0:00:03 > 0:00:08Every year, 5,000 people die in household accidents across the UK
0:00:08 > 0:00:11and 3 million others end up in A
0:00:11 > 0:00:14The scale of some of the potentially fatal hazards
0:00:14 > 0:00:17in all our homes is shocking.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And the actions of the dodgy and deceitful few
0:00:20 > 0:00:23who put lives in danger is scandalous.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Every one of us is at risk,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28so take a look around and ask yourself...
0:00:28 > 0:00:29How safe is your house?
0:00:32 > 0:00:36You might not realise it but dangers exist in all our homes,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38so in this series we're going to show you
0:00:38 > 0:00:42where you're most at risk and how you can stay safe.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47I'm Mark Clemmit and, with the help of DIY SOS's Mark Millar,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50we'll be hunting down the bad guys whose shoddy work
0:00:50 > 0:00:54leaves households all over the UK in lethal condition.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59You know what? The loft could come down, this is not safe.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Caught you red-handed, is there anything you'd like to say?
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I'm Angelica Bell, and I'll be at the sharp end with the agencies
0:01:05 > 0:01:09at the front line of the battle to keep our homes safe 24/7.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13If you were buying something like this, or this product,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15you wouldn't think anything was wrong at all.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18And we'll reveal the deadly dangers that lurk in your home.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25The items that I found have the potential to end life.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33Tonight...
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Trading Standards Officers move in after receiving a tip-off
0:01:37 > 0:01:40about deadly toys being smuggled into the country.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45There are 23 different products.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Wow. It's packed tight.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And a homeowner is confronted by one of the UK's
0:01:50 > 0:01:52deadliest household hazards.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Her natural instinct will be to get out of there,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59but that's not really what we're there for.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02But first...
0:02:02 > 0:02:06our search for hazardous builders has taken us
0:02:06 > 0:02:10into every corner of the UK, and today our travels take us
0:02:10 > 0:02:14to the majestic Highlands of Scotland to hunt out this man.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18# Danger! Danger! #
0:02:18 > 0:02:22'His name is Norman Hughes, and I'm visiting one of the many
0:02:22 > 0:02:26'homeowners who've experienced the destruction he leaves in his wake.'
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Fay. Mark. Hello. Nice to meet you. How do you do?
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Fay Wilson lives with her partner at the foot of Ben Nevis
0:02:33 > 0:02:37in Fort William, and she fell victim to Hughes's dangerous handiwork
0:02:37 > 0:02:40when he completely botched her conservatory.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Just rubble lying everywhere. It was unsafe.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49There were pieces of metal and bits of plastic and things falling off it.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52If there was a high wind at all or rain,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55you could see the roof moving up and down!
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And at any moment a bit of it could have slipped away
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and placed the pair of you in danger.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It was total shoddy, shoddy work, yeah.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07'Hughes's work was so bad that the conservatory
0:03:07 > 0:03:09'had to be knocked down and completely rebuilt.'
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It is a horrible experience, isn't it? It is.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And it's hit your purse strings hard, I guess? Exactly, yes.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It's cost us a lot of money. It cost about ?13,000.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Fay's story is shocking but it's just the tip of the iceberg.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26We found 17 complaints recorded
0:03:26 > 0:03:29with Trading Standards alone about Hughes.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32And Mark Millar is inspecting his work on the roof
0:03:32 > 0:03:34of another of his victims -
0:03:34 > 0:03:3768-year-old grandfather-of-nine Roddy Bruce.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So, Roddy, you found Norman Hughes advertising locally.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43What did he actually do for you?
0:03:43 > 0:03:48He just put a piece of thin felt over the top of the original felt.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53Since the work's been done, there's some damp marks inside,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and I think it's obvious that the water's bound to be getting under
0:03:57 > 0:03:59the felt that he's put there.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01This damp is not an ideal situation,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I'm prone to chest infections and stuff like that.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Damp might not be an immediate threat to life and limb
0:04:07 > 0:04:10but, with Roddy's health problems, it's a serious issue.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13And the evidence of the danger
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Hughes poses to his customers keeps growing.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19So, Ewan, on the quote it says,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23"Remove all existing gutters, fascias, soffits, etc,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27"supply and fit new white uPVC fascias and gutters,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29"soffits and downpipes - 1,120 quid."
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Did he do this?
