:00:17. > :00:27.Today. A terrifying ordeal for young family. And an elderly woman.
:00:27. > :00:43.
:00:43. > :00:48.Held hostage by two masked men. Can Hello there and welcome to today's
:00:48. > :00:51.Crimewatch Roadshow. We're live and on air for the next three weeks
:00:51. > :00:54.asking for your help to clear up those everyday crimes that affect
:00:54. > :01:04.us all. Like the large theft of second hand clothes destined for
:01:04. > :01:04.
:01:04. > :01:09.charities. More on that later. Also on the programme today. We reveal
:01:09. > :01:14.of the metal thieves latest target, catalytic converters. This
:01:14. > :01:20.charities minibuses have been targeted three times. We put the
:01:20. > :01:24.sniffer dogs to the test. Can they tracked down a woman carrying
:01:24. > :01:28.explosives at Gatwick Airport? And we are asking for your help to find
:01:28. > :01:33.two masked men who subjected a young family and a pensioner to a
:01:33. > :01:36.terrifying ordeal at knife point. As ever, the roadshow team is out
:01:36. > :01:41.and about with police forces across the country. We're still in Sussex
:01:41. > :01:48.and we're at the police HQ. Dave, what's going on there? Hi there,
:01:48. > :01:51.Rav. Today we're at the contact centre in Lewes and the calls are
:01:51. > :01:55.coming in thick and fast. We will find it how they deal with the
:01:55. > :02:01.public a bit later. We will discover how time-wasters can make
:02:01. > :02:07.their jobs extra difficult. We are joined out on the road by a Colin
:02:07. > :02:10.Campbell. Yes, I'm finding out all about catalytic converters and how
:02:10. > :02:16.metal thieves are now targetting this specific car part. We'll be
:02:16. > :02:19.telling you what you can do to protect your car. First though. A
:02:19. > :02:23.shocking crime that took place in Hayward's Heath which is a small
:02:23. > :02:26.town around 10 miles from here. Just eight weeks ago, in two flats
:02:26. > :02:36.above a jewellers shop, a young family and an elderly woman were
:02:36. > :02:37.
:02:37. > :02:43.asleep. Outside, two masked men It was almost midnight on April
:02:43. > :02:50.28th this year. In the flat above the estuary as the shop this couple
:02:50. > :02:55.were fast asleep. We went to bed early. My daughter was not a very
:02:55. > :03:03.well and my wife had to go to work early. Next door, their neighbour
:03:03. > :03:09.was also sleeping. Unaware that a terrifying ordeal lay ahead. A few
:03:09. > :03:15.minutes later, he was woken by banging on the door. I wake up and
:03:15. > :03:18.through the window I saw two people standing up downstairs. He went to
:03:18. > :03:22.investigate but as he reached the door, it crashed open throwing into
:03:23. > :03:31.the floor. They put a knife to his throat. They knew what they were
:03:31. > :03:35.looking for. He just asked me, give me the key. He said the jewellery
:03:36. > :03:41.shop downstairs. I said we don't have a key and he said, if you like
:03:41. > :03:46.to me, I will snappy. They believed the jewellery shop owner lived
:03:46. > :03:51.above the shop which is why they targeted the flats. They pushed him
:03:51. > :03:56.into the bedroom waiting his wife and two young daughters. They kept
:03:56. > :04:02.asking the family for the keys. down and be quiet. When they put
:04:02. > :04:07.the knife on my neck and I felt it on my skin, at that time, I was
:04:07. > :04:15.just saying, God, I'm going. I need the keys to the shop. They refused
:04:15. > :04:23.to believe he was not a shop owner. The family feared for their lives.
:04:23. > :04:30.I'm going to stab you. I thought it was the end for us. So maybe I lost
:04:30. > :04:38.my life, my wife. They eventually forced him to admit that his
:04:38. > :04:44.neighbour might know more. The old woman next door might know. The raw
:04:44. > :04:48.but broke into the old lady's flat. -- Robert. She was forced into a
:04:48. > :04:55.neighbour's living room at knifepoint. She admitted she had
:04:55. > :05:00.the jurors number but it was in her flat next door -- jeweller. Once
:05:00. > :05:05.they had the victims in one flat, they moved them to the second flat.
:05:05. > :05:13.To try to find the number with which they could contact the owner.
:05:13. > :05:16.It was a prolonged and terrifying experience for the victims. They
:05:16. > :05:26.forced the old lady to pretend the alarm was going off in the shop
:05:26. > :05:31.downstairs. They were determined to bring the owner into a trap.
:05:31. > :05:37.you come over here as quickly as possible? As he set out on a 40
:05:37. > :05:41.minute drive to his shop, for the hostages, an agonising wait began.
