Episode 4 X-Ray

Why are you walking away?

In every corner of Wales...

..We investigate...

..Scams and rip-offs...

..Bad service and dodgy deals.

If you've been conned out of your hard-earned cash...

-..We're here...

-On your side...

-In your corner.

Fighting for your rights.

Fighting for you.

This is X-Ray.

On tonight's programme,

the mystery fines racked up by one unsuspecting motorist.

The bill in total now is well over £1,000.

From places he'd never even been.

Revealed - the shocking results of tests on fake goods

destined for Wales.

This has the potential to have been lethal.

And we're trying out some of the latest tools

in the fight against food waste.

I've got to be honest with you, I don't know what this is.

Hello, welcome to the programme.

I'm here at Coleg y Cymoedd's Aberdare campus where the chefs,

builders and hairdressers of the future are busy training

and some of them will be joining me later when we'll have some

practical advice on cutting Wales's annual £610m food waste bill.

First, though, the dreaded parking or speeding fine.

Most of us know that sinking feeling

when one of these drops through the letterbox,

but what if you're picking up the bill for someone else's bad driving?

Well, that's exactly what happened to one couple from south Wales.

For many of us, our car is our pride and joy.

It can cost thousands of pounds and we choose a model

that fits our individual personality and lifestyle.

So, it's a bit annoying

when someone else comes along in the same model, the same colour,

but when even the number plate is the same,

that's when things get serious,

as Alyn and Daisy from Pontllanfraith found out.

Lorry driver Alyn spends most of his working week behind the wheel

so he's experienced at sticking to the rules of the road.

I bought a little car going back to about May last year

just to get back and forth to work and everything was great at first.

The car was fantastic.

So, it was a shock when fines started arriving.

I started to get these random letters coming through from London

in regards to fines and obviously it was quite confusing.

Before long, Alyn had amassed around 20 fixed penalty notices,

demanding a total payment of more than £1,000 -

one for driving in a bus lane, others for overstaying in car parks.

All had one thing in common -

they were issued in London in places Alyn and Daisy had never even been.

In total, we've had about seven different companies contact us

in regards to fines on this vehicle

and the bill in total now is well over £1,000.

All the fines came with photographic evidence of the offences

committed by a silver Ford Focus like theirs

with the exact same numberplate.

Alyn and Daisy thought they were seeing double,

until they spotted one crucial difference.

The vehicle in question was a four-door vehicle and mine is

a three-door so obviously something has gone awry at that point.

More digging revealed someone had made a copy of their numberplate,

stuck it on a lookalike car

and was using it to break the rules without facing the consequences.

Car cloning,

where a duplicate numberplate is put on a matching car, is a crime.

But innocent victims like Alyn and Daisy

usually have absolutely no idea

that there's an identical version of their car our there

driving around committing offences.

They're totally oblivious,

until, that is...

they get landed with a cost.

I couldn't believe someone had had the audacity to copy

someone's plates and then obviously run the car around in London where

it's heavily CCTVd and it's crazy to think why is this happening to me.

The problem dragged on for a year

and then debt collectors got involved.

They used to call me on a regular basis,

like every three hours in work, and I drive so I'm on my hands-free

talking to these bailiffs, saying they're coming to my house.

Alyn works away five days of the week, so I'm here on my own.

I'd come home and make sure the doors are all locked.

Worryingly, X-ray has discovered this is a problem on the rise.

We asked Welsh police forces how many camera-detected offences

are cancelled because a cloned plate was used.

Although only two forces got back to us, their figures show

the number of cases has almost trebled in the last two years.

But why clone a car in the first place?

If you are the sort of person that indulges in high-level criminal activity

and you don't want the police to be able to trace your whereabouts,

then putting a false number plate on a car is a very easy way to do it.

Since 2003, the law has required numberplate suppliers

to check evidence of vehicle ownership and identity before selling.

But a quick online search revealed plenty of websites

selling cheap, custom-ordered plates.

I ordered a copy of this set of numberplates for just 20 quid.

At no point was I asked for any documents,

any proof of ownership - nothing.

All I needed was a car, a registration number,

an address and a credit card.

But how is selling plates like this to order even legal?