0:04:32 > 0:04:33No.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36To be honest, he made a bit of a mess of my house.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38He's put the wrong size of guttering up,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41which doesn't link in to my neighbour's gutters,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44so the gutters leak, he never replaced the downpipes,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46he didn't take the old rotten fascias off,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49so it's just caused a bit of chaos, to be honest.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53The problem with Hughes is that he keeps carrying out
0:04:53 > 0:04:57shoddy and dangerous work over and over and again.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01In time, Ewan's fascias could come crashing down,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and Mark's also concerned about the long-term
0:05:04 > 0:05:06structural integrity of the roof.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Having people like that, you know,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13working on houses, doing all sorts of different odd jobs,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16it's just appalling that he can get away with that, you know.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18We couldn't agree more.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21I'm determined to confront and expose Hughes,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25but finding him could be easier said than done.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Well, this is one of the addresses
0:05:28 > 0:05:31that Norman used on one of his websites.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34It looks like a load of old garages to me.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37'Not so much as a letter box - that was never Hughes's HQ.'
0:05:38 > 0:05:41At least there are houses this time, although,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45according to Trading Standards, he no longer lives around here.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48'This isn't going well. Onto our final address.'
0:05:48 > 0:05:51And another, although, according to the electoral roll,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54he's never actually been here.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Hmm.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01The problem is that Hughes no longer has a known fixed address.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Before he fell off their radar, Highland Council's
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Trading Standards division did issue him with an Enforcement Order.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12That means that if he carries out any more dangerous work
0:06:12 > 0:06:14he can be fined and sent to prison.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17But he's now ignoring their efforts to arrange meetings
0:06:17 > 0:06:19by phone, and his customers can't get him
0:06:19 > 0:06:21to put right the problems he's caused, either.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27He doesn't return my calls, he didn't try and remedy any faults,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29it was just a joke.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31As soon he realised who I was he hung up the phone.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33I phoned him again and he said,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36"I will come and have a look and see what they've done."
0:06:36 > 0:06:38But never appeared.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43'This is a man who has no regard for his customers or the law,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46'but I'm determined to track him down and expose him.'
0:06:48 > 0:06:51'It's time for a How Safe Is Your House? trap.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53All I need is a house...
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and a fake job.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58We think there is a leak on the tiles.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Do you reckon you could pop round Thursday?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03But will Norman Hughes show up?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13At ports and airports all over the UK
0:07:13 > 0:07:16millions of products flow through our borders
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and thousands of officers from different agencies work 24/7
0:07:20 > 0:07:24to try to ensure an any illegal and dangerous products are kept out.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28That's completely banned now in cosmetic products.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29That smells like bleach!
0:07:29 > 0:07:32So you really want to put that on your skin, don't you? Well, exactly.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36'And quite often these officers are the last line of defence,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39'stopping these dangerous goods from entering our homes.'
0:07:39 > 0:07:42There's really no-one in the UK to take action against
0:07:42 > 0:07:44unless we stop them at this point.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46'At Southampton Docks, Malcolm Thornton
0:07:46 > 0:07:50'and his team from the City Council's Trading Standards division
0:07:50 > 0:07:53'are acting on an anonymous tip-off that some potentially
0:07:53 > 0:07:56'deadly dolls have been shipped in from the Far East.'
0:07:57 > 0:07:59'And I've been allowed to join them
0:07:59 > 0:08:01'as they investigate the suspect shipment.'
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Oh, yeah.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07This is one of our previous importers that we've had
0:08:07 > 0:08:09the odd problem with, to say the least.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Wow, it's packed tight.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Absolutely, they don't waste space in these, space is money.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21What's the strategy, then? How would you...?
0:08:21 > 0:08:23I wouldn't know which box to look in.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25We have got a packing list,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27which gives us some idea of what's in there.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31We'll get the chaps to tunnel in and try and get some different
0:08:31 > 0:08:34code-numbered boxes to the ones that we can see here at the end.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37OK, let's do it.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40'With over a million crates like this arriving here every year,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42'seeking out problem products can feel like
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'looking for a needle in a haystack,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47'so any inside information is a precious commodity.'
0:08:49 > 0:08:54This is the strollers with the soft-headed doll.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56'It's good news.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58'This time, the tip-off was spot on.'
