0:00:02 > 0:00:05Did you know that where you live dictates what you get?
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Even one side of the street can be completely different to another.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Because every part of our lives
0:00:11 > 0:00:15is affected by a line on a map and a few letters and numbers.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17I'm here to get you a better deal
0:00:17 > 0:00:22and to reveal what is really going on in the postcode lottery.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27In today's programme, the postcode lottery that forced a family out of their own home.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Alison was having to get up in the middle of the night and sleep downstairs
0:00:31 > 0:00:34because she couldn't take it.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38The couple caught in a baby-business postcode lottery.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42It's not as if I'm being greedy. Just one child,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- that's all we want, isn't it? - That's not a lot to ask.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48# In south-east Cornwall We don't dwell
0:00:48 > 0:00:50# Heave away, haul away #
0:00:50 > 0:00:55And we join the shanty singers making a song and dance about their water rates.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59My water rates for my two-bedroom flat are £700 a year
0:00:59 > 0:01:04and the water rates for the business are close to £4,000 a year.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Are you going to be a winner in the postcode lottery?
0:01:07 > 0:01:10I'm here to help you get the right number.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Hello. My Postcode Lottery team have been scouring the country
0:01:29 > 0:01:33to find the most ridiculous and inexplicable decisions
0:01:33 > 0:01:36taken about your lives based purely on where you live.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41Today, we're going to bring you stories from Cardiff to Cornwall
0:01:41 > 0:01:43and from Portsmouth to Hemel Hempstead.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46But first, we're heading to Reading.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53The Southcote district of Reading,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56a green and pleasant suburb for most.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59But for those unfortunate enough to be living on Byefield Road,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Brunel Road and Hatford Road,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07it's the centre of a postcode lottery that made their lives a living hell,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10as the Sullivan family know only too well.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12It started about three years ago.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Alison was having to get up in the night and sleep downstairs
0:02:16 > 0:02:18because she couldn't take it.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21I couldn't even listen to the TV on an afternoon
0:02:21 > 0:02:23because you would hear them between floors.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27I've got tablets to help me sleep.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31It's been an absolute nightmare from start to finish.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36And what is the horror that has made their lives such a misery?
0:02:36 > 0:02:39The lottery of postcode pest-control.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43There are an estimated 80 million rats in the UK
0:02:43 > 0:02:47and some experts claim that as you sit and watch this programme,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51there is a rat just six feet away from you.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53In the past five years,
0:02:53 > 0:02:59there has been an estimated 39-percent increase in the UK rat population.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Some blame longer periods between bin collections,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06some blame private water companies not dealing with decrepit sewage systems,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10but many other experts are blaming a postcode lottery
0:03:10 > 0:03:15that allows local councils to charge such high prices for pest control
0:03:15 > 0:03:20that people cannot afford to prevent vermin populations spiralling.
0:03:20 > 0:03:21In the past five years,
0:03:21 > 0:03:2660 percent of local councils have begun charging a fee to rid us of rats.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29In some postcodes, if you can't pay for the problem to be dealt with
0:03:29 > 0:03:32you might just have to live with it,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35as the Sullivan family in Reading were to find to their cost.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38We'd lived in Hatford Road for 15 years,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42and then three years ago we started getting a rat problem.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44They were in our cavities.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47They ate the fan out of the kitchen wall.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Carpets were chewed.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52They were on the kids' beds, in our wardrobe,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54they'd urinate on our clothes.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59The damage was untold and the smell was horrendous.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Faced with a problem not of their making to begin with,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06the Sullivans tried to deal with the situation themselves.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09We went to the supermarket and bought rat poison.
0:04:09 > 0:04:15I put trays in the wardrobes, under beds, under chests of drawers.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I got up every morning, all the poison was gone.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23We'd have to go to the supermarket and get more poison, do it again.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25There was never any results.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30I think I found one dead rat in the kitchen and I think he was hit by a trap.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34I don't think the poison done anything at all. It just fed them.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38The Sullivans then sought help from a private pest-control company.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39We got a company in from London.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44I think they cost us over £130, and that was just for one visit.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47That visit didn't resolve the problem.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51But they were unable to afford another £130
0:04:51 > 0:04:53so the rats kept on coming.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56They chewed through the bottom of my door
0:04:56 > 0:05:00and were using it to come in and out and get into the airing cupboard,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02where all the pipes were.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04At first I blocked it up.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06One night, one of them tried getting through
0:05:06 > 0:05:10so I kicked the door to try and scare it away.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15I opened the blockage and it ran in and went straight into the airing cupboard.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Normal nights here now, when I'm going to sleep,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23I just expect to hear them running across the loft.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25You just wait for the sound.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31I walked into Maisie's room one day and there was two rats sat on the bed.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34And they were just...
0:05:35 > 0:05:37They didn't even care that I was there!
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I didn't even scare them!