These plates met all the requirements

to be used on UK vehicles

and could be easily used as clones.

But the website we bought them from is based overseas

and so can avoid the checks required by UK law.

What should people do if they suspect their car has been cloned?

If you receive a parking ticket out of the blue or a speeding ticket

and you were nowhere near where it was committed, don't ignore it.

The first thing is reply to whoever sent that notification,

a parking company, a safety camera partnership or whatever,

explain that you weren't there.

Also, get in touch with the police

because the police have a responsibility to go and find out

who's committing that offence and deal with them.

Now, unfortunately, you will have to provide some proof of that

so the more you can get, the better -

petrol receipts or shopping receipts,

anything that can establish that you were the person

miles and miles away from where the offence was committed.

For Alyn and Daisy,

the experience of having their car cloned has been a stressful one.

We only earn an average salary and having some bills

coming through for over £800 is quite daunting, you know?

All we ever had was more bailiff letters,

more letters with demands for money, for money which I don't owe.

Very worrying. Well, we've been in touch with the councils

who issued Alyn and Daisy with those fines

and they've now all agreed to cancel them,

but our experts say that if you've been a victim of car cloning,

as well as contacting whoever issued the fines, it is crucial that

you get your own numberplate changed as quickly as possible.

To do that, you need to contact the DVLA,

who'll be able to advise you on the best steps to take.

Still to come tonight,

what happens when you can't trust your electricity meter?

It's got to the point where we haven't got the heating on

because I'm frightened to put them on.

Now, it's a familiar story -

you lose track of what's in the fridge, and before you know it,

you're throwing away mouldy veg and out-of-date yoghurt into the bin.

As a nation, we're responsible for a food waste mountain.

Every year, we throw away enough to fill the Principality Stadium.

So we sent Omar along to investigate a 21st-century solution.

Whether it's breakfast,

lunch...

or dinner,

the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

But occasionally even those of us with a hearty appetite

bite off more than we can chew.

I can't be the only one who's rummaged in the fridge

for something to eat and realised that last week's shopping has

already gone off, and throwing stuff away gives me such a sour taste.

And it's not just good food that's going down the drain.

The UK throws away around £10 billion worth of food a year

with the average family chucking 24 meals every month.

So, what can we do to cut down on food waste?

Well, as with so many things these days,

technology may be part of the solution.

And you might have guessed, there is an app for that. It's called Olio.

It's like a Freecycle for food

and it is every kind of food you can imagine.

The idea is that neighbours, local cafes and shops in an area

can use it to share their leftovers and surplus food.

Becca Clark runs a community garden in Cardiff

and has been using the app for a year.

Last year, I had a huge glut of tomatoes.

I was making chutney, I was putting them in all my dishes,

but I was getting sick of tomatoes so that's when I found Olio,

actually, and I put a load of tomatoes up on the app.

Tell me exactly how it works.

You can upload onto it pictures of food you might want to give away

or you might be going away for the weekend and you don't want

things in your fridge to go off so you want to give them away.

The food can be anything from half a jar of pickled onions,

because maybe you didn't like them,

to fresh fruit and veg.

There's only one way to find out how good the Olio app really is.

I've set myself the challenge of rustling up these ingredients

and cooking a tasty meal.

Becca's started me off with some delicious pears, grapes

and veg from the community garden.

Next, I meet Sathia, who's using the app to give away rice

as well as something a bit more unusual.

I've got to be honest with you, I don't know what this is.

And Flo has used Olio to give away spare lentils,

Sri Lankan spices and fennel tea.

So, it's taken me a couple of hours,

but it looks like I've got most of the ingredients for a decent meal.

The only problem is, I'm a hopeless cook.

Time to call in a favour from my sister, Summer.

Right, do you know what the favour is that I need?

No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me.

-It's something to do with this bag.

-OK.

I've got a range of ingredients here that I need to cook into a meal.

-You know my idea of cooking is using a microwave.

-Exactly.

-And you want me to help you cook?

-Yes, please.

-OK.

I'm sure we can do something with it.

Time to roll my sleeves up.

This food was destined for the bin,

but instead it's going to end up on my plate.

-Am I doing it right?

-Yeah, that's fine.

