands of these genuine ID documents
0:09:19 > 0:09:21from all over the world.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28We have documents, passports, identity cards, driving licences.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32For instance, here - Sierra Leonean passports.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Somalia. Soviet Union.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36South Sudan.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Driving licences.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Kazakhstan. Greece.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41The United States.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46In total, there are nearly 100,000 of these legitimate ID documents
0:09:46 > 0:09:48in the archive.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Sometimes the best way to spot a fake document
0:09:53 > 0:09:55is by looking at the real thing.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00We use these as comparison documents, so if a document
0:10:00 > 0:10:02is referred to is for an opinion as to their authenticity,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06we will hopefully have a document of that same series.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10When Home Office enforcement officers suspect
0:10:10 > 0:10:13that they've found a fake, they get in touch with the experts.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19And today, these suspected fake documents have just arrived.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22They've been sent by the police and were being used by three men
0:10:22 > 0:10:26who were detained at the Eurostar terminal at King's Cross St Pancras.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Customs officials thought the documents looked suspicious
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and the police are holding the men while the documents are assessed.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40On initial inspection, Nadia Bremner, an analyst,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42doesn't like the look of these visas.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I'm looking at the background print on the visa.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I'm looking to see if it's been printed correctly
0:10:46 > 0:10:48and looking for fine lines of solid colour.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Here it kind of breaks down into random coloured dots
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and that's not what you want to see.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Now I'm going to compare the background print in this visa
0:10:55 > 0:10:56to a genuine document
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and just have a look at the differences between the two.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04You can see that with the genuine document,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07you've got lots of crisp, clear print,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11fine lines of solid colour, nice, legible extra-small print,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and if you can compare that to the suspect document,
0:11:13 > 0:11:14where you've got lots of dots
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and it is just a really overall poor quality.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Nadia examines every detail on the visa.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24I'm looking at the background print to see how that interacts
0:11:24 > 0:11:27with the holographic feature, because the background print
0:11:27 > 0:11:30should run over the top of the holographic device.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35This entire visa appears to me to be counterfeit
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and his image has been placed onto this counterfeit visa
0:11:38 > 0:11:40in order for him to gain status in Italy.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43So, the visas are fake.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45But what about the UK residency documents
0:11:45 > 0:11:47two of the men were found with?
0:11:49 > 0:11:53So, this residence permit grants him access to the UK as a student,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56so he can live and remain in the UK as long as he's a student,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59but he can only work 20 hours per week maximum.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02On first glance with this one, it doesn't look too brilliant,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06to be honest. There's a white border along the edge here,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08the left and right-hand side edges, which there shouldn't be,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12so I'd like to have a proper look at that under magnification.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I'm particularly interested in where the colours merge together,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21so where you've got pink that should merge nicely into blue.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24I'm going to have a quick look at that with a genuine document
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and see how that is in a genuine specimen.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33So, this is a genuine specimen that I'm looking at now
0:12:33 > 0:12:35on the left-hand side of the screen.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38And under magnification, as with the visas,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41we're looking for crisp, nice quality print.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44This one's got extra-small print running along under here.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47You can see it is quite legible - GBR and EU.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Lots of extra-small print, lots of nice quality colours
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and the blue and pink merge together quite nicely.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Fake IDs are designed to fool the naked eye,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00but not a powerful microscope.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Again, at this stage, just by looking at it with magnification,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06you can see that the one on the right is a fake residence permit.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11The three men found holding these fake documents pleaded guilty
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and were sentenced to four months in prison for possession
0:13:13 > 0:13:17of controlled identity documents with intent to use.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20They're currently awaiting deportation.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Henry Bara thinks the problem is getting worse.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28I think a lot of organised criminal gangs seem to be
0:13:28 > 0:13:30diverting into this area
0:13:30 > 0:13:34of producing and distributing false documents
0:13:34 > 0:13:38simply because the penalties for getting caught seem to be a lot less
0:13:38 > 0:13:42than, for instance, more traditional careers such as drugs smuggling.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46And the fakers' ability to produce convincing fakes
0:13:46 > 0:13:48is improving dramatically.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53We have seen some frighteningly, frighteningly high quality
0:13:53 > 0:13:56false documents recently.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59One particular case comes to mind of somebody that
0:13:59 > 0:14:02applied for asylum in 47 different identities.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06That would then mean the benefits to which they would be entitled