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I had to kick the bed for them to move.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47It was ridiculous. It was as though I was trespassing on them.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50She wouldn't sleep in her bed any more.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53That meant one of us was downstairs.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58We were only a four-inch-wall apart and she wouldn't go in there.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Unable to contain the infestation,
0:06:01 > 0:06:06and aware that they were not the only residents dealing with the issue,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08they turned to Reading Council for help.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13But what many of us don't realise is that pest control is such a postcode lottery
0:06:13 > 0:06:18because councils are not legally obliged to provide a pest-control service,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20and most certainly not for free.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26Did you know that under the 1949 Prevention of Pests Act,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29your council is required to do whatever is necessary
0:06:29 > 0:06:32to keep your district free from rats and mice?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35And in 21st-century postcode lottery Britain,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39that means your council has to do one of three things.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45If you live in Birmingham, Belfast, East Renfrewshire, Tower Hamlets or Swansea, congratulations,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49your council is one of an ever-decreasing number
0:06:49 > 0:06:54who offer a domestic rat-catching service absolutely free.
0:06:54 > 0:07:00If, however, you live in Fife, Kirklees, Haringey, the Cotswolds, Powys or Omagh,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04sorry, your council is one of an ever-increasing number
0:07:04 > 0:07:10whose pest-control department will charge you anything from a fiver to almost £150
0:07:10 > 0:07:14to come out and attempt to treat your problem.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17But there's another option. If you live in West Norfolk, Brentwood,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Cornwall, Epping Forest or Carmarthenshire,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24I'm here to inform you that your council is one of the ten percent
0:07:24 > 0:07:29who no longer provide a pest-control service at all.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34Some councils will tell you to contact a specialist pest-control contractor,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37but some might warn you that unless you take action,
0:07:37 > 0:07:43you might be prosecuted under the 1949 Prevention of Damage by Pests Act.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Ouch!
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Back in Reading, the good news for the Sullivans
0:07:48 > 0:07:51was that their council did provide a service.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54The bad news - there was a fee.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57The council rat-catcher came in.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01He was £25 for three visits.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I think we paid him at least three times.
0:08:04 > 0:08:10It got to the stage where he was our Monday wake-up call because he was coming that often.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12We were on first-name terms.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16He'd put the poison in the loft and it was like feeding time at the zoo.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19It was like a cavalry charge coming across the loft
0:08:19 > 0:08:22to come and eat the poison.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26All the time the council were just, "No, there's not a problem."
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's all down to us.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35For two years, the Sullivans paid the council repeated fees
0:08:35 > 0:08:38for the unsuccessful treatment of their rat infestation.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The council blamed the Sullivans for the situation,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43whilst acknowledging in correspondence
0:08:43 > 0:08:47that there appeared to be a wider problem in the local area.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48To rub salt into the wounds,
0:08:48 > 0:08:55when the Sullivans were yet again forced to contact the council's pest-control service in early 2011,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57they were astonished to find
0:08:57 > 0:09:02there had been an overnight 500 percent hike in the cost of the service.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06They said it would be £127... HE SIGHS
0:09:06 > 0:09:09..plus VAT, I think. Or £110 plus VAT,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11which worked out at £127.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Caught out in a postcode lottery catch-22,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19the Sullivans were forced to pay around £127,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22knowing that in nearby South Oxfordshire,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25a similar service would cost £26.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Just down the road in Slough, residents were only being charged a tenner.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Still Reading Council would not budge.