Olio can be used for any food,

except stuff which is mouldy or past its use-by date.

I literally cannot believe what I am looking at.

In not very much time, my big sister has gone full Nigella

and delivered an amazing Sri Lankan stew.

Mmm! And all completely free.

Luckily for those of us who are hopeless in the kitchen

and don't have a friendly chef to bale us out,

there's another app which might be worth a look.

It's called Too Good To Go and, like Olio,

it's got users springing up across Wales.

It lets you pick up takeaway food from restaurants, cafes

and bakeries.

I've got the Good To Go app.

The cost varies, but it never comes in at more than £3.80.

A slap-up meal from this World Food Buffet would set you back

just £2.99.

One place which has recently got in on the act

is this bakery in Cardiff.

Today's goodies.

Owner David le Mesurier started using the app last month.

At the end of the day, we'd maybe have some croissants

or maybe a couple of loaves, or perishable items, like scones.

We're talking every single day, seven days a week

so there will inevitably be some waste.

If somebody's not able to come and pick it up,

we're not able to go and donate it somewhere,

you will find that there's things heading for the bin.

The bakery regularly gets up to 21 app users a week,

picking up an end-of-day bargain.

Too Good To Go specifically has cut down our waste by 50%.

Wales has got a long way to go

if we're going to meet our target of halving our food waste by 2025.

But if apps like these can help, it's a pretty tasty solution

and all at the tap of a touch-screen.

Clever stuff.

Well, I'm joined now by Sian Morgan, who's an expert on all this.

So, Sian, just give me an idea of how much food we're all wasting.

Yeah, we really are wasting a huge amount.

An adult, on average, will throw away

two-and-a-half main meals of food per week.

That's a cost to an average family of £60 a month in wasted food.

Another way that you can look at it is that

a fifth of all of our food that we buy ends up in the bin

so imagine you buy five bags of shopping, one of them

goes straight in the bin, so think about the money that costs you.

It is a staggering amount, isn't it?

We heard in Omar's report about apps that can help us reduce our waste,

but there are other gadgets around as well now, aren't there?

There are. There are new materials,

smart materials being used in our packaging.

So, this one, for example, you've got a colour indicator

so the dot in the middle will change colour to indicate

when you need to eat your food before it goes off.

There are also fridge cameras that you can buy.

These are linked up to your phone so you can basically

check your fridge when you're in the supermarket,

if you've forgotten to make a list before going out.

But we don't have to splash the cash on gadgets like a fridge-cam, do we?

There are lots of things that we can start doing right now.

Absolutely. You can do simple things today.

We know that the average temperature of a fridge in a home

is around seven degrees, and it should be below five,

so a simple thermometer if you haven't got one fitted,

pop it in your fridge and turn that temperature down.

Simply writing a list, thinking ahead before you go shopping.

You can take a photo on your phone if you're running out of time.

We call it a shelfie and then you can check it from the supermarket.

It's really easy.

If you've overcooked, you can pop your leftovers in the freezer

or you might even have a free lunch for the next day.

Lots of things I hadn't thought of doing there, Sian.

Thank you very much.

So, what could we do with that food that we may be tempted

just to chuck in the bin?

Well, Caitlin and Ethan are students here at the college

and I've got a challenge for you both.

I've got a selection of commonly wasted foods here.

There's fruit and veg that are just starting to go a little bit,

some bread, some chicken, and what I would like you to do is try

and rustle up something that we'd much rather eat than throw away.

-Do you think you can do it?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant.

I'll come and see how you get on a bit later in the programme.

Thank you!

First, though, Rachel's been investigating an electricity company

that gave two of its customers a bit of a nasty shock.

MUSIC: Are Friends Electric? By Tubeway Army

Electricity - it's a key part of our modern lives

whether we're using it to heat our homes or boil the kettle.

Most of us get our power from a big energy provider

and that provider uses a meter

to determine how much electricity we've used

and, so, how much we owe them.

But for one Welsh couple, it isn't quite that straightforward.

Anne and Gerry's cottage in Welshpool may look idyllic,

but as pensioners, they have to be eagle-eyed with their finances.

If a bill goes up or our rent's going up,

you've got to find that extra £30 or £20, even £10,

and it's worrying where you're going to find it from.