:05:41. > :05:45.How terrifying. And you can find out what happened next later in the
:05:45. > :05:51.programme. This is our seventh programme on air. It's been busy so
:05:51. > :05:56.far so time for a quick progress report on our appeals. Yesterday we
:05:56. > :05:59.show due Stephen Brown who was arrested in May 2010 on suspicion
:05:59. > :06:04.of breaching a sexual offences prevention order and was released
:06:04. > :06:08.on bail but then went on the run. A few of you phoned up with possible
:06:08. > :06:14.sightings and police are now following a potential new leads.
:06:14. > :06:19.Also yesterday, we featured a hit and run in Eastbourne with a young
:06:19. > :06:23.pregnant woman was injured by a car like this. Police are following up
:06:23. > :06:28.some interesting new information there. And do you phoned with some
:06:28. > :06:32.specific details after we showed you CCTV of a man of stealing
:06:32. > :06:37.cosmetics from Hampshire. Police are looking into that information
:06:37. > :06:40.as we speak, so thank you. We will keep you updated with any
:06:40. > :06:44.development but keep your information coming in because they
:06:44. > :06:54.really do make a difference. Now over to Dave with an appeal for
:06:54. > :06:54.
:06:54. > :07:01.help to track down a very busy thief. Yes, Rav. Detectives want to
:07:01. > :07:05.bring to book a man who has become a one-man crime wave. He's believed
:07:05. > :07:08.to be involved in dozens of incidents of theft. And it seems
:07:08. > :07:11.he's a huge fan of Wickes do it yourself stores throughout the
:07:11. > :07:14.South East of England. Police say he goes into a store, selects some
:07:14. > :07:17.goods which are usually kitchen units believe or not. He then goes
:07:17. > :07:20.to the counter, pretends he's bought them on a previous visit and
:07:20. > :07:24.asks for a refund. Sometimes in cash and sometimes on a credit card.
:07:24. > :07:34.Police think he's done it 36 times. Let's have a look at the CCTV of
:07:34. > :07:34.
:07:34. > :07:37.one of his shopping trips. Here he is going into the Wickes store in
:07:37. > :07:40.Kettering on 18th December last year. Out of sight of the CCTV
:07:40. > :07:43.camera he selects some kitchen units before he approaches the
:07:43. > :07:46.cashier and tells her that he's returning items and wants a refund.
:07:46. > :07:50.When the cashier asks the suspect if he has a receipt for the items
:07:50. > :07:54.he simply tells her he's lost it. The cashier believes him and hands
:07:54. > :07:59.over a refund for �304. PC Richard Valder-Davis from Sussex Police is
:07:59. > :08:05.leading this investigation. He is prolific, isn't he? Yes, very
:08:06. > :08:11.convincing. The staff don't even know he is committing a fraud, a
:08:11. > :08:20.confident chap, and we need to catch him. �9,000 worth of stock so
:08:20. > :08:25.far? He seems to go at Christmas? Yes, the stories busy, the staff
:08:25. > :08:30.are not concentrating so much on him and he is so convincing that
:08:30. > :08:35.he's managed to defraud them. see from the list I have got here,
:08:35. > :08:42.he has done shops in Eastbourne and Worthing, so he is a busy boy,
:08:42. > :08:46.potentially. We have more CCTV where we can see more of his face.
:08:46. > :08:52.Here he is before he pulled the same stunt at the Chippenham branch
:08:52. > :09:01.of Wickes this year. We can get a really good look of him. He's 5 ft
:09:02. > :09:08.8 tall, between 40 and 50 years of age. An untidy complexion. Stubble.
:09:08. > :09:13.He wears a flat cap and sometimes a scarf. A reasonably good
:09:13. > :09:23.description. Thanks very much indeed. If you recognise him, give
:09:23. > :09:24.
:09:24. > :09:28.us a call now. You should know our number by now. 08000 468 999. Rav,
:09:28. > :09:30.back to you. Thanks, Dave. Right, time for some CCTV and study these
:09:30. > :09:35.very carefully because the police need your help. Warmsworth last day
:09:35. > :09:39.and a man walks into a branch of HSBC. He sits next to a nine-year-
:09:39. > :09:45.old boy and starts chatting to him about his telephone. After a few
:09:45. > :09:51.minutes, the child hands the phone to the man and he goes outside
:09:51. > :09:59.seemingly to get a better signal but then he steals it. Come on,
:09:59. > :10:04.help police catch this cruel thief. February this year, the ocean
:10:04. > :10:08.retail park in Portsmouth. This lady comes into the store and it
:10:08. > :10:13.must be cold out there because the next thing, she is leaving the
:10:13. > :10:21.store carrying two big-hitters, making no attempt to pay for them,
:10:21. > :10:26.not exactly inconspicuous. Get in touch if you know her. This next
:10:26. > :10:31.one is a good reminder to always lock your car. It is Greenwich in
:10:31. > :10:35.London, November last year. The victim has left her handbag in the
:10:35. > :10:39.front seat of her car while she pops into the shop. And a thief
:10:39. > :10:46.sees his chance and grabs her handbag before running down the
:10:46. > :10:49.street. Someone out there must recognise this sneaky bag snatcher.
