Episode 8 X-Ray

You're watching X-Ray. On the programme tonight: They thought

they'd bought a week's holiday in a caravan, but this woman's made off

with the cash. Andy's grazed his horses in this field for 30 years.

So why are Network Rail trying to stop him? And a jammed cruise

control could have been fatal - but Hello. Welcome to the programme.

I'm here in Barry, finding out what's being done about every

drivers' worst enemy - potholes. First. A lot of families look

forward to a holiday in a caravan. But this year, caravan parks across

the UK are reporting a heartless scam that's ruined the summer for

many. For the Killen family from Swansea, life with five young

children is certainly a challenge! We've got three girls and two boys,

aged ten to one. So it's very busy! And what about your husband? Andy's

at university studying to be a motorcycle engineer. So financially

tight? Yes, it can be. Serena and Andy have never had the money to

take the whole family on holiday. But this year they were really

desperate to get away. With finding out our son has learning

difficulties at the beginning of the year, we thought it would be a

good idea to book a holiday for summer. Where did you want to go?

We wanted somewhere quiet, somewhere where we could walk to

the beach, husband, go fishing with kids. We needed somewhere obviously

quite close to home cos we don't have any transport, we were relying

on a friend to take us down. Serena looked on Gumtree, a website where

you can buy all kinds of things. And when she spotted a cheap

caravan break, her hopes of a holiday started to look a lot

brighter! The caravan Serena found was on a site just up the road from

this gorgeous beach - Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire. Serena could

just imagine the children playing here and enjoying their first ever

holiday by the seaside. It was an ad for an eight berth caravan and

it was for �210 for a week Gosh, a good price? Yes. I thought we had a

bargain! This is the woman who was selling the holiday - Jessica Scutt.

She was very keen to clinch the deal, sending Serena helpful emails

about the great beach and facilities at Pendine Sands. Serena

was sold, but kept the holiday a secret from the children, until the

morning of the trip. I was really excited and I was really happy cos

we hadn't been on holiday. I think the beach would be really fun.

were you going do to with mum and dad? Go fishing? Do you like

fishing? Yes. Have you been before? No. What were you going to catch?

fish. The big day finally came and the family couldn't wait to get

down to the caravan. But within minutes or arriving, their holiday

hopes were shattered. Serena still has nightmares about what happened

that day. So this is where you thought you were staying, number

134 Dukes Meadow. What was the arrangement when you got here?

started to unload car, realised caravan didn't look like pictures s.

Jessica Scutt supposed to meet us here at 2pm, no sign of her.

husband went to reception to find out what was going on, discovered

that we'd fallen for a big scam. She looks like a woman who enjoys a

joke, but the cruel trick she played on Serena left the family

devastated. The real owner, Phil Darbyshire, was horrified. Hi Phil,

you know Serena, you've met before. So what was it like when she

arrived here? It was terrible, absolutely. Serena was breaking her

heart in reception because she realised we were all part of a scam.

How do you feel about person that's stolen the pictures of your caravan

to do this? Well they're just lowlifes, they don't see the

consequences of their actions, they don't understand that Serena and

Andrew saved for however long, how much it means to the children, they

just see a few pounds in the bank. What's it like for you, Serena?

Devastating. Even now, it brings it all back. How did the children take

it? They were devastated, I broke my heart to see their little faces,

especially when you have to tell them we're going home With no sign

of Jessica Scutt or the money they'd paid her, the family headed

home. Serena phoned Gumtree. Amazingly, they were already aware

of the scammer. Because they knew all about it on 24th July, our

holiday was on the 30th, nobody had bothered even letting me know, I

could have avoided the whole events of that day. We asked Gumtree why

they hadn't let the family know. They say they thought it was a

matter for the police. So who is Jessica Scutt? Well, she's not

certainly not shy, we've found loads of pictures of her on social

networking sites. But not everyone's her friend. We found

angry messages online, from other people who say they paid her for

holidays which vanished into thin air We tried to track down Jessica

Scutt, who seems to be living in Guildford. Eventually, we did

manage to speak to her on her phone. Now we're sure it was her, but she

denied knowing anything about scamming the Killen family, or

anyone else. We've been talking to the police. They too are on

Jessica's trail. They've already spoken to nine victims of her

unpleasant little scam. So how do you feel about Jessica Scutt?

hope the police catch her and she never gets opportunity to do this

to other families. And what about the future? Hopefully we'll get

over it and go on another holiday as soon as we can afford it. That's

terrible. Jessica Scutt definitely needs to be behind bars. Now if

you've fallen victim this scam, or know anyone else who has, then we

want to hear from you. Our contact details are on the screen now. And

we'll keep you up to date on that police investigation. Still to come

tonight. How a trip to the shops became a terrifying experience for

one BMW driver. And Andy just wants to get to his field, but Network

Rail want to stop him. But before that, time for Lucy to get On The

Case. This is what the brochure promised. But Lyn Wilcox's memories

of her Tunisian holiday are all about the things she left behind.

