Vernon & Ann Break-in Britain - The Crackdown

In the UK, there's a burglary every 64 seconds.

But right across Britain, committed police forces are leading

the battle to stop the thieves in their tracks.

Police forcing entry!

Police!

For the victims of these crimes,

it can take months or even years to overcome the trauma.

You feel awkward when somebody's wandered through your house

and gone through your personal belongings, don't you?

Somebody must be desperate.

But in this series, we're fighting back against the burglars,

helping you to beef up your security.

Got the floodlights, we've got the camera, we've got the locks.

-Excellent stuff.

-You feel more secure now, which is good.

-Oh, aye, yes, smashing.

-Smashing, smashing, really good job.

-Yeah.

This is Break-In Britain - The Crackdown.

If you're ever worried about how secure your home is

while you're away on holiday...

On today's programme, I'll be showing you

how you can keep your home safe while you're away.

But now the shocking story of what happened

to retired couple Vernon and Ann.

They'd only been lying on a beach in Tenerife for a few days

when they discovered they'd been burgled.

First to the crime scene was the postman.

With Vernon and Ann still on holiday,

their daughter Julie was the first family member on the scene.

That window had been prised somewhere and that panel of that door had,

and then they'd tried the patio door, to open that, or tried to.

They obviously couldn't get in the back

so they've had to go to the side door.

The panel had been took out the front door

and there were a big piece of glass there and that was just inside.

13% of burglars get in by breaking door panels.

Inside, several items had been stolen,

many with huge sentimental value.

It were just sickening, it was just...

I don't even know how to describe it, it were horrible.

Julie arranged for a temporary door to be fitted where the burglar

had got in, then her next task was to break the bad news

to her mum and dad, a long way from home.

She said there was nothing to worry about, er...

..everything was secure, police had been.

My mum said, "Could you sort it out?" and then she started crying

and that was it, really, and then she was texting me,

saying she were going to come home and leave her holiday.

I said, "Don't," I said, "cos then they've won."

Our Julie had said, "Mum, when you come home I've got rid of all

"the fingerprints from the police, they found a footprint."

She said, "I've mopped all the floors."

She said, "You won't know anybody's been in."

But when the couple finally got back to Burnley,

they discovered there had been a second break-in. What a sickener.

How do you cope with something like that?

We come in and she just said, "Mum, we've got some bad news to tell you.

"You've been burgled again. Everything's gone."

I just went hysterical.

So you guys have grafted hard to get your home how you want it.

Exactly, yeah. And some scumbag comes in and takes it all.

It's devastating.

It's heartbreaking to see Ann suffer like this.

They've both lost so much.

This was the place where my wife had her gold rings, necklaces,

everything, in drawers.

Took everything.

-So they've properly gone to town on you?

-Done the business on me, yeah.

'Stolen, too, was his collection

'of about 40 bottles of expensive whisky, worth around £3,000.

'They must have had one hell of a party.'

They stood on the chair, cos there was all muddy footprints

on the actual cushions of the chairs.

That was to get up to the whiskies.

-So you had a full rack there of whiskies...

-Yeah.

-..built up over 30-odd years.

-30-35 years, yeah.

And they've just guzzled them?

They've guzzled them, so I'm going to guzzle these,

because my collection's gone.

'The couple also lost their computer,

'complete with irreplaceable photographs from previous holidays,

'precious memories lost in an instant.

'The TV, credit cards and personal documents were also missing.'

They've got our identity, they've got everything what we had,

they know all about us and I'm frightened they could pass it on.

It's just knowing somebody's been in.

It feels dirty, the house feels dirty.

Putting the burglars behind bars will help, of course,

and the police think they may have made a breakthrough.

They've got a suspect and they're trying to track him down.

It's an address of one of his associates

and he's been seen here a few weeks back on our intelligence systems.

It's documented, so it's a long shot, but we've got

to try every avenue at the minute.

We were able to tie a suspect to the burglary

because of some of the work our crime scene investigators had done.

They'd been able to find a very distinctive footwear pattern

at both of the burglaries that had happened

and immediately one suspect sprung to mind.

Hello! It's the police!

-POLICE RADIO:

-'You'll have to come round the front. I'm in.'

All right, mate, no worries, I'm coming round.

Oh, all right, it's a bit of a death trap.

I thought you were going to clean this up last time we came here.

It looks like they may have drawn a blank.

He's claiming that he's not seen him recently.

We've searched it best we can, confident he's not there,

so it's going to be a case of keep trying

and hope we get a look at another address.

That search continues

and we'll be following their investigation closely.

For Vernon and Ann's sake, an arrest can't come soon enough.

Every time I see somebody walking past now and they look in,

I'm thinking, "I bet he's involved, I bet he's got some of our stuff."

She's gone paranoid.

'Vernon shows me just how much destruction the burglars created.'

So the first time they've knocked in your original door.

The second time they've come straight through

-the emergency panelling?

-Yes.

-Brazen.

-Aren't they? Yeah.

Is that the door?

This is the door panel what came out of the front door.

-God, they've mangled that, haven't we?

-Haven't they just! Yep.

Look at the state of that.

They were absolutely determined this was the house

-that they were going to get into.

-Definitely.

'It's hard to believe the intruders weren't overheard,

'but the neighbouring houses aren't exactly close

'and there's a screen of bushes.

'Clearly their home could be made much more secure.'

We've got some measures that we can do for you

-if it's all right with you.

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Yeah.

And it will improve your security a lot,

hopefully make sure it can't happen again.

-I know, that's...

-That's brilliant, that.

-Would that help?

-Yeah.

Oh, that would definitely help.

'I want to put their minds at rest as soon as possible,

'so I'm calling crime reduction expert Jason.'

Hi, mate, they're going to need a hell of a lot doing, I think.

I'm a bit worried about this one cos they're pretty shook up about it.

That's great. All right, I'll send you the address now. Cheers, mate.

'A few hours later, it's soon clear to Jason's expert eye

'that there's much room for improvement.'

Obviously, house alarm is a good deterrent.

If it goes off for no apparent reason,

if you've got good neighbours or in your Neighbourhood Watch,

somebody could come round and have a quick look at the property as well.

Also, as well, things like timer switches that turn lights on and off

to make it look like anybody's in the house.

I mean, this door, believe it or not, was once a modern UPVC door.

I mean, is that good enough?

I mean, unfortunately, all UPVC doors are flawed...

the flaw in them is the actual panel itself,

because effectively, they're made up of two parts.

You've got a doorframe and then the panel that sits in the doorframe.

The beads on them can be classed as a weak point,

so what you can do is just run silicone round the beads

-once they've been taken out and then refit them.

-Yeah.

But I would go for either a composite door or a wood door.

-An old-fashioned wood door?

-Yeah.

That would be a surprise to a lot of people who've got UPVC doors,

that they may be not good enough.

No, I mean, a lot of the more modern UPVC doors,

we are not coming across this as much as what we used to.

It seems to be more of the older type of doors which,

unfortunately, this one does look like it's been fitted quite a while.

'Most of us are just a bit lax when it takes to taking common-sense

'security precautions, and Vernon and Ann have been no different.'

One of the things I have noticed is

-leaving keys in the handles of the windows.

-Right.

It may seem like a small thing to some people -

a burglar, perfect invitation to smash glass,

reach in and unlock window and climb through an open window

-rather than coming through broken glass.

-Yeah.

What I would usually recommend is to take the keys

out of the handles, leave them locked up

when you're going out and put one of them on your house keys so you know

where it is all the time, in case you do need to open the windows.

So you've had a good look around - what would your assessment be,

out of 10, of the security here?

Overall assessment, to be honest with you,

I would put it five or six.

-So not the worst?

-It's not the worst, no.

With improvements, you could be pushing eight, nine.

OK, sounds like you've got a fair bit to do, then.

-Yes, unfortunately.

-Right, well, I'm sure you're up to the job.

-I will be. Thank you very much.

-See you, Jase.

-See you later.

'Jason gets straight to work and I just hope Vernon and Ann

'will feel a lot safer when he's finished.

'There's also good news from the police as they hunt for the suspect.

'They've been playing a cat and mouse game trying to track him down,

'and have just had a tip-off on his whereabouts.'

This chap has given us some good info -

apparently, it's an associate of our suspect

and he's been seen there quite often recently.

It's an address that we haven't previously checked for him, so...

..we might just get lucky.

Hi, are you all right? I'm just from the police. I'm looking for someone.

Is this our man here? Can I come in? It's all right.

It looks like they've got their man.

-I'm looking for you.

-Oh, yeah?

-Yeah.

Well, I'm arresting you now on suspicion

of two burglaries, all right? So you do not have to say anything,

but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned,

something which you later rely on in court.

Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Listen,

you're not going to kick off, yeah?

We'll make it simple, come quietly, it's easy, innit?

I'll let you smoke your fag and then I'm going to put the cuffs on you.

This is brilliant detective work,

and the next stage is to do a thorough search of the house.

'The person we spoke to on the street came up trumps, really.'

Graham, just search the pockets for us a minute.

'We knocked on at this address, it is an associate's address'

and we've arrested him for the two offences,

so he's not best pleased about it, but, yeah,

it's good work, that, really, this morning, really pleased with that.

A cracking result!

We've got an arrest and the police recover some of the things

that were stolen from Vernon and Ann's house.

It's all the better if you can find some of the stolen property

that's been taken and get that returned to the victim.

There's something very satisfying from a personal perspective.

But there's still a long way to go, and more evidence to be gathered.

I'm going to authorise a detention notice to secure and preserve

evidence and obtain evidence by questioning. Do you understand?

That means you'll be interviewed.

Two more arrests soon follow - one for acquiring criminal property

and the other for handling stolen goods.

Yes, it was a real team effort. Being able to arrest three people

and get them charged with offences

within a few days of the burglary happening, yeah, certainly helps.

45% of burglaries happen

when the owner is away from the house or on holiday.

Jacqui's been looking into things you can do

so you don't become a victim like Vernon and Ann.

Well, I don't know about you, but the idea of getting away

for some sunshine is what gets me through the winter months.

But the joy of getting away can be short-lived.

'With your home standing empty when you're on holiday,

'it's a burglar's dream, so crime reduction officer Richard Thornton

'is showing me what can be done to thwart them.'

OK, Richard, what about this house, what would a burglar make of this?

First of all, you've got glass to the side of the front door.

Obviously, if any post goes through the letter box, the chances are

you're going to see it behind the door.

A build-up of post generally means somebody's actually away.

And newspapers, magazines, as well.

Absolutely, anything sticking out of the door for any length of time

is a great indicator that somebody's likely not to be

-actually in the house.

-What else would a burglar look for?

Any milk bottles, perhaps,

anything like that that may be there again for a few days.

'So trying to fool any would-be burglar into suspecting

'there may be someone in is the key to keeping them out.'

OK, lovely light room, but I suspect all these windows

-with the blinds not drawn is very easy for a burglar.

-It is, yes.

Obviously, you've got the blinds in place.

It's a good idea to use them, really.

You are going to actually hide whatever is in the room,

so you are sort of taking away the temptation,

shall we say, for an offender.

Lighting is a big thing as well, isn't it?

Lighting is very important, certainly for any length of time

that you may not be in your property, even overnight.

If you can have different lights coming on in different rooms,

upstairs in particular as well.

People tend to put a lot of the security timer switches downstairs.

Offenders are telling us that if they see lights

coming on and off upstairs, that gives them a little bit more doubt

whether somebody is actually in the property or not.

So, Richard, when you are actually planning to go away,

what are the other things that you can include

as part of that planning process?

Be careful about how much information you give

to people on the way to the airport, for example taxi drivers.

You don't have to tell them the truth, you don't have to say

-that you are on holiday for two weeks.

-It is a bit obvious

when you've got all your bags in the back of the cab, isn't it?

It can be, but what you could do is employ a bit of kidology.

You could say maybe another family member is staying behind

or you've got a friend staying in house.

And I suppose, really, in this day of social media as well,

we are putting these things on Facebook.

People like to upload photographs while they're away.

If you've got an open, for example, Facebook account,

if your security settings are not set to friends only,

then you could potentially be at risk.

Anybody can view those and they'll know straightaway.

If you are going to upload anything from holiday,

do it when you get back.

Peace of mind on our holidays begins with

a few common-sense precautions taken before leaving home.

So here are a few pointers to make sure

that you don't come home to a break-in.

It may seem obvious, but you mustn't leave the keys

anywhere near the door or actually in the lock.

Accumulating mail is a really good indication that somebody is away.

Why not get a neighbour

to come and collect it for you every couple of days?

Or, for a small fee, the Post Office

will hold it for you until you get back.

And finally, cutting your lawn may not be high on your priority list

when you're planning to go on holiday, but long grass

is a really good indication to any burglar that you are away.

Earlier, we heard about retired couple Vernon and Ann from Burnley

who had their home burgled twice while they were away.

It has left them feeling very angry indeed.

ANN: 'I'm so worked up.

'I just feel I have to do something.

-'To retaliate.

-To retaliate.

'I just want to get rid of this... I'm so worked up!'

'Half of all burglary victims say it makes them feel angry

'and nearly a third end up

'feeling vulnerable in their own homes afterwards.

'I want to make Vernon and Ann feel safe.

'So I'm asking crime-reduction expert Jason

'to overhaul their security.

'Fitting an alarm system complete with sensors,

'sash jammers to add an extra level of security to their windows,

'plus some hi-tech motion detectors.

'These passive infrared sensors known as PIRs

'will be used to trigger interior and exterior lights.

'Next, a new front door.

'Now, that should put up much stiffer resistance

'to anyone thinking of breaking in.

'Repairs to the back door too. And not before time,

'because Vernon and Ann are still struggling to cope.'

I had to go to the doctor because I couldn't sleep.

I was sleeping with the light on, I was frightened.

It hasn't been a pleasant time in our lives, to be honest.

In fact, I wouldn't like it to happen to anybody.

But if there is one good thing to come from all this,

it's the realisation they've got some top-notch neighbours.

The first burglary was discovered by a postman,

the second by their neighbour Phil who made the 999 call.

You always think, "It's never going to happen to me,"

but having seen Ann and Vernon

and the effect it's had on them, they are in bits.

We try to look out for each other.

It's a good neighbourhood round here,

but there has been a spate of burglaries, you know, so...

So it's time for us to look at our own security, I think.

Hopefully that crimewave will have come to a swift halt

thanks to the arrest of a suspect.

Only about 13% of burglaries end up with the culprit getting caught,

so this is a great result,

but the best news is footprints discovered at the crime scene

could go a long way towards putting the villains behind bars.

Although nowhere near as unique as a fingerprint,

the mark of a shoe is useful forensic evidence

and in Lancashire they even have a dedicated footwear unit.

We find it very useful

in terms of providing early evidence for police officers

to be able to charge suspects when they are arrested

and also providing intelligence for them to link scenes together

and link scenes to suspects.

This is an example of a mark recovered from the scene

and this is an example of a test impression or a test mark

taken from the sole of a shoe.

Initially, we look at the pattern.

If the pattern corresponds, we then consider the size

and configurations of the shoes to the scene mark.

We then consider the degree and distribution of any wear to the sole

and we then consider if there is any fine detail in the mark,

which corresponds to any damage on the soles of the shoes.

Looks like in Vernon and Ann's case,

the burglars have really put their foot in it!

Two crimes had occurred at the same address.

There were two scenes, one from before Christmas

and one from after, and the person was arrested

and two pairs of footwear were recovered from him.

We compared one to the first scene and one to the second scene.

In my opinion, I consider that these shoes

had made the marks recovered from the scene,

in that it is a conclusive association

and that is, in terms of footwear, the best evidence you will ever get.

Top work!

But the best way to crack crime

is to prevent it happening in the first place.

Jacqui has been looking at some hi-tech solutions

to keep burglars at bay.

While we are away on holiday,

our homes can feel especially vulnerable,

but there are loads of gadgets on the market that can help,

'so I'm asking security expert Neil Goldup

'to show me some of the latest products.'

So, Neil, that's pretty obvious and stands out.

Tell me about that gadget.

Yeah, it was developed as a holiday lock, actually.

What it does, it actually clamps down the handles,

so if anybody tries to force the door from the outside,

it still won't open because all the handles are clamped.

It's a very simple device to operate, there's no keys involved.

All you do is release the buttons and it opens up and releases the handles.

To put it back on, all you do is insert the handles into the holes,

close it and make sure it's nice and tight, and that's it.

Now, you've also fitted some really interesting sensors,

-which work the lights in here from outside.

-We have, yes.

It's a PIR that goes anywhere outside the house

and it works wirelessly and if anybody walks past it,

trips the PIR. What it will then do

is activate a plug socket inside the house,

so anything that is plugged into that socket will come on,

and if people are out or in bed, it makes it feel like

someone is active inside the house and makes it feel like it's occupied.

Perfect.

-Really good, isn't it?

-It is.

A really cheap and effective way to secure your property.

And immediately, whoever is out there is going to be illuminated

or at least be concerned that somebody is in this room.

We've talked about a lot of gadgets which are quite simple

and relatively cheap.

Now you've got something a bit more complicated for us.

Yes, it's a wireless alarm system that's really easy to fit,

but what is quite good about this one

is that I can control it all with my phone.

I just go into the app that you download, which is free of charge.

I can actually arm and disarm my alarm system from my phone

and it's actually got CCTV built into that as well,

so if anybody does... Well, if a burglar does enter my house,

it will text me and it will e-mail me

to say that my alarm has been tripped and it will send the images.

So the reason for it to be disarmed, for instance,

if somebody was going to your house with your permission

and you wouldn't have to follow them back

to disarm the alarm then, would you?

No, that's it, you can do it on your sunbed with a cocktail in your hand!

'But there are other more affordable ways to beat the burglars.'

So, Neil, what other tricks have you got up your sleeve for out here?

We've actually fitted a dummy CCTV camera in there.

It's got a light that flashes on and off,

so it makes it look like it's an actual real CCTV.

-How cheap is that?

-Well, the one that we fit is £15.

If you wanted a full CCTV system,

you would be talking around £500 for a system fitted.

-So at least it's a deterrent.

-Yeah, it's a cheap and effective deterrent.

Brilliant.

So, opening and closing curtains is always an issue, isn't it?

What have you done to these blinds?

Well, with these blinds, we fitted an automatic blind or curtain closer.

It's controlled by a sensor, so when it starts to get dark,

the motor will kick in and automatically close these blinds.

If I just put my hand over the sensor now,

it will kick in and actually close the curtains.

There we go.

'But the biggest discouragement to any burglar

'is thinking there are people awake in the house, hence this fake TV.'

And it makes it look that the TV is actually on when it's not on,

so from outside will make it look like the TV is on.

Which, again, looks like somebody is in, doesn't it?

Yeah, once it gets dark in this room, that will trigger

and it will make it look like there is a television on.

Well, let's switch it on and see what happens.

So, when it is pitch black and somebody is perhaps

just walking past the window, all they are going to see

-is that flickering light.

-Yeah.

So we are all safely locked up now,

with all our gadgets working to protect the house.

And if you have just a couple of these ideas,

it will give you the peace of mind to enjoy that holiday,

knowing that when you come home, all is safe and secure

and that burglar has just walked on past.

Retired couple Vernon and Ann from Burnley were unlucky enough

to have their home broken into twice while they were on holiday.

They will take quite a while to get over it.

When you know somebody has been in and touched everything,

what we've worked hard for...

It takes some time. Yeah.

It's a few weeks since I first met Vernon and Ann and, at the time,

they had just been burgled and they were pretty shook up,

but since then, we've put in a lot of security improvements,

so I want to find out how much of a difference that has made.

-Vernon, Ann, how's it going? Are you all right?

-Hiya, good morning.

Yeah, good.

This is the path the burglar took into the house,

-but I've noticed there's a few changes now, isn't there?

-Yes.

-There is.

-What have we got, then? We've got the sensor there.

The PIR there. We've got a CCTV pick-up there.

So, every time now that anyone walks up this path,

-it lights up like a Christmas tree.

-Yes.

There'll be lights come on in the house

when the burglar comes up the path.

So even if he's feeling brave,

he will walk up a little bit further here

and he will see that there is a CCTV box there.

Yeah, yeah.

And these things are just putting doubts in their mind

and they'll get scared off...

-Yeah.

-..before they even make an attempt.

-Yeah.

The front door, that's where they got in last time.

The old front door, I've seen sturdier egg boxes, really.

Yeah.

That, I know, is not that type of door.

-That is rock solid now, isn't it?

-Yeah. Yeah.

-Yeah, it's reinforced.

-Yeah, it's a lot better door.

It feels solid as well, when you... hit them. When you lock it,

the locking system is 50 times better than the old one.

-How do you feel about that now?

-Happy.

-Yeah.

I feel a lot more secure now.

It's brilliant to see Vernon and Ann so positive about what we've done.

I don't think we've a weak point now, to be honest with you.

-That's brilliant.

-I think it is rock solid.

-Oh, fantastic.

-Everything.

-Yeah.

-And you've got your new alarm.

-Yes, the alarm.

If he can get past security on the outside,

if they are stupid enough to go inside,

the alarm is going to go off.

-Is it easy to use?

-Yeah, dead simple. Really simple.

It's just a key fob.

You press that to arm it

and you press the bottom one to disarm it.

That has put people off before, in the past,

-the faffing with the alarm.

-Oh, yeah, yeah.

-Remembering the number.

-Yes.

Yes, keying the number in when you go into the house.

You've got maybe 20 seconds to key the number in

when you are going out, so you are rushing, but this is so simple.

Yeah. We are really, really suited with it.

Especially when you're getting older and you can't remember the numbers,

you know, I will be able to use that now.

-Terrific.

-Maybe!

-THEY LAUGH

'It's great to see them smiling again,

'but I'm still concerned about Ann.'

How's the security features making you feel now?

I feel a lot better with all the security, but I'll still be...

When we go away on holiday, I'll still be worrying about it.

I think I will do for a while.

When I first met Vernon and Ann it really brought home to me

just how much it takes to get over a burglary.

I mean, they were talking about moving and everything,

but I think now that we've got the security improvements in place,

they are well on the road to getting over it.