0:08:59 > 0:09:03They use a plasticiser in there to make it soft and pliable,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07and that plasticiser is potentially carcinogenic.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09And, of course, if children lick them,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12they're taking that chemical into their body,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14so it can potentially cause cancer.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Years ago, it used to be heavy metals in the paint,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19on painted cars and wooden toys,
0:09:19 > 0:09:25but of course you get different types of products,
0:09:25 > 0:09:34And this could just be a perfect gift
0:09:34 > 0:09:39That pops out fairly easily. Yeah, the stuffing's coming out.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42It's a big problem and people don't seem to be aware of it.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45'This is scary stuff,
0:09:45 > 0:09:51'but the carcinogens in the dolls aren't the only threat they carry,
0:09:51 > 0:10:05'to see what other threats they pose to our kids.'
0:10:05 > 0:10:05just tugged it lightly and the head came off.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08That's interesting.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11If the heads come off after a light pull there's a risk
0:10:11 > 0:10:16that the hands and feet might also come off.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19'there are a range of safety examinations that toys
0:10:19 > 0:10:20'should be put through,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24'some of which lab manager David Elks is performing today.'
0:10:26 > 0:10:28It might sound a bit gruesome,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30but we're going to put a clamp on to the eyelashes.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33If the eyelashes come out then they would constitute a small part.
0:10:37 > 0:10:43So the eye has split and we have at least one hair in the clamp.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46We don't know whether they're made of something nasty or not,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49and because they've come out they should be then subject to further
0:10:49 > 0:10:53chemical testing to make sure they're entirely safe for the child.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56'But it's not just dolly that is the problem.'
0:10:56 > 0:10:59If your finger was in there, that would be quite a nasty nip.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Oh, yeah. That would definitely cut the skin.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06So what should parents be looking out for
0:11:06 > 0:11:08when they're buying toys?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Look out for the CE Mark, which is on the packaging.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Does that mean that's legitimate?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15It should mean that the item has been tested
0:11:15 > 0:11:17and complies to European norms.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20If there's no CE Mark then walk away.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23If there is a CE Mark, buy from a reputable retailer
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and get hands-on, have a look and feel.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29'These dolls carry a convincing looking CE Mark
0:11:29 > 0:11:33'but, crucially, they're not being sold from reputable shops,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35'so there's no way for any customer to know
0:11:35 > 0:11:37'whether or not the mark has been forged.'
0:11:39 > 0:11:41'If you do buy from a reputable retailer,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43'there are other safety signs to look out for,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46'like the Lion Mark that indicates the toy
0:11:46 > 0:11:50'has been made by a member of the British Toy and Hobby Association,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53'and age-appropriate grading symbols.'
0:11:53 > 0:11:55David, would you have bought this toy for your children
0:11:55 > 0:11:58when they were younger? Absolutely not.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02There are too many things that just jump out at me as it's not quality.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Thanks to the tip-off, the dolls have been seized
0:12:05 > 0:12:09and the importer will also have to pay for them to be destroyed.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12In their experience, this is the most effective deterrent available
0:12:12 > 0:12:15to Malcolm and his team, and I'll be back with them shortly
0:12:15 > 0:12:19as they continue their hunt for potentially lethal goods.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Last year, 217 people died
0:12:31 > 0:12:35in accidental household fires in the UK.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37That's almost 50% more than the number
0:12:37 > 0:12:40who lost their lives in accidents at work.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43It's one of the biggest killers in British homes
0:12:43 > 0:12:45but, despite that, there are millions of us
0:12:45 > 0:12:47living without the protection of a working
0:12:47 > 0:12:50or correctly located smoke alarm.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So we hit the streets to find out why.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00When the battery runs low, they start to beep.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I'd kind of forgotten all about it.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05I've just never thought about having a smoke alarm.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07He actually burns the bacon and all of that.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10For a little bit of inconvenience, a little bit of beeping
0:13:10 > 0:13:13coming from the ceiling, you never have had one?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Why not get it sorted?
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Just laziness, it's one of those things you've got to get round to.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Smoke alarms aren't really a big priority for a lot of us.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24The truth is,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28we just don't think a fire is likely to happen in our homes.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32But, as father-of-two Martin from Kent knows,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34fire can strike anyone at any time.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38I live in a town house on three floors,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and I've been very, very happy here.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44When Hannah and Ben, and my two children, and my wife, Deborah.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47We had smoke alarms in the house.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50We had one downstairs in the hallway
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and one on the top floor landing,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54but there wasn't one in the middle of the house,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56there wasn't one on the first floor landing.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58The fire started on the middle floor,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00where all the entertainment systems were.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03By the time the smoke had reached the top of the house,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06which set the alarm off, the fire was then well under way.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I woke up to choking smoke.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Ran out onto the landing, shouting and screaming, "Fire, fire, fire."