I've left some very precious items in a hotel room, and I know they've

been handed in, but no one will help me get them back, so please,

Lucy, can you help? Lyn and her family had a great two

weeks abroad in the sun earlier this year. But on the final day,

she left behind her most prized pieces of jewellery luckily, they

were handed in. Crisis averted? Not by a long way. Hi Lucy. Hi Lyn,

tell me all about these bracelets. They were actually given to me by

my husband on the birth of our three children, so great

sentimental value. Tell me how you came to leave them at the hotel?

Unfortunately, we were a little bit late getting changed. I took

everything out of the safe, put the items the camera, the three

bracelets, on the shelf above the safe. On the way to the airport

then we realised. Of course, we were in such a rush I left them

there. So when you realised on the coach that you'd left the jewellery

in the hotel, what did you do? First of all, panicked. I could

actually picture the items I knew exactly where they were, on the

shelf above the safe. So, as soon as we got to the airport, the first

thing my husband did was go and have a chat with the courier who

took us there. He got on his mobile phone. He managed to get through to

the manager who confirmed who went to look for the items and then

confirmed the items were there. They had been handed in. The

courier then jokingly said, "When are you coming back?" So we all

looked at each other, and said "What do you mean when are we

coming back?" He said that might be the easiest way you can get these

items back. The bracelets are worth �1,500. As soon as Lyn got home she

contacted her tour operator, Thomas Cook, to get them returned. Several

phone calls and emails later and the company said they couldn't help.

It was our fault we'd left the items there, yes, we admitted that,

so I contacted the hotel manager, spoke to the gentleman there. He

said, "Oh, we've got the items, but we can't return them to you. We can

only pass them back to the Thomas Cook rep in the hotel." Thomas Cook

then said they wouldn't take responsibility. I said "Can I

arrange for a courier?" The hotel manager refused. He wouldn't

release the items. So even though Lyn was willing to sort out her own

courier to have her bracelets flown the 1,300 miles back from Tunisia

to Britain the hotel just wouldn't help. So Thomas Cook were telling

you to go to the hotel, the hotel were telling you to go to Thomas

Cook and they wouldn't even let you use your own courier. You must be

at your wit's end. I was starting to tear my hair out by now. It's

really frustrating because I know there are simple ways of getting

the items back, either Thomas Cook could do it, or the couriers could

do it for us, but every time I think I've found a way I'm hitting

a brick wall. So Lyn, what would you like me to do? Please, Lucy,

can you help get the items back as soon as possible. I'm on the case.

Right, well, what happened to Lyn could probably happen to any of us

losing your valuables on a holiday. To sort it out, we wrote straight

to her tour operator, Thomas Cook. After we spoke to them they managed

to get one of their own staff who was holidaying at the same Tunisian

resort to pick up Lyn's jewellery and bring it home for her. Hi Lucy,

I've got my bracelets back. Thank you very much for what you've done.

I don't think these bracelets are ever going to leave this country

again. Thank you. And that's another case closed. Nice work.

Remember if you've struggling to get something sorted, you can give

us a call now or send us an e-mail. Remember to leave a daytime phone

number so we can start working for you straightaway. And if you've got

anything to say about tonight's stories, join us on Twitter.

remember that freezing winter we had two years ago when potholes

appeared all over our roads? Back then dozens of you complained to us

about the state of the roads and the damage it was doing to your

cars. Jeff Norman had to pay nearly �600 to repair his car after

driving over a pothole. He made a claim against Vale of Glamorgan

Council, writing them over 200 letters and threatening them with

legal action. Eventually, two years on, they've finally paid out. So

what's the situation here in the Vale now? Are there still potholes

around? Hello., Askew, have you noticed lots of potholes on the

road? Yes. It is bad. Is it a big problem, pot holes? It is terrible.

I buckled one of my wheels a couple of months ago. It is not very good.

And it is very expensive. It put the tracking out. You have to go

and get that sorted out. The tyres wear out quicker. It is slow

getting it sorted out. I assume additional funding was given and it

has not been forthcoming. Well, sounds like there's plenty left to

do, but it does look like the Vale of Glamorgan is now taking the

problem seriously. They've launched something called The Big Fill.

What's this all about? This is the launch of a year-long campaign.