0:09:33 > 0:09:39The council denied the problem, even up to June 27th this year.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42They sent me a letter stating that there wasn't a problem.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45And the next week, they asked us to move out
0:09:45 > 0:09:48and move into these premises where we are now.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Without warning, the council moved the Sullivans out of their rat-infested home
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and into their current temporary address.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58And the catalyst for this sudden decision?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01On the 1st of July, 2011,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04an elderly, bedridden neighbour was gnawed by rats
0:10:04 > 0:10:06as she lay recovering from a stroke.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09The neighbour later died in hospital.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13It took this terrible incident for the council to finally acknowledge
0:10:13 > 0:10:17that there was a problem across the neighbourhood and not just at the Sullivans' home.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21And this was three years after they first raised the issue.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26In a statement given to the Postcode Lottery team, Reading Council say:
0:10:49 > 0:10:53But that required effect has come three years too late for the Sullivans.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Hundreds of pounds out of pocket and still living in temporary accommodation,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00they hope Reading Council will not force them
0:11:00 > 0:11:05to move back into the council house of their worst nightmares.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08We definitely don't want to go back to our old house.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13We're just going to be laid at night waiting for the noises to start again.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Maisie's going to have nightmares.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Every time you see a speck of black dust on your carpet,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23you'll think a rat's been in.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30Since we filmed the Sullivans, Reading Council has backtracked on its exorbitant price hike.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33In January of this year, pest-control services were slashed
0:11:33 > 0:11:36from £127 to £70,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39or £45 for concessions.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The council also released a statement
0:11:43 > 0:11:46saying that after their 500 percent price hike,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50their pest-control department suffered a big drop in requests for treatment
0:11:50 > 0:11:55from around 600 a year to just 84 on average.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58A statement which just gives weight to the experts
0:11:58 > 0:12:01who blame the pest-control charges postcode lottery
0:12:01 > 0:12:03for the ever-increasing rat population.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14One-in-six couples in the UK have trouble falling pregnant.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16That's difficult enough to deal with
0:12:16 > 0:12:21without the added complication of being caught in the IVF postcode lottery.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25That is exactly what is happening to thousands of people in this country,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28including the couple in our next story.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Portsmouth, on the south coast of England,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35is home to Sarah and Levi Johnson.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40Happily married for six years, they want for only one thing to make their lives complete -
0:12:40 > 0:12:42a baby.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47Everybody thinks they're going to go on to marry and have children
0:12:47 > 0:12:51and you never think that you might have problems in having children.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56You just think it's a natural thing, to reproduce
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and your children to carry on your name.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01We've been trying for six years now,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04so it's, you know,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07it's draining, it's emotional
0:13:07 > 0:13:13and there's days when I can't leave the house and I just don't want to do anything.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I don't want to see anybody that's pregnant,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18speak to anyone that's pregnant,
0:13:18 > 0:13:24I'd just rather stay at home in my little safe haven, so to speak.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Sarah's attempts to conceive naturally
0:13:27 > 0:13:31have been complicated by a string of related medical conditions.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Sarah has polycystic ovaries, endometriosis and fibroids.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39All of them make getting pregnant that much harder.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44Throughout her marriage to Levi, Sarah has been taking medication to manage these conditions.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Until recently, they were also receiving help trying to get pregnant naturally.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53We were under a fertility consultant,
0:13:53 > 0:13:58had all the various tests and procedures that they wanted to check,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and then basically he just turned round and said,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05"There's nothing more we can do for you, that's it.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10"Unless you've got £5,000 or you want to remortgage or get a loan..."
0:14:10 > 0:14:16So that was it. That was the end of anybody doing anything for us.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21It was heartbreaking. I came out and burst into tears.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25I thought my whole life had ended.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It's devastating watching Sarah go through it.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31You want to put your arms around her and give her a big cuddle.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36You feel... It's not so much pity, you're trying to understand what she's going through,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40and you can't imagine the pain, what it would be like to be told
0:14:40 > 0:14:44"There's nothing more we can do. You can't have children."
0:14:46 > 0:14:49For most people in Sarah and Levi's position,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52the solution is IVF on the NHS.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57IVF - in vitro fertilisation - is a laboratory procedure
0:14:57 > 0:15:03in which a woman's egg cell is fertilised by a man's sperm outside of the human body.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07The fertilised egg is transferred back into the woman's uterus,
0:15:07 > 0:15:12where, hopefully, a successful full-term pregnancy will occur.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Here in Britain, we are pioneers in IVF.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21In 1978, the world's first test-tube baby, Louise Brown,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23was born in Manchester.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29And for the past 25 years, thousands of more test-tube babies have followed.
0:15:29 > 0:15:36In 2009, 12,714 IVF babies were born in the UK.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37In 2010,
0:15:37 > 0:15:42over 45,000 more British women had IVF treatment.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46So, how is it that in a nation of medical miracles and bouncing babies,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49thousands more are still being denied access
0:15:49 > 0:15:52to this potentially life-changing treatment?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54The postcode lottery, of course.
0:15:54 > 0:16:00The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE for short,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03recommend that couples who meet the criteria for IVF
0:16:03 > 0:16:08receive three free cycles of treatment on the NHS.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13But as Sarah and Levi were about to discover, the problem and the postcode lottery
0:16:13 > 0:16:16lies in how your local primary care trust
0:16:16 > 0:16:19interpret one little word - criteria.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23I can't have IVF because I don't meet the criteria.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Each primary care trust has a different list of criteria
0:16:27 > 0:16:31that every applicant has to meet before they will even be considered for IVF.
0:16:31 > 0:16:37The criteria list for Portsmouth's PCT is particularly rigorous.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Your BMI has to be under 30,
0:16:40 > 0:16:45you have to be under 35 years old,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49a non-smoker, don't drink,
0:16:49 > 0:16:54and no previous children from any partner whatsoever.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Sarah and Levi fail Portsmouth's criteria on two counts.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Her BMI, her Body Mass Index, is slightly higher than the recommended calculation,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05which she can address by losing weight,
0:17:05 > 0:17:11but what she cannot change is that Levi has a child from a previous relationship.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15I think it's totally unfair, because life's not like that any more.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18People get married, divorced,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21they start new relationships, they remarry.