:10:49. > :10:52.Now those are just the kind of crimes that are happening up and
:10:52. > :10:57.down the country. If you have any information about anything you've
:10:57. > :11:01.seen, then get in touch. The number to call, 08000 468 999. Or text us
:11:01. > :11:04.on 63399. Text CW, space and then your message. And please, leave the
:11:04. > :11:13.space or your message won't get through to us. Or, email us.
:11:13. > :11:16.CWR@bbc.co.uk. Now back to Colin in Lewes. Just over 40 miles north of
:11:16. > :11:20.here is Gatwick Airport. It's the biggest single runway airport in
:11:20. > :11:24.the world. It's a major gateway into the UK and protecting the
:11:24. > :11:32.public against terrorism is a huge task. And one that relies not just
:11:32. > :11:35.on highly trained officers, but on a crack team of dogs too.
:11:35. > :11:41.With 33 million people travelling through Gatwick Airport every year,
:11:41. > :11:51.keeping everyone say it is a major challenge. -- safe is a major
:11:51. > :11:54.
:11:54. > :11:57.challenge. Good morning, listen up. It is 6am and they are coming on
:11:57. > :12:02.duty. Today they will be deployed in the north terminal where they
:12:02. > :12:10.will work in partnership with its port security staff. On duty, too,
:12:10. > :12:15.are these search dogs. Their role, with their two handlers, is to
:12:15. > :12:20.detect explosives. This labrador it is pioneering a new technique
:12:20. > :12:28.developed by the police at Gatwick for detecting passengers carrying
:12:28. > :12:38.explosives. While he is deployed inside the terminal, the other one
:12:38. > :12:40.
:12:40. > :12:46.It is 7am and today they have been deployed to the north terminal and
:12:46. > :12:54.right now they are carrying out road checks. She is looking for
:12:54. > :12:59.explosives or traces on the vehicle. She just uses her sense of smell
:12:59. > :13:09.and we will check the vehicle, underneath it, the edges, and the
:13:09. > :13:09.
:13:09. > :13:19.This time, nothing is found but the dogs can detect a wide range of
:13:19. > :13:21.
:13:21. > :13:23.Meanwhile, in the terminal building, the armed officers on patrol.
:13:23. > :13:28.are basically providing a safe environment for the passengers
:13:28. > :13:31.coming through the airport. Our role is to secured the airport and
:13:31. > :13:34.make a hostile environment for terrorism and make sure people can
:13:34. > :13:38.go through their day-to-day business with no issues. We don't
:13:38. > :13:41.want to be seen as people to be feared and we want to be
:13:41. > :13:47.approachable but obviously, we also want to put that clear message out
:13:47. > :13:53.that don't come to Gatwick if you are a terrorist. It's one of the
:13:53. > :13:56.most difficult tasks, they have got to maintain a sense of
:13:56. > :13:59.approachability but also showing the fact that they are well-
:13:59. > :14:04.equipped to deal with what might be the most challenging and difficult
:14:04. > :14:08.situations British police officers have to face, dealing with an armed
:14:08. > :14:12.terrorist. Whilst the officers are regularly briefed with the latest
:14:12. > :14:16.intelligence, keeping the dogs motivated is more difficult.
:14:16. > :14:20.training of the docks takes place redly. Springer spaniels are
:14:20. > :14:24.proactive dogs, so they will search luggage, bags, and if they need to
:14:24. > :14:28.search the rooms and premises, that's what they will do. Small
:14:28. > :14:33.dogs are very active and the other dogs are labradors, slightly bigger,
:14:33. > :14:38.taller, used for screening people, screening the air around the people
:14:39. > :14:43.walking through the airport. So, to keep them on their toes, every now
:14:44. > :14:50.and again, as to which will be sent through the terminal to test them.
:14:50. > :14:53.Today, Diana is carrying traces of explosives. I have got a
:14:53. > :14:58.contaminated sample in the bag and its for the dogs to be trained on,
:14:58. > :15:03.so they get a hit within the airport environment they work on.
:15:03. > :15:13.What should happen, hopefully, the dog will indicate on the back as
:15:13. > :15:30.
:15:30. > :15:34.That search has paid off. She has a reward - her favourite tennis ball.
:15:34. > :15:41.Now it is time to test the skill of Paddy and prove his passive
:15:41. > :15:51.approach is just as effective. Any minute now, she will be walking in
:15:51. > :16:07.