0:14:06 > 0:14:09would be granted at each of those identities.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16The unit has examined over 30,000 suspected fake ID documents
0:14:16 > 0:14:17over the past five years,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20providing key evidence in numerous criminal cases.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25We would like to think that we are a thorn in the side of forgers
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and organised criminal gangs. We certainly do our best.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31We won't pretend we are on top of the problem.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34It seems to be a burgeoning industry.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36It's clearly very lucrative.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37The battle goes on.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48We spend more per head on toys than anywhere else in Europe.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50The industry is huge and worth billions.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54What that means is that there's vast choice for mums and dads
0:14:54 > 0:14:55and, of course, children.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59But you wouldn't want to choose any of these because they are all fake.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03We have found that fakes like these are openly on sale throughout
0:15:03 > 0:15:06the UK, and despite every toy in this country being subject to
0:15:06 > 0:15:11strict regulations, some are among the most dangerous objects
0:15:11 > 0:15:13children will ever come into contact with.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17The vast majority of fake toys coming into the UK
0:15:17 > 0:15:19arrive through our ports.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Border Force officers recently discovered a haul of products
0:15:23 > 0:15:26aimed at children that looked fluffy enough on the outside,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28but were in fact hiding a dark secret.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33They called on Mark Rolfe from Kent Trading Standards.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35They're a fairly simple device.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Cuddly toy on top, underneath there is a hot water bottle,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42which is separate from the cuddly dog.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44You fill it up with water through here
0:15:44 > 0:15:47and then you plug it into the mains.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49The idea, obviously, is that it heats the water
0:15:49 > 0:15:51and you've got yourself a toy hot water bottle.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54The problem with these products is when you get inside to the
0:15:54 > 0:15:57electrics. I mean, it doesn't make sense, if you think about it,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59to plug a hot water bottle into the mains.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01But if I cut this one open...
0:16:08 > 0:16:12..what we have inside is a thin plastic water tank.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It has in it a tablet here which dissolves in the water
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and it makes the water conduct electricity.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22And then you have the electrics, which is this part here.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26These two screws are just electrodes and the way this heats the water up
0:16:26 > 0:16:29is to pass mains electricity through the water,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33which has got this dissolved in it to make it conduct the electricity.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37So actually, all that separates you as a user, or the child using this,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41from mains electricity is this thin piece of plastic.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Mark was understandably concerned by the children's hot water bottle,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47so he sent it for testing.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49The findings would scare any parent.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54One of the safety issues we have identified with this is that
0:16:54 > 0:16:57the means of it cutting out if the water gets too hot is unreliable.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59What that means is that the water could boil in the bag
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and boiling water, obviously, turns to steam,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05steam expands remarkably quickly, leading to the bag bursting.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08And a child would be covered with boiling water
0:17:08 > 0:17:09and then exposed to live electricity.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Really, from a child protection point of view, it couldn't be worse.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Despite the dangers inside,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18this product is covered in safety markings, all of which are fake.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21The people who've manufactured this potential deathtrap
0:17:21 > 0:17:23have really gone to town to try and make sure that consumers
0:17:23 > 0:17:25think it is a safe item.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27They've put the CE mark everywhere.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31It is there on the actual toy itself and they've actually applied it
0:17:31 > 0:17:34to the packaging of the box here as well with all the other symbols
0:17:34 > 0:17:37that you would expect to find on a quality item.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40For Mark Rolfe, seeing a CE mark being faked
0:17:40 > 0:17:43on such a potentially dangerous product
0:17:43 > 0:17:48is particularly frustrating as it undermines a standard we all trust.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50The reason for that is we tell people to rely on it,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53we tell parents to rely on it when buying toys for their children,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57and if people are faking it, actually that puts children at risk
0:17:57 > 0:18:00with parents being as responsible as they can be.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04An investigation into these dangerous soft toys is now underway
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and Mark Rolfe has no doubts about the kind of criminal
0:18:07 > 0:18:11pushing this product out to unsuspecting parents.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14This is organised criminal gangs duping responsible parents
0:18:14 > 0:18:16into believing their products are safe,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19when they are, in fact, incredibly dangerous.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Wood-burning stoves have never been more popular
0:18:31 > 0:18:34as lots of people try to make their homes cosy
0:18:34 > 0:18:36and full of character.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38But installing one isn't straightforward.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41There are building regs there to protect us,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43so you can't just have a go.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Like any heating appliance, they can be extremely dangerous
0:18:47 > 0:18:53if not fitted properly. Many people choose a trained professional.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57But what happens when your trained professional turns out to be...