0:17:21 > 0:17:28They should not be denied the chance to have children in a loving family.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Even if Sarah did meet all the criteria,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Portsmouth only offers one course of IVF treatment per couple
0:17:35 > 0:17:38instead of the three courses recommended by NICE.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Furthermore, since her original application for IVF
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Sarah has also fallen foul of yet another rule -
0:17:46 > 0:17:52she has crossed the PCT's 30-to-35- years-of-age treatment window.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56I'm older now. I haven't started treatment within the age gap
0:17:56 > 0:18:00so I'm classed as too old for IVF.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Down the coast in Brighton,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Sarah's age would not have been an issue.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Brighton PCT offer IVF to couples
0:18:07 > 0:18:10until the NICE-recommended age of 39.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15They also allow the recommended three treatments per couple.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18But Sarah's case is just the tip of the iceberg.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23It seems every primary care trust has a different set of criteria
0:18:23 > 0:18:28and thousands of couples are caught up in this lottery right across the country.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Couples like Linda and Aaron.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36With NICE's recommended age range for treatment being between 23 and 39 years of age,
0:18:36 > 0:18:4332-year-old Linda thought she'd be ideally placed to receive IVF from her PCT in Surrey,
0:18:43 > 0:18:48only to find that the PCT will only offer IVF if you are 39,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51not a year younger, not a year older,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53which is all the more nonsensical
0:18:53 > 0:18:58when you realise that IVF's general success rate of 25 percent
0:18:58 > 0:19:03falls sharply for anyone over 35 years of age.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08Maybe they should consider moving to Ayrshire and Arran or the Borders
0:19:08 > 0:19:10where there is no minimum age
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and eligible couples can have their three full cycles.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16They should think twice before moving to the Midlands.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21Most of their PCTs have a maximum age policy for male partners.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25There's also a cross-country postcode lottery on previous children.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30In Portsmouth, as we know, it's an "absolutely no previous children" policy.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34In Bolton, one partner is allowed to have a child from a previous relationship.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38But hats off to the very generous City and Hackney
0:19:38 > 0:19:41where, as long as you've no children in your current relationship,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45they'll allow you a maximum of four from your previous ones.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Confused? Well, it could be worse.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51You could be in Warrington, North Yorkshire and York,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54West Sussex, Stockport or North Staffordshire.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59If you do live in any of these PCTs and are hoping for IVF on the NHS,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02the stark response is "forget it".
0:20:02 > 0:20:05They don't offer any IVF treatments whatsoever.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09The result of all these arbitrary variations
0:20:09 > 0:20:12is that real people, like the Johnsons,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15get caught up in the IVF postcode lottery.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19But whilst many feel powerless, others continue to fight.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I've started a petition online
0:20:22 > 0:20:27to try and get the criteria changed and the postcode lottery stopped.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30The criteria should be the same across the UK.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I want to get the numbers up to about 1,000 signatures
0:20:33 > 0:20:37and then hopefully deliver it to 10 Downing Street.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Sarah continues her own personal battle for IVF
0:20:40 > 0:20:44and is currently on her third and final appeal.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47There is someone out there that can help us.
0:20:47 > 0:20:53I'll just keep fighting until I eventually get my child.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57It's not as if I'm being greedy. Just one child,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- that's all we want, isn't it? - That's not a lot to ask.
0:21:00 > 0:21:06We'll be back later with some interesting developments with Sarah and Levi's case.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11"Congratulations, you've won a set of left-handed screwdrivers,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14"a chocolate teapot or a skirting-board ladder."
0:21:14 > 0:21:19It doesn't really matter. Junk mail... Don't we just love it?
0:21:19 > 0:21:23But did you know that all that unsolicited paper that is landing on your doormat
0:21:23 > 0:21:26is there as a result of a postcode lottery?
0:21:26 > 0:21:29And not just any postcode lottery.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The people sending this out think they know what you want,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35like and what you're thinking.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Do you want to know more? Then, follow me.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Mobiles, broadband, booze, credit card offers,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49blah-blah-blah-blah-blah...
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Does junk mail bring you any joy or does it make your blood boil?
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- My heart sinks.- I get far too much.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01- It has its uses, but there is far too much of it. - I throw it away as soon as I get it.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06Nearly 12 billion items of junk mail land on our mats every year.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09That's around 450 per UK household.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11About 90 percent of it is unsolicited.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14But why and where on earth does it come from?
0:22:14 > 0:22:19From a place that thinks it knows you better than you know yourself.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Because if you think all this has been randomly dropped through your letterbox,
0:22:24 > 0:22:25you'd be wrong!
0:22:25 > 0:22:27It's been especially chosen for you
0:22:27 > 0:22:30by people who think they've got you worked out
0:22:30 > 0:22:32just by your postcode.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Welcome to the TNT headquarters in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42TNT is one of Britain's leading distributors of junk mail,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46or Unaddressed Direct Mail, as they prefer to call it.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51TNT use your postcode to identify your desires.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55"Congratulations, you've been chosen..."