This is on the back of public feedback that we have had in

response to the number of potholes that are about. The public will

call you if there is a pothole on your road and you will come out and

sort them out. Yes, we will be Rees -- visiting these roads over the

coming man sad addressing the concerns. If someone has potholes

on the road in the Vale of Glamorgan, you will come and sort

them out? Yes, indeed. Now, if you buy a BMW, it's often because of

the brand's reputation for safe and reliable cars. But Rachel's been

meeting customers with reason to doubt that reputation. I've never

known such a horrific experience and I don't ever want anyone else

having to go through what we've been through. Nicole Davies from

Caerwys in Flintshire is a busy mum. She spends most of her days looking

after her younger son, Cameron. Always on the go. Going to and from

school and different places, playgroups. Non stop! Having a safe

and reliable car is important to Nicole so two years ago she decided

to buy a BMW. With a growing family we bought it when I was pregnant

with Cameron so we needed lots of boot space but more than anything

it was the safety and the reliability. My husband wanted a

safe family car. Nicole drove her BMW for two years without a problem

until one day in June, when it took on a life of its own. It was an

ordinary summer's day when Nicole and her son set off for a drive.

took the opportunity just Cameron and me to go on a bigger shopping

trip a bit further, 25 miles away. It was lovely and quiet on the

motorway so I used the cruise control, which I don't always do.

Nicole set the speed at 50mph as she travelled along the North Wales

Expressway. Then as we approached the turn off I went to apply the

brake which is what usually disengages the cruise control.

Nothing happened. I was madly hitting the brake. Nicole tried

desperately to stop the car. approaching the roundabout at about

55mph, just sheer panic. How can this be happening? How am I going

to stop this car without killing both of us? Fearful for her son's

safety, Nicole took drastic action. I had to make a sharp left turn

into a string of bollards which is what slowed the car down then hit a

lamppost which then spun the car round back on itself and it came to

rest against two cars and that's when the engine finally cut out.

opened the door and jumped out to get Cameron out because I thought

the car was on fire. Miraculously Nicole and Cameron were unhurt.

was afterwards I couldn't sleep. I don't know why you do it to

yourself but you replay it in your mind, hundreds of times and what

could have happened and that's when it really hits home how close it

was to us not being here anymore. Nicole reported the accident to BMW,

thinking they'd investigate. So what did BMW say to you? They

shrugged it off. It's not for us to investigate. Someone else should

tell us if they think there's a manufacturing fault, we're not

aware of anything so we'll just log your call is as far as I got.

might think Nicole's experience was an isolated incident, a one-off.

Well, you'd be wrong. Just like Nicole, Richard Brindle thought a

BMW would be the safest way for his young family to travel. In 2007,

they set off on holiday to Edinburgh. The motorway was fairly

quiet so I decided to use my cruise control. Everything was fine until

a car pulled out in front of him and his cruise control jammed. I

tried to deactivate it with the brake then I was hitting the stalk

to deactivate it on the steering column. As Richard's BMW was racing

towards the car ahead, he tried to pull over. Luckily at the last

minute this gap opened up and I managed to squeeze through the gap

but the back end of my car got quite badly smashed up. Considering

the damage to the car and nobody was injured and you think what

could have happened, we were quite fortunate to get away fairly

lightly. BMW told Richard they would inspect the car, but only if

he paid for it. He decided to check online to see if others had

complained - and was shocked by what he found. He discovered lots

of similar complaints and asked other unhappy BMW drivers to

contact him. Ever since then over the last five years there's been a

steady stream of people contacting us wanting to know information.

despite all that, Richard can't get BMW to take his concerns seriously.

So BMW then were just totally disinterested? That's it, they're a

major brand and certainly got money to investigate the problem. You

would have thought they wouldn't need too many complaints, even one

should be enough to look into the problem. So that's two BMW drivers

and a whole host of cruise control complaints online. The evidence

suggests there may be an issue with some of their cars, so why aren't

BMW taking it seriously? Well, not much joy from BMW. They say they

don't have any 'outstanding issues' with the cruise control on their

cars. Vehicle safety is of 'paramount importance' to them, and

Tim Shallcross is a leading expert on car safety. Why aren't BMW

taking this more seriously? It's a great shame they're not. The fact

is cruise control systems have had problems in the past. There's even

a case going on in America at the moment with Ford recalling 100,000

of their vehicles. I would emphasise that's only in America.

Not here in the UK. These things can go wrong, and really BMW need

to pay more attention to the concerns of their customers, and if

there's something like this, whether it turns out to be the

cruise control system or a sticking accelerator, they need to look at

it, find out what it i so people aren't so worried about using them

in the future. Where does this leave Nicole? Well, sadly she

hasn't got very many places to go. In theory she could go to the

government organisation that is responsible for vehicle safety in

this country. That's VOSA. They run the MOT system, sadly far too often

they side with the manufacturer in these issues and we really have no

good organisation with teeth to represent the motorist in this

country or even at European level. Now BMW have told Nicole they'll

only reassess the car, if her insurer requests it. Is that fair?

It's not really adequate. The insurance company didn't buy the

car, Nicole did, and it's up to BMW to respond to her concerns. Now,

would you believe there are nearly 1,200 rail crossings in Wales.

We're all familiar with the bigger ones with barriers and lights. But

some of the smaller ones are much less obvious. Rhod's been to meet

one man who's fighting for the Millard the Milk is a familiar

sight on the streets of Treorchy. For 42 years, Andy was the milkman

here. Just like his grandfather and father before him.. His love of

horses began when a family friend taught him to ride. He used to come

and pick me up from school. I was a little dut of a thing, probably

eight or nine years of age, and he would come and pick me up and put

me on the back and we would ride up through the streets together and

he'd take me home. From then on I was horses mad. Andy's been walking

his horses through these streets to get from his stables to the same

small patch of land where they've grazed for decades. A lot's changed

in that time. But one thing that hasn't is that after using the

roads, his horses have always had to cross a railway line to get to

the field. But four years ago, Network Rail told him to stop.

said they weren't happy with me crossing the line and I was

trespassing, and they didn't want me to cross the line, but of course

I had nowhere else to put the horses. The railway's been here 150

years. Old photos through the decades show some sort of crossing,

long before Andy first started to use the four acres of boggy field

in the nineteen seventies. -- 1970s. Then it was part of bigger parcel

of land rented by a clothing firm called Polikoffs. One of the bosses

for Polikoff's at the time, one of the managers or directors, and he

said to me, yes, it'll be all right. We'll work out something with the

milk. So if you give them free milk, you' have the field. Well, not

actually free but he just wanted something off. They weren't stupid,

were they? No, but I kept the horses over the field there, as the

years went by I just occupied the field. I stayed there. Fast forward

to 1986, and Ynyswen station was built at the exact point where Andy

had already been crossing for almost a decade. So now, to get to

his field, Andy had to go around the platform as well as crossing

the track. The rail company seemed happy for the arrangement to

continue - they even replaced the old gates across the track with a

new one. They gave me the key. They put an actual wooden crossing there,

so I could cross the horses, so everything was fine... It's a

straight section of track and Andy says he's never had any problems

crossing the line, even though five trains an hour pass through. But

four years ago that all changed. Network Rail told Andy he was

trespassing and they expected him to stop. Here we are, safely across

and just coming into the field now, and I'll be able to leave them go

to have a gallop. Do you think you've got a right to cross this

line and access your field? Yes, definitely. I think surely after

all this time they must have known I'm crossing the line, especially

as they put in a gate and a crossing in for me. Surely, that's

admitting that I've got the right to cross the line. All of a sudden

they change their minds and say no, you can't cross there any more.

why exactly would Network Rail want to stop Andy crossing the line to

get to this field especially after he's been doing it for so long

without any apparent problems? Well, the company say there's an obvious

public safety issue, pointing out that Andy's horses got on to the

line last year, stopping trains. They also say that the deeds to the

field - which Andy got when he finally had the chance to buy his

field three years ago - don't give him any legal rights to cross the

line. Network Rail say those rights disappeared in the 1990s when an

industrial estate was built nearby. The company also say they've given

Andy numerous chances to provide documents showing he has the right

to cross. And that he's failed to come up with any. So if Andy loses

his fight with Network Rail and cannot cross the line any more how

is he going to get his horses to his field? Well, it's not going to

be easy, it seems! Andy, shows me the only other way. And as we find

out, it's much too boggy to cross during large parts of the year. Did

you just say though you lost a welly in here? I lost a pair of

wellies in here. You're joking! It's really deep and you genuinely

cannot see where on earth you're going. It's not fair on the horses.

Come on, let's go back. Have you got both your wellies? Yes, just

about! For Andy this is about more than his right to use a field. He

says he's determined to be able to keep riding with his grand-children.

I hope my children and grandchildren will have a right to

use the field and keep horses and carry on. And what would giving up

your horses mean to you? Everything. My whole life would change. It

would take away something I've done all my life. I just don't know what

I'd do without the horses in my life. I've always had horses and I

hope I continue to until the end of my days.. Well, Network Rail aren't

budging on this. They've told us they'll only reconsider Andy's case

is if he can come up with documents showing he has a legal right to

cross. But Andy's told us that the threat

of prosecution won't put him off taking his horses across the line

as he's always done. Well, that's it for this week. Remember we want

to hear from you if there's anything you'd like us to look into.

The address to get in touch is on the screen. It would be good if you

could leave a daytime number so we can contact you straightaway.