:16:07. > :16:13.this direction. Let's see if Paddy Paddy did very well. He found what
:16:13. > :16:21.he was meant to find. He acted in the way he was meant to act. He
:16:21. > :16:28.followed the person. He sat down. That is what he has been trained to
:16:28. > :16:33.do. The morning rush has tailed off. The police work goes on. These
:16:33. > :16:40.officers and their dogs have another few hours on duty. They
:16:40. > :16:45.keep a watchful eye on everyone passing through the airport. That
:16:45. > :16:55.is how Sussex Police are looking after Gatwick Airport. What about
:16:55. > :16:55.
:16:55. > :17:00.holidaymakers? Had to they minimise the risk of becoming a victim? --
:17:00. > :17:05.how do they minimise? What precautions should they take?
:17:05. > :17:10.a month to go before the holidays start, consider if your home is
:17:10. > :17:18.secured enough. Do you need to do something about locks on windows
:17:18. > :17:24.and doors? All you need is your name and your e-mail address on
:17:24. > :17:32.your suitcases. That will allow them to track queue if needs be. Do
:17:32. > :17:37.not advertise the fact you are away. -- track you. Fit automatic timers
:17:37. > :17:41.so the lights go on and off. Consider a neighbour getting in to
:17:41. > :17:45.make it look as though the place is lived in. If you're getting a cab
:17:45. > :17:54.to the airport, you might not want to say you were going to India for
:17:55. > :17:58.a few months because you do not know who will over here a
:17:58. > :18:06.conversation. Follow up all the major airports to find up what is
:18:06. > :18:10.going on on Twitter. -- find out. You might as well send an e-mail to
:18:10. > :18:17.a local burglar inviting them to come in and find out what else they
:18:17. > :18:24.can discover on Facebook. I have not tweeted the fact I am spending
:18:24. > :18:29.the day it in Sussex, so nobody knows I am here. We're now on our
:18:29. > :18:34.holidays in an exotic location. What is the advice? When you have
:18:34. > :18:41.just arrived, you are at your most vulnerable. Villain's name rather
:18:41. > :18:45.soft target. When you are in a crime hotspot, be very aware of
:18:45. > :18:50.your surroundings. Do not take your eye off your possessions for a
:18:50. > :18:58.moment or you could find to have been a victim of crime before you
:18:58. > :19:05.have the right at your hotel. arrived. Useful advice there. Still
:19:05. > :19:10.to come on the Roadshow this morning: More on the terrifying
:19:10. > :19:15.robbery where four people were held at knifepoint. Sussex Police need
:19:15. > :19:21.your help to track them down. The speedy metal thieves, stealing a
:19:21. > :19:24.valuable part of your exhaust can take them less than two minutes.
:19:24. > :19:27.But first it's time to take a look at today's Wanted Faces. First up,
:19:28. > :19:30.52-year old James Fielder. He was arrested and bailed in September
:19:30. > :19:33.2010 in connection with conspiracy to supply class A drugs and
:19:33. > :19:37.handling stolen property, but went on the run. Fielder is tall six
:19:37. > :19:41.foot 6 inches and has a strong South East accent. He sometimes has
:19:41. > :19:44.long hair tied back in a ponytail. He is known to have strong
:19:45. > :19:48.connections in Thailand but also in Devon and West London. If you know
:19:48. > :19:56.where he is now, get in touch. 23- year-old Mohammed Ahmed Aden is our
:19:56. > :19:59.He was sentenced to two years in prison for robbery, but didn't turn
:19:59. > :20:02.up in court for sentencing. He's been on the run ever since. He's
:20:02. > :20:05.described as having a Somalian accent and has connections to the
:20:05. > :20:07.Leicester and London areas. Do you recognise him? Next, take a close
:20:07. > :20:10.look at this man, Gary Howard. Detectives in Cambridgeshire want
:20:10. > :20:13.to talk to him in connection with conspiracy to defraud a large
:20:13. > :20:16.number of elderly and vulnerable people. He speaks with a London
:20:16. > :20:23.accent and is known to have connections to the Cambridgeshire,
:20:23. > :20:28.Essex and Bristol areas, but he could be anywhere in the country.
:20:28. > :20:31.And this man, Quehen Ha is our last wanted face today. Officers in
:20:31. > :20:34.Leicestershire want to speak to him in connection with the production
:20:34. > :20:37.of a �100,000 worth of cannabis. He has connections to the Leicester,
:20:37. > :20:42.Nottingham and Durham areas and is fluent in both Chinese and
:20:42. > :20:52.Vietnamese. If you have any information about him, or any of
:20:52. > :20:54.
:20:54. > :20:58.our wanted faces today, get in touch on this number. Or text us.
:20:58. > :21:08.Text CW, space, and then your message. And please, leave the
:21:08. > :21:09.