0:22:55 > 0:22:57This type of marketing is very, very popular.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Research has been conducted that indicates
0:23:00 > 0:23:04that 80 percent of households like to receive these items
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and 89 percent remember receiving these items,
0:23:07 > 0:23:12which makes it a more memorable marketing channel than TV.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16But how do TNT make sure your unaddressed direct mail is so memorable?
0:23:16 > 0:23:22By using this very sophisticated piece of software called Mosaic
0:23:22 > 0:23:25to work out what kind of person you are, what you are likely to earn
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and what you might be tempted to buy,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31just by feeding it your postcode.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Mosaic gets information from the National Census,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38council tax bands and local retail data
0:23:38 > 0:23:43to give your postcode one of 67 different classifications.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47It then uses your marketing classification to work you out.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49So let's see it in action.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55We've asked TNT to show us how Mosaic sees the Grangetown area of Cardiff.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Mosaic shows Cardiff to be an area of varied affluence.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Purple and dark blue indicate wealthy areas,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07with red and orange indicating areas that are less prosperous.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10The Grangetown area of Cardiff is a mix of all four,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13which doesn't really help our postcode profilers.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16But by using its other profiling tools,
0:24:16 > 0:24:21Mosaic nominates a marketing classification for Grangetown.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25And it's Type 28, Asian Attainment.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30Type 28 indicates a population with a largely south-Asian background,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33high skill levels, high private-sector employment
0:24:33 > 0:24:36large houses and specialist retail outlets.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38So, how accurate is that?
0:24:38 > 0:24:41When we went to Grangetown to put Mosaic to the test,
0:24:41 > 0:24:45we found that it was of largely south-Asian background,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47there were large houses
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and plenty of specialist retail outlets.
0:24:50 > 0:24:56Let's see what its residents make of their accurately defined Type 28 direct mail.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Most of the time, it's irritating the people.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03We are receiving mails from the same people, not for one time...
0:25:03 > 0:25:06If I am receiving one time, that is OK,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08but if I am receiving more than a couple of times,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10there will be no use for that.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15I think it's rubbish. I don't really read it. I automatically throw it in the bin.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19None of the people we spoke to in Grangetown were fans of direct mail,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23although clearly, many of us do respond positively to it
0:25:23 > 0:25:25otherwise businesses, large and small,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28would not spend tens of millions on it each year.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31But what if we simply don't want to receive
0:25:31 > 0:25:35any type-targeted, postcode-profile direct mail?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37It's important to us that we listen to consumers.
0:25:37 > 0:25:43If they are not happy receiving the range of items that we deliver,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48we adhere to a scheme which is operated by the Direct Marketing Association,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52whereby they can choose to opt out of receiving these items.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54That's good news for me and for advertisers.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58It means I'm not causing complaints at a consumer level,
0:25:58 > 0:26:03it means the number of items that I'm delivering are likely to be more effective.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06They're not going to people who don't look at them,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10and that means advertisers will see a better return on investment
0:26:10 > 0:26:12and probably do more of it in the future.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16So, how easy is it to stop Mosaic from targeting you?
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Well, not very, it seems.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21If you want to junk your junk,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23there are three schemes you can sign up to.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27The Post Office have one called Door-toDoor Opt-Out
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and the Direct Marketing Association have two,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33the Mail Preference Scheme and the Your Choice Preference Scheme.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36But none of them can guarantee 100 percent
0:26:36 > 0:26:38that you won't receive any more junk mail,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41which all sounds a bit rubbish to me.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50We all know that the NHS is paid for by our taxes
0:26:50 > 0:26:52and that it's free to all of us,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56but did you know that NHS trusts up and down the country
0:26:56 > 0:26:59are topping up on those taxes with a stealth charge
0:26:59 > 0:27:03that raked them in over £100 million last year?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Are we all being short-changed
0:27:06 > 0:27:09with the NHS parking postcode lottery?