Our money has to go a long way.

Two years ago,

Anne decided to switch electricity providers

on the advice of her daughter,

who was sure she could bring her energy bills down.

She said, "Give it a try, Mum. You might get a better deal."

And at the time, First Utility was the best deal.

For most of the first year with the company,

the couple paid a monthly direct debit of £92.

But then there was a shock in store.

We put some fuel in the car...

..and I went to pay and my card was declined.

We found out that First Utility had upped the direct debit

and not told us.

Were you using more electricity?

No, the usage hadn't changed at all.

First Utility had suddenly increased Anne's payments

to a massive £162 a month.

She called the company and was told their previous direct debit amount

was not enough to cover their bills.

She negotiated the payments down to £120 a month,

but in September, they got another bolt out of the blue.

A few weeks ago, they put our direct debit up from £120 to £254.

£254 just for electricity?

Just for electricity.

It left me with £2.53 in the account.

So, what on earth is going on?

Well, according to their meter,

their July bill had been down as using

over seven times as much energy

as they did in the same period last year.

Anne and Gerry were sure they weren't using any more

electricity than usual.

It didn't make sense.

Anne told First Utility she was worried the meter wasn't accurate,

but was told, if she wanted it checked, there'd be a price to pay.

We'd have to pay £160-odd

and I said, "Well, I haven't got £160-odd."

"Ah, but if the meter's wrong, we'll get it back."

But I hadn't got the confidence

in them saying, yes, there was something wrong with the meter.

-So, you couldn't risk it?

-No. No.

And having to penny-pinch with their electricity

is taking its toll on Anne's health.

It's got to the point where we haven't got the heating on

because I'm frightened to put them on.

Even to put the kettle on for having a drink.

If I get cold cos I'm full of arthritis,

I'm in a lot of pain, so, basically, I have to stay in bed.

So, could the meter be at fault?

We brought in electricity consultant Dr Robert Brown to see what he made

of Anne and Gerry's bills.

The bills looks excessively high.

That's an indication,

given that this is a standard three-bedroom domestic dwelling.

This bill is indicating that it's nearly three times

-the average of what it should be.

-That is a lot.

-That's a lot.

Roughly, over a day,

this is consuming 30-32 kilowatt hours per day

when a domestic property such as this should be

in the region of 10-12 kilowatt hours per day.

Next up, Robert looks at the meter itself, then takes a measurement of

the actual electricity consumption of Anne and Gerry's property.

In this brief period of time that we've monitored it,

it's between 10 and 12 kilowatt hours.

Which is what you'd expect of this property.

Which is what we'd expect for this property

and that's not reflected in the electricity bills that we've seen

and that indicates that, on the balance of probabilities,

that this particular electricity meter is reading high.

Further tests over several days reinforce Dr Brown's view

that the Pryces' meter could be inaccurate,

but Anne and Gerry just want an end to their battle of the bills.

On bad days, I don't want to eat,

I don't want to drink, I don't want nothing,

thinking, "Where are we going to find this money from?

"Will it ever end?"

It's just beating our heads against the wall, really.

Well, First Utility say not warning Anne and Gerry

that their direct debit was going up was an error and they've apologised.

They're now investigating the Pryces' bills and meter accuracy

and they won't be charging for that.

They've also agreed to reduce the couple's monthly payments

while they get to the bottom of this.

We've passed on our experts' findings to the company

and we'll keep you updated.

Now, here in Aberdare, I've been finding out what foods are

more likely to end up filling people's bins

rather than their bellies.

-Do you waste a lot?

-Not really.

Only, like, salads cos my dog can't eat the waste,

but my nan usually will give it to the dog.

Like yoghurts, cooked hams, things like that that go in the fridge,

they always go out of date in our house.

I can buy a loaf and use a couple of slices.

Chocolates, things that you forgot you've got.

-You're not throwing away chocolates, are you?

-Yeah.

-Give them to me!

Throw them in my direction, I'll have them!

Biscuits when they've been opened and not been closed tightly.

Lettuce and bananas, things that tend to go off quite quickly.

I buy things that are far too big in quantity, like a loaf of bread.

My waste comes from my children, usually.

Yes, I'm sure we're all guilty of throwing some of those things away.

Now, earlier in the programme, we set students Caitlin and Ethan

the challenge of transforming some of

our most commonly wasted foods into something a lot more appetising.

I have to say, you two have done the most amazing job

because this looks absolutely incredible.

John, you're their tutor - what do you make of that? It's a feast!

It's a very good job they've done in the time allotted, yes.

Caitlin has made an apple and cinnamon bread and butter pudding.

Lots of people have told me they throw bread away

so that seems like a great idea.

As long as bread isn't green, you can use it.

It loses its flavour a bit if it's kept in the fridge.

It lasts longer, but it doesn't taste the same.

Ethan made Italian chicken, he made a tomato sauce,

but he also made out of the potatoes and the cheese, a dauphinoise.

People throw a lot of potatoes away

because they go bad or they're left...

As long as they're firm and not green, you can use them.

Now to the broccoli, we made a broccoli and lettuce

and cheddar cheese soup.

All your vegetables you've got, you just need to put into a pan,

add some stock, puree it and you have a refreshing, nutritious dish.

Then we used the breadcrumbs

we made from the remainder of the bread to make the little pates.

Well, I'll definitely be thinking twice

before I throw anything away from now on. Thank you!

Now, last winter,

we went out on a major operation with Trading Standards

to intercept gangs bringing counterfeit goods into south Wales.

Here's Rachel with an update.

When it comes to shopping, we love our big name brands.

But we're not always so keen on their big prices, which means

big opportunities for crooks to cash in by selling cheap copies.

Fakes like these may seem like a bargain,

but they're usually shoddily made, or worse -

much worse.

This is a fake NutriBullet blender,

exploding seconds after its blade got stuck.

Many counterfeits, like these phone chargers or hair straighteners,

are missing vital safety components found in the real thing,

causing them to overheat and start fires.

But who's supplying all these dodgy goods?

Last winter, X-Ray hit the road with police

and Trading Standards officers to catch criminals carrying

counterfeit goods bound for the South West and ultimately Wales.

It's not long before the first one is pulled over

and Trading Standards move in to search it.

It's jam-packed full of footwear and undoubtedly they're counterfeit.

And more vans reveal more fake goods.

It's like an Aladdin's cave -

Michael Kors watches, GHD straighteners

and an awful lot of Apple chargers.

Big concern, really, as far as safety is concerned.

The operation was a success.

Rhys Harries from Swansea Trading Standards takes us

through the £1 million haul.

We've got perfume, watches, jewellery.

There's over 65 different brands

and thousands upon thousands of products in here.

-We've got some make-up, some Urban Decay.

-Very popular.

-Yes, it is.

But our concerns are what's in it.

Are there heavy metals, like arsenic and lead in there?

We seized some GHDs and some Apple chargers.

We have some real concerns over the safety of this product.

They're actually rusty.

Back in the summer, the electrical goods were sent for testing

and we can now reveal the disturbing results.

This has the potential to be lethal.

That's because this wiring here

is only single insulation.

The charger is plugged in to see what happens.

It lasts just a few minutes.

-Gone.

-Yep.

Next, Simon tests how the plug would cope with a surge in mains power.

HIGH-PITCHED TONE

This circuit board is inherently unsafe.

Either the socket itself or any cable that's attached to it

or any metal-bodied phone that's attached to it

could potentially become live in the event of using this charger.

And just last month,

cosmetics and jewellery from the raid were also tested.

Make-up, including fake Mac, Kylie Jenner and Naked products

contained high levels of lead, which is poisonous.

Some of jewellery and watches contained nickel,

which can cause skin irritation,

with one Rado watch containing the highest levels

the testing house had ever seen.

With these results, it's clear just why Trading Standards are

so keen to crackdown on the gangs behind the goods.

Really nasty, but good to see

those fake goods have been taken off the streets.

Well, that's all we've got time for this week.

Next week, we're gearing up for Halloween.

But trick or treat?

-Do you all like sweets? ALL:

-Yeah!

But can you be sure what ingredients your favourite sweets contain?

Remember to get in touch if you need our help.

You can drop us an e-mail or give us a call.

The lines are open now. We'll see you next week. Bye-bye.