0:18:57 > 0:18:58a fake?
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Over a million Brits now have a wood-burning stove in their home,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08with around 200,000 people a year having one installed.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11These stoves are relatively complex to put in
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and safety experts recommend hiring a professional.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Most professional installers belong to
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Heating Equipment Testing And Approval Scheme, known as HETAS.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It is a trade body that provides training and accreditation.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28Bruce Allen is the MD at HETAS
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and he has seen demand for the stoves soar.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35The past ten years saw an unprecedented growth in stove use,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38where stoves have come forward in design greatly.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41To become a registered HETAS installer,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44you need to undertake several days of training and then
0:19:44 > 0:19:48demonstrate to a HETAS inspector that you can safely install a stove.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55These checks will cost £500-£800, but recently, HETAS have had reports
0:19:55 > 0:19:58of a number of installers faking their credentials.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00One of the problems we find is that these guys
0:20:00 > 0:20:03really don't want to put the time, the effort and the money
0:20:03 > 0:20:07into doing the job properly, so they're not doing the real courses,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10they're faking their knowledge and they're trying to sort of
0:20:10 > 0:20:14circumvent the costs of trading and the cost of joining a scheme.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18What's happening is they really operate in the black market,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21so it is about avoiding all of the rules and regulations for them,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24it's about reducing their costs and maximising their income
0:20:24 > 0:20:26without actually doing the job properly.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Basically, it's a way of ripping off customers.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32CHILD CHATTERS
0:20:32 > 0:20:35In Caerphilly, Wales, Lisa Watkins was looking for a registered
0:20:35 > 0:20:38installer to fit a wood-burning stove.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42But fake HETAS installers are operating across the country,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44as she was about to find out.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47We were trying to create a family home.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50We'd had our daughter, she was around 18 months old.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54We decided that we would like to put a second wood burner in the house
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and we were looking around for recommendations
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and Luke was recommended to us.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04The installer, Luke Hathaway, arrived and offered Lisa a quote.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07He told her he was both HETAS registered and trained.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11While it was true that Hathaway had started a HETAS training course,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14he had failed to complete it.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16The job took longer than Luke had promised,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19but eventually Lisa's stove was ready to light.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22He left us with a small bunch of kindling and told us that
0:21:22 > 0:21:26it was ready to light within a sort of hour after he'd left,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29just to make sure that all the fire cement had dried.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33After about two minutes, the room just filled with smoke.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Smoke was coming out of all of the vents of the wood burner
0:21:35 > 0:21:39and I had to pick my 18-month-old daughter and run out of the house.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Lisa was understandably terrified.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46I was just really, really frightened at the time.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48I didn't really know what was going on.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51We expected to have a fully-functioning wood burner
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and instead our home was filling with smoke.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I think there were flames coming out of the back at one point.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I mean, I didn't know if the house was going to catch fire.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03I was just really frightened for my daughter and my partner.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Fortunately, Lisa's partner reacted quickly, putting the fire out.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11But the situation could have been much worse.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Luckily, it was only a small amount of kindling.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17If we'd have, you know, shut the door, put a log on it
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and left it, then the whole house could have caught.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Lisa contacted HETAS, but they were powerless to act.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29At this point, we couldn't remove Luke from a register
0:22:29 > 0:22:30that he wasn't already on,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33so we advised the consumers, along with ourselves,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36to pursue the matter through Trading Standards.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Tim Keohane heads up the Caerphilly Trading Standards team
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and over the next few months, he discovered Hathaway had installed
0:22:44 > 0:22:47a total of five stoves all around the Caerphilly area.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Investigations revealed that Hathaway was actually
0:22:53 > 0:22:57not only fitting the stoves poorly, but they weren't safe.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01And also, he was holding himself up to be HETAS accredited.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And in fact, using fake documentation to prove that fact.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Tim Keohane's team spoke with other customers and discovered Hathaway
0:23:10 > 0:23:14had been issuing invoices which stated he was HETAS registered.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18He had even got hold of an actual HETAS certificate,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21which prove your stove has been fitted by a genuine HETAS installer.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24The installer takes a copy, one is sent to HETAS