0:14:15 > 0:14:18I took one step on the stairs, absolutely no way
0:14:18 > 0:14:20to go down the stairs, it was impossible.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21It was just full of smoke.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26It was a scene of panic.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29My son and myself jumped out of the top floor window -
0:14:29 > 0:14:31bearing in mind it's three storeys up -
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Hannah jumped out of her window.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35My wife could not get out.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37Sorry.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45If we'd had that other smoke alarm,
0:14:45 > 0:14:46we would all have got out very safely.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Smoke alarms save people's lives. It is as simple as that.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58Martin's right. But just having working smoke alarms isn't enough.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00They also need to be in the right place,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and one homeowner who could do with some help
0:15:03 > 0:15:07is mum-of-two Julie, who lives just outside Edinburgh.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11A smoke alarm came down, maybe...
0:15:11 > 0:15:14It must be over a year ago, anyway.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I think that it just fell down off the wall.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20I don't think I ever think about fires happening
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and, to be honest, when the fire alarm was up
0:15:22 > 0:15:24it used to go off all the time,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28whenever somebody made some toast or, you know...
0:15:28 > 0:15:31It kind of seemed like a bit of a nuisance.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33I suppose I am quite complacent,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35I don't think it's going to burn down.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Julie's "it won't happen to me" attitude is common,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42so to demonstrate the risks everyone who doesn't have a smoke alarm
0:15:42 > 0:15:45is running, we've arranged for her to enter this special facility
0:15:45 > 0:15:47at a state-of-the-art fire training centre.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52The unit's used to replicate house fires
0:15:52 > 0:15:57and it's the closest you can get to experiencing the real thing.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Julie, you're all kitted out. Yep.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02How are you feeling about going in there?
0:16:02 > 0:16:04A little bit apprehensive, yeah.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I don't know how hot it's going to be,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08I don't know, you know...
0:16:08 > 0:16:10how much smoke there'll be...
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Or how you'll react? ..how I'll react, no.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Well, we can't keep you cos you've got a safety briefing,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and after that you'll be going inside, so good luck.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19OK, thank you.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23'The temperature in this unit can reach over 700 degrees Celsius,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26'and it also produces killer toxic smoke.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30'It's exactly what you'd face if there were a fire in your home.'
0:16:32 > 0:16:34I think Julie will be quite surprised
0:16:34 > 0:16:37at the type of environment that's going to be created.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Her natural instinct will be to get out of there,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42but that's not really what we're there for.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44We're there to keep her there, to expose her
0:16:44 > 0:16:47to what actually happens within a real fire situation.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52There's no telling how Julie will react to the extreme conditions
0:16:52 > 0:16:56in the unit, but anyone without a working smoke alarm
0:16:56 > 0:16:58in their home runs the risk of being confronted
0:16:58 > 0:17:03by the incredible heat and deadly smoke she's about to experience.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18What's happening?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21The flames are starting to grow and it's producing smoke.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24SPLUTTERING: ..which is the dangerous part.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Is that getting to your ready? I'm OK.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36How hot will it be in there now?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39At standing height you're talking maybe about 300 degrees.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42At ceiling temperature you're talking about maybe 750 degrees.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Roughly about every half metre that you go up,
0:17:45 > 0:17:46it goes up about 100 degrees.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58With this smoke and the heat intensity -
0:17:58 > 0:18:00we can feel the heat now and we're not even in there -
0:18:00 > 0:18:02if this was in your house...
0:18:04 > 0:18:06..it's just fatal.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07That smoke's very toxic.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12You become very disorientated very quickly, you stand up,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14you take smoke particles in and that's how, really,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16people don't really stand a chance.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19'For the price of a call to your local fire service,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23'who'll provide them for free, or just ?5 in the shops,
0:18:23 > 0:18:28'smoke alarms can save us from the fire Julie is face-to-face with.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'But has this experience changed her "it won't happen to me" attitude
0:18:31 > 0:18:33'that many of us have?'
0:18:39 > 0:18:42We'll now take her helmet off and take her mask off.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Julie. Well done, you. Thank you.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49How was it? Quite scary! Really? Yeah.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Can you describe what you were feeling in there,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55in terms of the flames and the smoke and the darkness...?
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It's quite surprising how quickly the smoke is above your head
0:18:59 > 0:19:02and behind you and so on, so that's quite, you know,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04a little bit alarming.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06And then the heat builds and builds and builds,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10and you do feel, you know, quite enclosed by it all.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Can we relate this experience to a fire started in our home?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15If you were to open your bedroom door
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and the fire was in the hall or another room,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20ultimately, the first thing you're going to be met with
0:19:20 > 0:19:22is that thick, black, toxic gas.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It's going to take away and starve all the oxygen within you
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and the chances of survival are quite low.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Yeah.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32The next time your smoke alarm comes off the ceiling
0:19:32 > 0:19:34you're going to do what? Put it back up.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Yeah, with a battery.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38And the next time you buy one...
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I'm going to make sure there's a smoke alarm in the house working.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47The Fire Service have made sure that Julie's smoke alarm
0:19:47 > 0:19:48is fitted in the correct place.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's good to have at least one on each level of your house
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and your local Fire Service will visit for free
0:19:54 > 0:19:58to make sure yours are working and in the right location.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06But it's best to make sure fires don't break out in the first place
0:20:06 > 0:20:10and, back at Southampton Docks, Malcolm Thornton and his team
0:20:10 > 0:20:13are checking on a large shipment of electrical goods.
0:20:14 > 0:20:1717,000 laptop chargers in here, apparently.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26Some of them have got the model number written on.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30So that's one of the little games you get into.
0:20:30 > 0:20:49'Laptop chargers can be a deadly fire risk if not manufactured correctly.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52we haven't seen this particular product before exactly.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56It's got all the sort of markings on you would normally expect to see,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00but, you know, people can copy things very easily
0:21:00 > 0:21:02if they so desire.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06If you were buying this product,
0:21:06 > 0:21:12Because, for me, looking at that, that looks safe.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14These are all packaged up ready to be delivered
0:21:14 > 0:21:16directly to people's homes.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18There's no market stall, non retailer.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Which is harder to make anyone accountable if anything goes wrong.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Absolutely. The only way we'll tell with these
0:21:23 > 0:21:26is by looking at the internal workings of them.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29It's worth having tested to see whether it is correct.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33The chargers are getting sent to a test house in Southampton.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36It's up to Safety Officer Richard Pote to decide
0:21:36 > 0:21:38whether or not they're safe.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Straightaway, we can see there's this metal structure here,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45which actually could provide a path for this hazardous
0:21:45 > 0:21:47mains voltage on this side to come right through
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and potentially get to the safe output, which is not what we want.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Not a good design.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55But it's not just the internal workings of these chargers
0:21:55 > 0:21:57that are a cause for concern.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59We're actually going to have a look
0:21:59 > 0:22:01at the flammability of this plastic.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03This is part of the enclosure,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06so what we're simulating here is that a component inside
0:22:06 > 0:22:10has caught fire and we're just going to see how much that plastic burns.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13What we don't want to see is all of the material being consumed,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15lots of flames. That's bad news.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19There's an international test standard which the casing must
0:22:19 > 0:22:21pass to be deemed safe.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24In short, if the tissue paper below catches fire
0:22:24 > 0:22:27at any point during the test, the charger is unsafe
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and the whole shipment will be seized by Malcolm and his team.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39A few seconds in, and the casing seems to be withstanding the flame.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41But then...
0:22:42 > 0:22:44That is now well alight.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46There is soot flying in the air,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48so we do need to be a little bit careful.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52This is actually now a failure.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Malcolm's suspicions about the chargers were right.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59They'll be seized and, with a sales value of around ?100,000,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01the importer will be hit hard.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05To put this into perspective, if there was an electrical fault
0:23:05 > 0:23:09and that ignited the plastic, the carpet is going to burn,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11next thing you know you've got a house fire in your hands.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I wouldn't want to see these reach the marketplace and reach consumers.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21'Thanks to the work of Malcolm and his team,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24'these chargers won't be getting into any of our homes.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'Instead, they're sent to a recycling centre to be broken down
0:23:27 > 0:23:29'and the parts sold on.'
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Where will this go now? It will literally go back
0:23:32 > 0:23:35to the manufacturing industry in China to make into a new product.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39China are probably the biggest manufacturer of electrical gadgets that we consume within Europe.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41So it's good to be making new products,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43but we need to make sure they're safe. Of course.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47'It's another result for Malcolm and the team.'
0:23:47 > 0:23:49The seizure of the laptop chargers, for us,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52that was an excellent day's work and, you know,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56we hope we're allowed many more days like that in the future,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58thereby preventing these unsafe goods
0:23:58 > 0:23:59from getting into people's hands.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10In the Scottish Highlands,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14we're on the hunt for dangerous builder Norman Hughes.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19He made a bit of a mess of my house. He's a complete no.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Don't go anywhere near the guy.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Whether it's a dangerous structure or whatever, he doesn't give a damn.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27No regard for your safety. No, none at all.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Despite multiple complaints to Trading Standards,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Hughes has refused to meet with anyone
0:24:33 > 0:24:35to discuss his trail of destruction.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40'But we're not going to be fobbed off.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43'We're going to make sure Roddy and Ewan's homes
0:24:43 > 0:24:45'are left in a safe condition,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49'and I'm going to capture Hughes on camera to see what he has to say.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:55The one sure-fire way I have of meeting him face-to-face
0:24:55 > 0:24:57is to offer him the opportunity of more work,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00so that's exactly what we've got one of our team,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02posing as a tenant, to do.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07We've got all this damp coming in the back of our house.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09We think there's a leak on the tiles.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Do you reckon you could pop round on Thursday?
0:25:13 > 0:25:14Cheers, bye.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18It's time to spring a How Safe Is Your House? trap.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23We've got a house with a dodgy-looking roof...
0:25:23 > 0:25:27a customer in the house to meet Hughes - hello again, tenant...
0:25:28 > 0:25:31..and a whole load of hidden cameras, film crew
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and a big Northern bloke wearing a rather fetching scarf
0:25:34 > 0:25:38hiding in a darkened room, ready to try and get some answers.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42House - check.
0:25:42 > 0:25:43Tenant - check.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Hidden stuff - check.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Northern bloke - check.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Great scarf - well, I think so.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55Now all we need is Fort William's most notorious and elusive builder.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04And, right on cue, here he is.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07the man whose work is so bad that Trading Standards
0:26:07 > 0:26:11have slapped an Enforcement Order on him to try and put an end
0:26:11 > 0:26:13to his substandard and hazardous work.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17He's here, he's here.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21KNOCKING
0:26:21 > 0:26:24I'm here to see about the leak. Norman? Yeah. Nice to meet you.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Is it coming in there? No, it's round the back.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34We're bringing him round the back because that's where I'm hiding
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and that's where we'll spring our trap.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Did it take you long to get here? No, no.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Basically, what it is, we've got the tiling,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I don't know if it's the roof... The roof!
0:26:44 > 0:26:46The tiles slipping, there are so many problems
0:26:46 > 0:26:49we're just trying to get it all sorted
0:26:49 > 0:26:53but our landlady lives nowhere near us, so it's a bit difficult.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55'Time to move.'
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Hello, Norman. Mark Clemmit, BBC Television.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Nice to catch up with you.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04A lot of people would like to catch up with you.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Well, I think you are, actually, a lot of complaints
0:27:08 > 0:27:13to Trading Standards about your shoddy and hazardous work.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15I mean, why do you work a business like this?
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Why do you do it?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21It's what? A learning curve.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24A learning curve? So do you admit you've made mistakes?
0:27:24 > 0:27:28There's a great big list of people that are unhappy with you.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Why? I'm just not.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Don't do that, you're in enough trouble.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39We're exposing your business for the shoddy workmanship it is
0:27:39 > 0:27:40and you are assaulting my guy...
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Sorry, are you threatening me? Yes.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46You're threatening me? Yes. You are threatening me?
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Well, there he goes. Norman...
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Oh, charming(!)
0:27:50 > 0:27:53This is Norman Hughes, running away.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Oh, that's a big, mature gesture, isn't it?
0:28:00 > 0:28:02No shame, no remorse, no thought for any of the people
0:28:02 > 0:28:06whose homes he's left in a dangerous state
0:28:06 > 0:28:10but for now, at least, captured on camera and clearly identified.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14Norman Hughes advertises as Caledonian Roofing And Building,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Hughes Paving Services,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Hughes Roofing And Building Services
0:28:20 > 0:28:22and West Coast Building Services.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Since we found him,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Trading Standards have received more complaints about him.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29If they find he's broken his Enforcement Order
0:28:29 > 0:28:31it could mean a fine or prison.