0:27:09 > 0:27:13When you or a loved-one are sick or ill and need to go to hospital,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15the last thing you want to worry about
0:27:15 > 0:27:19is whether you run the risk of receiving a parking ticket or even being clamped.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24This is exactly what is happening to tens of thousands of patients,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26their concerned relatives and friends
0:27:26 > 0:27:28when they visit their local hospital.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33If you live in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland, count your blessings.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36The vast majority of NHS trusts in these three countries
0:27:36 > 0:27:39offer free hospital parking for all.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43If you live in England, however, count your pennies and your pounds
0:27:43 > 0:27:45because, depending on your postcode,
0:27:45 > 0:27:51your NHS trust will charge anywhere between 30 pence and £6 an hour
0:27:51 > 0:27:53to park at their hospital.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57It's a particularly high price to pay for those requiring long-term treatment.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01We're going to Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, to meet a cancer patient
0:28:01 > 0:28:06who has really being given the run-around in the NHS parking postcode lottery.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09My name's Karen Sheldon. I'm a single mum.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11I've got two teenage girls.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16I was diagnosed with cancer in March 2009
0:28:16 > 0:28:21and then started the rigorous, long journey
0:28:21 > 0:28:24of various operations
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and chemotherapy and drug treatment.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32When Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer over two years ago,
0:28:32 > 0:28:37she began a round of treatment that saw her visiting her local hospital on a regular basis.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39But then secondary cancer struck
0:28:39 > 0:28:45and Karen found herself travelling to a further three hospitals around the Greater London area.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Unable to work because of illness,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50meeting the fuel cost was hard enough,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53but then Karen realised she was caught in a postcode lottery
0:28:53 > 0:28:56that was forcing her to pour hundreds of pounds
0:28:56 > 0:28:59into four different sets of hospital parking meters
0:28:59 > 0:29:02at widely differing hourly rates.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06And to illustrate the true cost of this stealth tax on the sick,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Karen is taking us on a quick hospital tour.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12And our first postcode port-of-call
0:29:12 > 0:29:16is Karen's local hospital in Hemel Hempstead.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21This is where I had to come for things like bone scans, CT scans,
0:29:21 > 0:29:25X-rays and all my blood tests.
0:29:25 > 0:29:31The hospital charged visitors and patients £12 for over five hours,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33£6 for three to four hours
0:29:33 > 0:29:37or a flat £4 for anything under three hours.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Charging for a minimum of three hours
0:29:39 > 0:29:43is a particularly sly way of maximising profits from patients,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45as Karen explains.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Sometimes I would only be in there 10 to 15 minutes
0:29:48 > 0:29:51but I was having to pay £4 a time
0:29:51 > 0:29:56to actually park up and literally run in and run out again,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59which is an absolutely extortionate amount.
0:29:59 > 0:30:0424 miles southeast of Hemel Hempstead is the Royal Free Hospital,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06where Karen had her surgery.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10The Royal Free charged an incredible £6 for anything under two hours,
0:30:10 > 0:30:15a charge that almost cost some of Karen's visitors dearly.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19When I'd had my surgery, I had friends come to visit me.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23They put the money in, what they had,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25not realising it would be so expensive,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29and basically, by the time they'd got into the hospital and found me,
0:30:29 > 0:30:35then had barely enough time to visit before they had to rush back to the car
0:30:35 > 0:30:37or they would've got a ticket.
0:30:37 > 0:30:42So basically, the visiting was cut short because of that, which is terrible.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45When you're stuck in hospital, you want to see people
0:30:45 > 0:30:50and they shouldn't be bound by timings on a car-parking meter.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52The price of postcode parking
0:30:52 > 0:30:56was much better for Karen 16 miles down the road at her next hospital,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Mount Vernon in Northwood.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03This is the hospital where I came for my chemotherapy,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07MRI scan and some dressing changes.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10At Mount Vernon, you could park for free for up to 30 minutes,
0:31:10 > 0:31:14but it's £3.70 for any amount of time beyond that.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18And as this is where Karen came for time-consuming chemotherapy,
0:31:18 > 0:31:24she was unable to take advantage of those 30 minutes of generosity.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29Finally, 17 miles from Mount Vernon is St Albans Hospital,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32where Karen had her original diagnosis.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Like Hemel Hempstead, St Albans had a minimum meter charge of £4
0:31:36 > 0:31:38for anything under three hours.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40St Albans Hospital car park
0:31:40 > 0:31:44was the site of Karen's most humiliating moment.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49There was a phone call literally in the morning, "Can you come now?"
0:31:49 > 0:31:54I rushed out of the house and got to the hospital
0:31:54 > 0:31:57and didn't have the change for the parking.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01There was nowhere else to park without having the money.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05I was then having to walk round the car park
0:32:05 > 0:32:07to find a parking attendant
0:32:07 > 0:32:13to actually, you know, humbly go to him with my problem.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17"I'm sorry that I've got cancer, I'm sorry that I need to park.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22"I'm sorry I haven't got the money. I have got to get in there."
0:32:23 > 0:32:26I was very low at that point. Very!
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Yes...
0:32:28 > 0:32:32Karen's experience was typical of dozens of examples we came across
0:32:32 > 0:32:34on this particular postcode lottery.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37So, what is going on, who's in charge
0:32:37 > 0:32:39and why do those charges vary so much?