:21:09. > :21:12.space or your message won't get Thanks, Rav. Now we're in Sussex
:21:12. > :21:16.Police HQ's contact centre in Lewes. Now we should stress that the staff
:21:16. > :21:19.here don't deal with 999 calls. But, with the 101 service, that's the
:21:19. > :21:29.number for non-urgent calls for all forces in England and Wales. You're
:21:29. > :21:32.
:21:32. > :21:39.the deputy manager. On average, we get 1,625 calls a day and over a
:21:39. > :21:48.year it works out at around 230,000 calls a year. What is the
:21:48. > :21:55.difference between phoning 999 and 101? 999 is for emergencies. We're
:21:55. > :21:59.talking about threats to life or a road traffic accident. All other
:21:59. > :22:05.inquiries go to be 101 number. were telling me you have been
:22:05. > :22:10.getting a lot of calls about social media issues. We handle calls about
:22:10. > :22:16.cyberbullying, which we take seriously. We work with media
:22:16. > :22:20.networks to try to resolve some of the issues. We advise people to
:22:20. > :22:26.have privacy accounts set to private. We have got a lot more
:22:26. > :22:36.good buys around that on the website. You take that very
:22:36. > :22:37.
:22:37. > :22:41.seriously. -- good advice. something has upset you on social
:22:41. > :22:47.media, contact the media websites to begin with. We're there to
:22:47. > :22:53.become more serious issues. You do get time-wasters. What do people
:22:53. > :22:59.ring you about? We get calls from people who have run out of credit
:22:59. > :23:07.on mobile phones. They tried to you first as a message service. Also
:23:07. > :23:13.calls from people who have been locked out of houses and cars.
:23:13. > :23:18.is their personal service. Thank you very much. You have been on
:23:18. > :23:23.this for five years. What is the most ridiculous call? Someone who
:23:23. > :23:29.has had a night out, runs out of money, misses the train in cannot
:23:29. > :23:38.get home, so it asks if a police car can drop them off. We advise
:23:38. > :23:42.that is not what the police service is for. Thank you very much indeed.
:23:42. > :23:49.Now it is time to go back to the appalling hostage-taking in
:23:49. > :23:59.Haywards Heath. Sussex Police want help to track down two mast men who
:23:59. > :24:03.held a girl and a 79-year-old woman hostage. Masked men broke into two
:24:03. > :24:07.flats above the jewellers in Haywards Heath. They eat it four
:24:08. > :24:14.people hostage. The two men believed to the owner of the
:24:14. > :24:18.jewellery shop lived in a flat over the shop. When they found that the
:24:18. > :24:26.owner lived elsewhere, they help the young family and elderly
:24:26. > :24:31.neighbour hostage. -- held. The elderly woman was forced to ring
:24:31. > :24:37.the owner and come to the shop because the alarm was going off.
:24:37. > :24:44.all thought it was the end for us. In Eastbourne, the jeweller and his
:24:44. > :24:49.wife were puzzled by the phone call. When we got a phone call to save
:24:49. > :24:54.the alarm had gone off, I thought it was a waste of time to come in.
:24:54. > :24:59.Normally the police would telephone us. I thought it was a false alarm.
:24:59. > :25:05.Once the call was made, the intruders were more tense. They
:25:05. > :25:11.asked questions about the shop owner. The fact there two
:25:11. > :25:16.offenders' asked about the owner of the shop before he got there,
:25:16. > :25:21.showed their violent content. After a drive of 40 minutes, Russell and
:25:21. > :25:29.his wife arrived at the shock to discover the alarm had not gone off.
:25:29. > :25:35.There was no alarm going off. The shop owner called to say he was
:25:35. > :25:43.going home. That was not good enough for the robbers. My wife
:25:43. > :25:50.went to the door. There would two chaps with knives on the one of the
:25:50. > :26:00.Terrence throats. Russell, Russell! Russell reacted without thinking
:26:00. > :26:12.
:26:12. > :26:21.Russell, look out! Thanks to his actions, the two miles ran off.
:26:21. > :26:28.men ran off. They work in our house with a knife, they are going to
:26:28. > :26:38.kill us. -- they are in our house. Although Russell fought off the two
:26:38. > :26:39.
:26:39. > :26:45.robbers, it came at a price. He is injured on his Herms. -- hand. I
:26:45. > :26:50.had severed tendons on my fingers. They seem to have reattached them
:26:51. > :26:56.and I have certain movement in my fingers on my right hand. I need
:26:56. > :27:01.the movement in my right hand. That was concerning. This is a
:27:01. > :27:08.despicable crime. It is disgusting what the young family and elderly
:27:08. > :27:14.lady have been put through. We were thinking it was the end for us.
:27:14. > :27:23.am joined by DS Glenn Wilcox, who is leading on this case. What have
:27:23. > :27:29.you got to go on? It is a horrific attack. We have the description of
:27:29. > :27:35.the two men. They were wearing dark clothing. One is said to have a
:27:35. > :27:44.satchel, a rucksack across their back. They were wearing face covers.
:27:44. > :27:50.Any clues as to where they might be from? The robbers did not speak in
:27:50. > :27:54.a particular accent. When speaking to the elderly lady, they said they
:27:54. > :28:02.were in the sticks so it is possible they are from another
:28:02. > :28:11.locality other than Haywards Heath. As soon as a robber entered the
:28:11. > :28:20.front door, he struck them Mantoux the face. -- struck the man. While
:28:20. > :28:26.struggling with the knife, he has drawn blood on his hand. It is
:28:26. > :28:35.likely the robber has his blood on his clothing. During the robbery
:28:35. > :28:41.�150 was taken. Two mobile phones have not been recovered. There was
:28:41. > :28:47.a dark handled kitchen knife taken from the premises. You have to
:28:47. > :28:53.catch them because they could do it again. They could. Haywards Heath
:28:54. > :28:58.is a safe area and this is an isolated incident. You have some
:28:58. > :29:04.clues. Do you know somebody with an unexplained bruise on his face all
:29:04. > :29:12.came in with blood on his clothing? You know the right thing to do. The
:29:12. > :29:15.That's a really awful crime. Remember if you do want to make a
:29:16. > :29:19.call anonymously you can call Crimestoppers. 0800 555 111. Now
:29:19. > :29:29.time for some more crime caught on camera which police across the UK
:29:29. > :29:30.
:29:30. > :29:33.A general store in north London in January this year. Two customers
:29:34. > :29:40.walk in and at first it looks like they have come in to fill some
:29:40. > :29:44.forms. Fast-forward 20 minutes and they are still there. The cash till
:29:44. > :29:49.is open and one man just can't help himself. He sees an opportunity to
:29:49. > :29:55.grab the cash for the whilst the shopkeeper restrains his mate, he
:29:55. > :30:05.gets away with almost �300. Talk about easy money. If you know him,
:30:05. > :30:06.
:30:06. > :30:10.A group of people walking to a news agent in Leicester in February this
:30:10. > :30:14.year. They start talking to a shopkeeper while one of them sneaks
:30:14. > :30:19.into the backroom. The camera picks her up searching the room and
:30:19. > :30:25.trying to open the safe but when the assistant follows hair, the
:30:25. > :30:35.woman leaves empty-handed. If you know this backroom a burglar, get
:30:35. > :30:35.
:30:35. > :30:40.in touch. Newport, South Wales, a garage forecourt, March this year
:30:40. > :30:45.and it looks like these men have no intention of paying. The number
:30:45. > :30:51.plates have been stolen from another car. It's nearly �70 worth
:30:51. > :30:58.of unleaded petrol and they simply drive off without paying. Come on,
:30:58. > :31:04.it's expensive for all of us, don't let them get away with it. Remember
:31:04. > :31:07.if you know anything about those crimes, give us a ring. News now on
:31:07. > :31:10.how charities are being hit really hard by thieves who are after a
:31:10. > :31:16.surprisingly valuable commoditiy - second hand clothes. The price of
:31:16. > :31:19.old clothing has rocketed over the past few years. It can now be sold
:31:19. > :31:22.for around �1,000 a tonne abroad which means of course that the
:31:22. > :31:25.clothes are highly desirable to criminals. Now John Jones's company
:31:25. > :31:31.is working with a national charity to stopping clothes being stolen.
:31:31. > :31:37.John, tell us about the problem you've been dealing with? It clear
:31:37. > :31:43.that the problem is being perpetrated by organised crime gang
:31:43. > :31:49.as thread the OK and the work we have done indicate that vast
:31:49. > :31:57.quantities are being taken. We are talking about �50 million a year
:31:57. > :32:03.which this is costing, so it's huge. It's a good estimate. It's not just
:32:03. > :32:06.bags but they are actually stealing skips of these clothes. Yes, there
:32:06. > :32:12.is evidence the clothing banks which belongs to the charities are
:32:12. > :32:17.being taken for the contents are being stolen and the banks are
:32:17. > :32:22.being scrapped for the metal. the very least, these charities are
:32:22. > :32:26.massively out of pocket when people are trying to raise a valuable
:32:26. > :32:30.money. And the criminals are benefiting financially from this.
:32:30. > :32:37.Absolutely, we are working very hard to try and increase the
:32:37. > :32:41.revenue that charities can earn from the clothing they deserve.
:32:41. > :32:45.You're taking a proactive response to this. We have some clothing
:32:45. > :32:49.which has been marked with an invisible dye you can put on the
:32:49. > :32:54.clothing. This clothing has not been marked and I want to show
:32:54. > :32:58.people at home how you can test for this. If we can just a dim the
:32:59. > :33:08.lights slightly. Shine your special light on that and it does not show
:33:08. > :33:14.anything at all. Now, if we show what is inside this bag, here, have
:33:14. > :33:18.a look now. Shine your light on that. Bright green. It has been
:33:18. > :33:23.treated with a unique forensic code and there is a tracking device so
:33:23. > :33:28.when did the takes the bag, we know exactly where it is and it is
:33:29. > :33:34.linked up. So you can go with the police to the place you have
:33:34. > :33:37.attracted to and the clothing has been marked, and I imagine the ban
:33:37. > :33:45.which has taken it will be covered as well. And the individual, as
:33:45. > :33:52.well. On my hand, there is nothing at all. It links the criminal back
:33:52. > :33:56.to the crime. They can't have got it on any other way. Brilliant,
:33:56. > :34:03.really, really good. They can run but they can't hide and they will
:34:03. > :34:08.be caught red-handed. Thanks for that. Next, Colin has a story about
:34:08. > :34:18.another charity which has been hit hard by thieves who don't care that
:34:18. > :34:22.
:34:22. > :34:24.they are targeting of vulnerable people. Yes, Rav. Now this is a
:34:24. > :34:28.catalytic converter. It's part of a car exhaust that helps keep
:34:28. > :34:30.emissions down. Since around 1992 every new car has had to have one
:34:30. > :34:34.fitted and it's become a highly desirable target for metal thieves.
:34:34. > :34:37.They tend to target larger as it's easier to get access to the exhaust.
:34:37. > :34:41.One charity in Crawley near Gatwick has found out to its cost. It's one
:34:41. > :34:46.of the fastest-growing crimes in the UK. Metals that cost the UK
:34:46. > :34:50.economy in the region of �770 million a year. These days, any
:34:50. > :34:57.kind of metal seems to be fair game. And the latest target is the
:34:57. > :35:03.catalytic converter. All cars have them. It's part of the exhaust. It
:35:03. > :35:06.is there to reduce pollution. People may think it's a strange
:35:06. > :35:10.thing to steal in terms of catalytic converters but his
:35:10. > :35:16.greater value trading them for scrap. The thieves are not fussy
:35:16. > :35:20.about who they target. Here in Crawley, a charity providing
:35:20. > :35:23.transport for the committee has been particularly unlucky. Three of
:35:23. > :35:27.their vehicles have been the target of thieves. You wonder whether
:35:27. > :35:33.these people one day will have need of a service like this and realise
:35:33. > :35:39.exactly what they did. Crawley community transport provides an
:35:39. > :35:43.essential service for the disabled and the elderly. Their fleet of 13
:35:43. > :35:49.buses takes passengers on thousands of journeys each year, to the shops,
:35:49. > :35:54.medical centres, and the centre of town. It is going out, seeing the
:35:54. > :36:00.world, it gives you a sense of purpose in life. More than it would
:36:00. > :36:03.if you were just stuck indoors. trouble began last year when one
:36:03. > :36:09.minibus was damaged apparently by thieves trying to steal the
:36:09. > :36:16.catalytic converter. Then, in March, there was a second incident. This
:36:16. > :36:20.time, the thieves were more successful. I came out at 7am it to
:36:20. > :36:24.go out and start the school run and as I started it, I noticed how
:36:24. > :36:29.noisy it was and it sounded like the exhaust had blown. I went back
:36:29. > :36:36.to my boss and said the exhaust has blown, and when he had a look,
:36:36. > :36:39.underneath it, the catalytic converter was actually missing.
:36:39. > :36:46.Catalytic converters are very quick and easy to steal. It may only take
:36:46. > :36:50.a couple of minutes to complete. A criminal can get around �400 for a
:36:50. > :36:57.catalytic converter depending on the side -- size. Brand new ones
:36:57. > :37:03.can cost a whole lot more. It cost us something around �700 to replace
:37:03. > :37:07.each catalytic converter but then you go on from that, and once you
:37:07. > :37:13.have paid that, claimed it on the insurance, you know that your
:37:13. > :37:18.premium will go up next year. in April, volunteers were at their
:37:18. > :37:22.wits end when a third minibus was targeted. I came out of my house
:37:22. > :37:27.and did all my visible checks, the tyres, everything like that, to
:37:27. > :37:31.make sure it was all OK. Then I switched the engine on to warm it
:37:31. > :37:40.up because there was quite a chilly morning, and I heard of this unholy
:37:40. > :37:45.noise. I knew straightaway that the cut of the convert debt been stolen.
:37:45. > :37:49.-- the catalytic converter had been stolen. One I heard for the third
:37:49. > :37:53.time we had been taken by the thieves, I could not believe it.
:37:53. > :37:59.What can you do? You try your best to serve or the community and this
:37:59. > :38:05.is what you get. Yes, I readily admit, it was very depressing for
:38:05. > :38:10.everybody connected with commuter transport. Its lead to extra costs
:38:10. > :38:13.for the charity. Now those who rely on it fear for its future. Without
:38:13. > :38:19.the service, a lot of elderly people would not get out at all
:38:19. > :38:26.without it. If we are constantly targeted, then the impact in the
:38:26. > :38:31.end would be to put the service at risk. Oh dear. Let's hope the rest
:38:31. > :38:34.of their minibuses stay safe. Remember, if you saw anything
:38:34. > :38:37.suspicious on any of those nights, 7th July last year, 23rd March or
:38:37. > :38:43.17th April this year, in Crawley, Sussex, police would love to hear
:38:43. > :38:53.from you. Now let's find out a bit more about those catalytic
:38:53. > :38:55.
:38:55. > :39:02.converters. Dean, what exactly does it do? It reduces exhaust emissions
:39:02. > :39:09.from the engine via this unit here. The catalytic converter inside.
:39:09. > :39:17.are they so attractive to thieves? This honeycomb section has gold,
:39:17. > :39:21.and Puttenham on Ben Wood has a You need heavy cutting equipment
:39:21. > :39:27.like that. But there are other ways to do it, so precautions must be
:39:27. > :39:32.taken. How do you know it it has been taken? When you start your car
:39:32. > :39:36.up in the morning, you would get a terrific noise and smell. Miranda,
:39:36. > :39:42.how many people are contacting your breakdown service about having
:39:42. > :39:45.their catalytic converters stolen? It is difficult to quantify the
:39:45. > :39:48.full extent of the problem but we are seeing pockets of it up and
:39:48. > :39:54.down the country and the first we hear about it is when a customer
:39:54. > :39:57.phones as because they need help. What is your advice to motorists?
:39:58. > :40:07.You can park closer to the kerb because is more awkward for people
:40:08. > :40:08.
:40:08. > :40:11.to get under the vehicles. Clearly, vehicles like 4x4s and minibuses
:40:11. > :40:15.are more vulnerable because they are higher off the ground. So it
:40:15. > :40:21.might be worth parking in a secure place. Thanks, Colin. With me now
:40:21. > :40:26.is Kevin Heater. You may have an answer, this thing. What does it
:40:26. > :40:33.do? This is a security adviser that comes on either side of the
:40:33. > :40:39.catalytic inverter -- convertibles are it secures the Chelsea either
:40:39. > :40:46.end and forms a tight cage around it. Presumably there is a precious
:40:46. > :40:53.tool to get it open? Yes. How was this invented? It was invented in
:40:53. > :40:58.America. They had an issue with this happening five years ago and
:40:58. > :41:04.they invented it. It has been successful for five years over here
:41:05. > :41:08.and in the USA. We have had issues with people owning motor homes with
:41:08. > :41:14.the security compound has been compromised and vehicles were not
:41:14. > :41:19.compromised. It's quite expensive, 275 pound. Not really when you
:41:19. > :41:27.consider your insurance premiums going up. And the cost of replacing
:41:27. > :41:35.this, it is a very effective solution. Briefly, easy to fit?
:41:35. > :41:40.takes about two hours to fit it. OK, fine, if it cuts the problem
:41:40. > :41:46.down, it's probably going to be a good idea. Look after your
:41:46. > :41:49.catalytic converters. Overdue, Rav. Just time to tell you what has been
:41:49. > :41:57.coming in today. We've had some information through on the man who
:41:57. > :42:04.carried out fraud at Wickes. Potential names have been given.
:42:04. > :42:09.Police are investigating but as we speak. We showed yesterday CCTV
:42:09. > :42:12.footage of these two men and strong information has come through and we
:42:12. > :42:16.are passed that on to police, as well, including potential names, so
:42:16. > :42:21.thank you to everyone who has got in touch. Let's find out what's
:42:21. > :42:25.happening tomorrow. Well, we are going to be on the seafront in
:42:25. > :42:30.Brighton, so let's hope the weather keeps up for us. We will be asking
:42:30. > :42:34.for your help to track down some antique silver stolen from St
:42:34. > :42:37.George's Church in the Kemp Town area of the city. I will be on the
:42:37. > :42:44.front line with officers who are clamping down on motorists who
:42:44. > :42:50.drink and drive. A busy day. Make sure you join us. We will see you
:42:50. > :42:52.tomorrow. That is it for today. For more details about all the crimes
:42:52. > :42:55.on today's programme head to bbc.co.uk/crimewatch roadshow.