0:23:24 > 0:23:26and one is held by the customer.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Faking these is a criminal offence.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34What we have here are three copies of the fake HETAS certificates
0:23:34 > 0:23:36issued by Hathaway.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39But of course, all the details about him are fake.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Eventually, Trading Standards had enough evidence
0:23:42 > 0:23:45against Hathaway to stop him in his tracks.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47We eventually got Hathaway to court.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50He pleaded guilty to 12 offences
0:23:50 > 0:23:54under the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I think the evidence was so strong because of the witnesses
0:23:57 > 0:24:01who were involved, along with the fact we managed to get an expert
0:24:01 > 0:24:06to examine one of the installations and state that it was dangerous.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11The HETAS inspection was carried out at Lisa's property
0:24:11 > 0:24:15and the stove Hathaway installed was classed as immediately dangerous.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18While Lisa and her family are safe,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22the cost of Hathaway's fakery has been substantial.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25This image is of the chimney liner,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28which should come all the way down the chimney,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31but in actual fact, because it was too short,
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Luke actually used 12 separate connectors
0:24:36 > 0:24:41to connect the chimney liner to the actual wood-burning stove.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45They were just held together with fire cement.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50The damage to the house as a whole ran to around £2,000.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54There was damage to wallpaper, there was damage to my carpets.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Our living room resembled a building site.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58We were left with lots of rubble.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Our living room was just completely ruined.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Hathaway also failed to install a carbon monoxide detector
0:25:05 > 0:25:09at any of the homes Trading Standards investigated.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Installing these devices is essential
0:25:11 > 0:25:14if the stove is to pass British building regulations.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17I think he was really, really irresponsible and dangerous.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I mean, something as simple as a carbon monoxide detector
0:25:20 > 0:25:23could have saved our life.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26I mean, it just dreads to me to think what would have happened
0:25:26 > 0:25:28had we lit it and gone to bed.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Unfortunately, cases like this aren't isolated incidents.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35HETAS have had reports of nearly a dozen fake installers
0:25:35 > 0:25:37operating across the country
0:25:37 > 0:25:39and they have started to track them down.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Mike and Alan are part of HETAS's inspection team.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46They've had a tip-off from a builder
0:25:46 > 0:25:49of a potentially dangerous stove installation.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53What we know at this point is that somebody has gone in,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56they've carried out the installation and there are
0:25:56 > 0:26:00a lot of things relating to the installation that have
0:26:00 > 0:26:03raised concerns of the third party that is working in the property.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Mike has checked the installer's name against HETAS's database
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and it is not registered. To make matters worse,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15this unregistered installer has been presenting fake documentation.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20OK, so it is clearly evident that the HETAS logo has been
0:26:20 > 0:26:26faked onto this document in a clear attempt to, basically,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29lead the consumer to believe that the installation has been
0:26:29 > 0:26:31carried out by a HETAS registered installer.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36The installer's documentation might be fake,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39but is the stove he has installed dangerous?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42The couple living here, who don't wish to be identified,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46paid several hundred pounds for a professionally-installed stove.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50The team will be using this specialist miniature camera
0:26:50 > 0:26:52to take a look inside the flue,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55the piping which runs all the way up to the chimney.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58At the point where the flue's been attached to
0:26:58 > 0:27:00the house's existing chimney,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03the camera reveals a serious cause for concern.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07That there is your expanding foam,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09this is your flexible flue liner
0:27:09 > 0:27:14and this is the system chimney that has been used to join the two
0:27:14 > 0:27:15to terminate the building.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19And this is what's been used as a sealant between the two,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23which is totally against regulations and is a fire hazard.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28This material should never be used in this way.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31But the HETAS team also want to inspect the work
0:27:31 > 0:27:32carried out in the attic.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36As this system chimney goes through the fabric of the building,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38it is up against the felt.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40This is deemed as combustible material.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44But you've also got a wooden baton that should have been trimmed back
0:27:44 > 0:27:48a minimum of 50mm, and it's only just 40mm.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53This fake installer's botched job could have had tragic consequences
0:27:53 > 0:27:55for the couple living here.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58The ultimate scenario would be
0:27:58 > 0:28:02that there could have been a fire within the chimney.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05It really is an accident waiting to happen, to be honest.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Mike explains the situation to the couple
0:28:07 > 0:28:11and recommends some approved installers in their area.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14He also advises them to contact Trading Standards.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18An investigation has been launched into this fake installer
0:28:18 > 0:28:19and is ongoing.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.