0:32:40 > 0:32:44Hospital trusts and any contractors who run their parking facilities
0:32:44 > 0:32:47are allowed to charge what they like.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52A recent report shows that they are doing just that and more.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55For example, on top of their parking charges,
0:32:55 > 0:32:57University Hospitals of Birmingham
0:32:57 > 0:33:02issued a further 18,561 parking tickets.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05St George's Hospital in Tooting
0:33:05 > 0:33:09clamped 545 cars in the last 12 months.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11But at £6 for two hours,
0:33:11 > 0:33:17the hospital raking in the most costly parking charges was the Royal Free in Hampstead
0:33:17 > 0:33:20where Karen spent so much of her time and money.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23The report estimates that cancer sufferers
0:33:23 > 0:33:27will make an average of 53 trips to hospitals during their treatment.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30The charity Macmillan Cancer Support
0:33:30 > 0:33:33are calling on the government and hospital trusts
0:33:33 > 0:33:37to back their campaign to secure free travel and parking costs
0:33:37 > 0:33:40for all cancer sufferers in the UK.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43But let's leave the last word to Karen.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46It makes me personally angry.
0:33:46 > 0:33:51I don't see why if they can abandon it in Wales and Scotland, they can't in England.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Why are we different?
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Why do we have to be penalised and made to pay?
0:34:05 > 0:34:08When it comes to utilities such as gas or electric,
0:34:08 > 0:34:12if you're unhappy with the service or the price you're paying,
0:34:12 > 0:34:17you've got the option of shopping around for a better provider or a cheaper price.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20But there is still one utility that holds a monopoly over us,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24even though it was privatised as long ago as 1989.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Yep, you've guessed it.
0:34:27 > 0:34:28Water.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Because no matter who you are or where you live,
0:34:31 > 0:34:35your water is an inescapable postcode lottery.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40For a natural resource not exactly in short supply in the UK,
0:34:40 > 0:34:44why is it that some of us are paying a far heavier price for our water than others?
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Because we're also not short on water companies.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50There are 27 of them nation-wide.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Each serves a fixed geographical area
0:34:53 > 0:34:58and each sets its own separate charges for water and sewerage bills.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02And as a customer, if you want water - and we all do -
0:35:02 > 0:35:08your only option is to buy it from your local supplier and at the price they set.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13So the price you pay for what pours out of your tap depends on where you live.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19And the price differences are a right old postcode lottery, as we're about to reveal.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20In reverse order,
0:35:20 > 0:35:27the UK's top-three cheapest water suppliers for 2011/12 are...
0:35:27 > 0:35:30At number three, Scottish Water,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34providing the whole of Scotland with an average combined water and sewerage charge
0:35:34 > 0:35:37of £324 for the year.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41At number two, it's the mighty Thames Water,
0:35:41 > 0:35:47supplying over 8.5 million customers at an average £319.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51And wading in at number one, we have Severn Trent.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55So if you're lucky enough to have a Nottinghamshire postcode, pour yourself another glass
0:35:55 > 0:36:01because Severn Trent are pumping it to you at just £311 a year.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06And now the top-three highest-charging water companies in reverse order...
0:36:06 > 0:36:09At number three, Dwr Cymru,
0:36:09 > 0:36:14who are watering the whole of Wales at an average of £411 per home.
0:36:14 > 0:36:20In at number two, Wessex Water are soaking up an average £428.
0:36:20 > 0:36:26And this week's number one, and by far the most expensive water company in the UK,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28it's South West Water,
0:36:28 > 0:36:35who are floating nobody's boat at an eye-watering average of £517 per household.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38They must be tapped!
0:36:38 > 0:36:40ACCORDION PLAYS
0:36:40 > 0:36:44South West Water's postcode patch covers Devon and Cornwall
0:36:44 > 0:36:46and locals are so upset about their bills,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49some of them are prepared to make a song and dance
0:36:49 > 0:36:53about this landlocked and water-logged postcode lottery.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56We're going to Looe in Cornwall to hear all about it.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00# In south-east Cornwall We don't dwell
0:37:00 > 0:37:02# Heave away, haul away
0:37:02 > 0:37:05# If you want cheap water Then dig a well
0:37:05 > 0:37:08# A fortune people have to pay
0:37:08 > 0:37:10# The water rates, they are sky high
0:37:10 > 0:37:12# Heave away, haul away
0:37:12 > 0:37:15# There's lots of rain It's never dry
0:37:15 > 0:37:18# A fortune people have to pay #
0:37:18 > 0:37:24When shanty singer Stuart isn't keening songs of watery woe
0:37:24 > 0:37:28with Mary, Brian and Andy in their folk combo Miner Quay,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31he runs The Jolly Sailor Inn in West Looe.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33As a businessman and a homeowner,
0:37:33 > 0:37:37Stuart claims he's drowning in his water bills.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41South West Water think that the average bill's in the 500 region.
0:37:41 > 0:37:47My water rates for my two-bedroom flat are £700 a year
0:37:47 > 0:37:52and the water rates for the business are getting on close to about £4,000 a year.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57For a two-bedroom flat being 700 doesn't ring true to me.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59It is a real postcode lottery.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Many of Stuart's regulars agree.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06We have one of the lowest wage rates in the county
0:38:06 > 0:38:09and some of the highest property rates in the county
0:38:09 > 0:38:11and it just seems grossly unfair
0:38:11 > 0:38:15that we're exposed to the sort of prices we're being asked to pay.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18A friend of mine had a bill a few months ago for £1,200,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21which is ridiculously high. Obscene.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25It's difficult to run a business, especially in this climate,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28and with the extra pressure of the water rates on us, as well,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31I hope they won't go up any higher.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36South West Water seem to be spending more and more money and I can't see where it's going.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Someone who might be able to answer that question
0:38:40 > 0:38:43is Monica Read from South West Water.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45The charges vary across the country,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49but they're high in this region because of the sewage element.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52The sewage element is two-thirds of the overall bill.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54The reason is, over the last 20 years,
0:38:54 > 0:38:59there's been a massive sewage clean-up operation across Devon and Cornwall.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Over £2 billion has been invested
0:39:02 > 0:39:06in cleaning up over 250 raw sewage outfalls
0:39:06 > 0:39:08and that's all now been addressed.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11And paid for, presumably?
0:39:11 > 0:39:15So, how come the charges are still almost £200 more than in London?
0:39:15 > 0:39:19South West Water's profits have been ploughed back into the infrastructure.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22What we're doing is, spending over £400,000 a day
0:39:22 > 0:39:26on the pipes and pumps and processes that we have on the plant
0:39:26 > 0:39:28in order to clean up the environment.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31That's what's giving us such a huge regional advantage
0:39:31 > 0:39:34in terms of environment, benefit for the economy and tourism.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Which is all well and good
0:39:36 > 0:39:38but since we spoke to Monica,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42South West Water have posted a six-month pre-tax profit
0:39:42 > 0:39:45of £76.2 million.
0:39:45 > 0:39:46Ka-ching!
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Although apparently,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51in the murky waters of this particular postcode lottery,
0:39:51 > 0:39:56the news isn't all bad for Stuart and the cash-strapped residents of Devon and Cornwall
0:39:56 > 0:40:00because South West Water have been cap-in-hand on their behalf
0:40:00 > 0:40:02to the government.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05We haven't got firm information, but indications are
0:40:05 > 0:40:09that the government's considering a payment of up to £40 million per annum
0:40:09 > 0:40:13to go to reducing the bills of South West Water customers.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16It's not going to be next year because there has to be legislation,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19but we're hoping to see that in the not-too-distant future.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24Hang on! Just where are the government going to get this annual funding from?
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Oh, yeah, got it. The taxpayer.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30That's you, me and Stuart the barman at The Jolly Sailor.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Cheers. Water?!
0:40:40 > 0:40:44Earlier, we brought you the story of Sarah and Levi
0:40:44 > 0:40:49and their fight against the IVF postcode lottery in their hometown of Portsmouth.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Since we first filmed, there's been some interesting developments in their case.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58When we contacted Portsmouth Primary Care Trust, they told us:
0:41:21 > 0:41:23So imagine our surprise
0:41:23 > 0:41:26when this article appeared in The Daily Telegraph a few weeks ago.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31It was the story of how Donna and Dean Marshall had successfully appealed
0:41:31 > 0:41:36against their local PCT's decision to deny them IVF.
0:41:36 > 0:41:42Just like Sarah and Levi, Donna and Dean were on the borderline of meeting the age criteria.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46And just like Levi, Dean had a child from a previous relationship.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48But here's the rub...
0:41:48 > 0:41:53The PCT who Donna and Dean had won their appeal against was Portsmouth.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Donna and Dean's MP had put them in touch with a lawyer
0:41:56 > 0:41:58who specialises in fertility cases
0:41:58 > 0:42:01and she had successfully appealed
0:42:01 > 0:42:05to overturn Portsmouth's PCT's decision.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Donna and Dean are now receiving IVF on the NHS.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12And we are happy to report that Sarah and Levi
0:42:12 > 0:42:17are also in contact with the lawyer who won Donna and Dean's case.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Well, that's all we've got time for.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23But there are plenty more scandals and some of them are stinkers!
0:42:23 > 0:42:29On tomorrow's programme, we reveal the startling story of the home-care postcode lottery.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34She said, "I don't think you fulfil the criteria for care any more
0:42:34 > 0:42:36"and we're cutting it out."
0:42:36 > 0:42:38We lift the lid on the adoption postcode lottery.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43I'd contacted one of the local authorities and was really put off.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45And caught in a trap,
0:42:45 > 0:42:49the real truth about the speed camera postcode lottery.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53I've heard that sometimes they're not actually plugged in.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Stay lucky in the postcode lottery.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00If you keep watching, you'll definitely improve your chances of winning.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:04 > 0:43:08E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk