Episode 16 Crimewatch Roadshow

Today on Crimewatch Roadshow: Help us find the heartless burglars who

threatened a mother and her tiny Hello and welcome to Crimewatch

Roadshow. We are live and it is our final week on air. We will be

asking for your help to solve the crime is that affect us all on the

programme today. Going for gold, a terrifying burglary that left a

mother fearing for her baby boy's life. The thieves targeting the

marvellous Mini in a city that created the classic car. And pacing

the pavements in Stourbridge. Cracking down on thefts from cars.

Our Road Show team are still travelling the country. It is their

final week on the road and they are in the West Midlands.

I am in Victoria Square right in the heart of Birmingham and this is

one of the City's most famous exports, the mini-car. The West

Midlands Police are investigating a sharp rise in the theft of these

classic cars. More about that later. Another thing Birmingham is famous

for is its jewellery quarter. There are around 400 businesses there and

most of them sell gold, the value of which has risen by 500% over the

last six years. That is a fact which criminals are all too well

aware of as well, as one Birmingham family found out to their cost.

is just things that could have been passed down to my children which we

do not have any more. I am very scared, I still have nightmares, I

do not have the guts to be on my own in the house. Reshan was

getting ready to go to work, leaving his wife Sadia and the baby.

He used to wake up during the night time and I thought I would be

sleeping for a more time, than going downstairs. They were asleep

and I left the house at about quarter past seven, so it was a

regular day. But there would be nothing regular about this day as

Sadia slept with her baby son by her side. Three men broke in

downstairs and they knew exactly what they were looking for,

precious gold jewellery. They were all a young age, no more than 18 or

19. They were very skinny, three of them, but the black guy was a big

build and he said, where is the gold? I gave everything I had in my

room at first, Mike earrings, they were gold and diamonds. He said, it

is not enough, give me more. majority of the jewellery was not

kept in the bedroom when the offenders first confronted her.

They told her they knew there was more and they wanted her to show

them where it was. All Sadia could think about was her

baby son. She wanted to protect him, but she had to do the unthinkable,

handing over to one of the burglars. The black guy said, leave the baby

with me. This robbery is made more serious buyer that there was a

young child that was present and either threatened, or a threat was

implied against them. Sadia was torn between her baby

screaming for comfort and the robbers screaming for God. She had

no choice but to leave her son behind and give the robbers what

they wanted. I wanted them to get out of the house as soon as they

could. For that I could pay any price. If I had more things with me,

I would have given them everything. I do not mind as long as me and my

baby were safe. I told them, do not touch my baby. They ransacked three

rooms and they refused to give the baby back to vet until they were

sure they had every last piece of pressures, gold jewellery. I did

not have anything else. I have given you everything, so go from

here now. They took everything from the room and other rooms as well.

And then they went. With her baby boy back in her arms and sure that

the burglars had left the house, Sadia rang the police. They got

away with a considerable amount, a lot of Asian gold and wedding

jewellery and other valuable items. In total we believe it was around

�40,000 worth. It was passed down through my grandfather and my

grandmother to my father and then passed down to my mum and then

passed down to us. Some of it was bought a long time ago, and it is

irreplaceable. The robbery has left Sadia terrified of being left by

herself. I took a week off work so I could spend time with my son and

my wife. I still have nightmares, I do not have the guts to be alone in

my house. I am joined by DC Damian Forrest who is investigating this

case. It was a really nasty burglary. It was. Having three

people burst into your home it would be scary enough, but she was

there with a four-month-old trialled, dozing on her bed. The

defenders made Sadia and the child over to them at whilst they went

around the house looking for gold to steal. We have got some

descriptions. We are looking for a three males. A white male who was

18-19 years old, skinny build, wearing a black and grey bandana

and dark clothing. An Asian male who was the same age, a slightly

bigger build and he was dressed in similar clothing, but with lighter

trousers. The third male, a black male, it was carrying a metal bar

or crowbar type implement. He was slightly more muscular, again

dressed in a bandana and dark clothing. A tell us about the

jewellery. It is very distinctive. It is a number of items including

an Asian gold wedding set which is worth about �40,000 in total. A lot

of it was made bespoke and brought over from Pakistan. Some of the

items have been in the family for generations. One ring was engraved

with the grandfather's name and also Sadia was engraved on a

necklace. It was irreplaceable for them and such sentimental value.

What is likely to have happened with it? With items like this we

recover a small amount, but the majority are melted down as they

are so valuable as a base metal. are not far from the jewellery

quarter and Terry Stevenson from Lois Jewellery has come along and

she has brought an amazing array of gold. It looks absolutely beautiful.

This is what we are talking about. This is a typical wedding jewellery

set. It would retail at about �5,000. They would scrap that

�40,500 because these families cannot insure these pieces because

it cost so much money. You could not actually wear it every day.

They are so worried that the items are going to get stolen. We have

got security here with us today, this is worth an awful lot of money.

We have got the jewellery which is stunning and we have also got the

gold bars because this is what the gold is melted down to. This is

what it looks like. This is worth �65,000. That is worth �40,000 plus.

We are talking about a lot of money. When you said that families bring

their jewellery end that is because they are so scared about it being

stolen. It must be an anguished to make that decision. Obviously it

has been in the family for so many years and at the end of the day it

is heartbreaking to get it melted down. This is a very high carat

gold, isn't it? That is 22 carat, which is high value, but these are

fine gold, they are even higher at 24 carat. There are other pieces of

the jewellery. These would be about �2,500 alone. You do not need much

to make it into a high value items. When you say people bring gold to

you shot how do you make sure it is not stolen? We ask them to fill out

a form, get identification, driving licence, passport, so we do our

best to check these people out. Thank you for bringing this along

and also thank you both of you as well for looking after the gold and

asked this morning. I can assure you this is all going back into the

safe. It is time to take a look at the

most candid cameras of all. Here are our first lot of crooks caught

on CCTV. A house in Burnley. It is an

evening in May. This uninvited guest is looking for awake in.

Watch how he squirms his way through the open window and sees a

key in the door and leaned over to unlock it. Once he is in, he takes

his time wiping his prints off the door handle and such is the house.

He finds a handbag which he hides in his clothes. The contents were

worth �130. He leaves and takes the key with him, locking the door on

the way out. Do you know this burglar? A night bus in Croydon. A

man is being violently assaulted. His attacker had asked him for his

telephone, but when he refused to hand it over, he started laying

into him. The victim up thought the man off, but it was a terrifying

ordeal. Can you recognise this man? Give us a call. Dagenham and an

elderly man is using a cash machine. Watch as the man in the cap loiters

behind him. He is clocking his PIN number. He covers the machine with

a piece of paper, rejects the card and takes it. The thief uses the

card in the cash machine right next to his victim. He withdraws �300

and makes his escape. Do you recognise the Seamus scoundrel --

Seamus scoundrel? If you recognise them, you can call

us. The space is important in the text message. You can send us an e-

mail as well. Being a bobby on the beat is not

without its challenges, but being armed with the latest technology

can make a difference. Colin price from South Wales Police is

Pontypridd's one-man CCTV. How did you get that title? From all of my

gadgets. Tell us about this, this is not an ordinary mobile telephone.

It is a CCTV monitor. I can get live images but any camera in my

area where I work whilst I am anywhere on duty. You could be out

on the beat and your control room could send the images from the CCTV

director your telephone? Yes.We can see it in action right now.

have had this for about two years and it is superb. This is my mobile

camera. If I want to record anything, I can snap it down and be

caught anybody. These radio is a direct link to that CCTV control

room. Where I am standing now I have got three cameras that I could

call on at any time. If I stop and search somebody, my back is covered

things by my colleagues at work. Robocop, the Sheriff, you name it. I

do not mind what I am called, it makes my job easier. That is

perfect. One of the things we saw was the body camera. It is a small

one we can see on the screen. a really clear image that we can see

of me. Just tell me, from work point of view, how can this be handy for

you? You are talking from low-level shoplifters, it gathers the

evidence. Public order is a great one. Saturday night, people have

been drinking too much, there is a scuffle, it is all captured on

camera. It says smile, you are on CCTV. They know they are being

filmed. I tell them that. And your protection of someone wanted to take

a swing at you, great protection for the officers. The other big one is

domestic violence. If I go to a domestic violence call and the

victim is there, this will record the injuries. Should they want to

withdraw a statement, we can go on a victim list prosecution for the CPS.

The camera never lies. There is another piece of kit I am intrigued

about. What is this? Metal Mickey is a portable camera. If we get an area

where there is a high crime area or anti-social behaviour, which plays a

lot of people's minds, if it is high-level stuff, I can have a

meeting with the local authority. We will put up a sign saying the area

is being monitored. The unique thing about Mickey is I can control him

from my phone. I have control of these cameras. You can have one of

these put in, very simply and the images these record goes direct to

your phone wherever you are. Thank you very much for coming in. I

love that stuff. For now, let's go back to Sian who has an urgent

appeal in Birmingham. Yes, we need your help to find the

men who raided a shop south-west of here in Quinton. It was a really

scary attack. Let's take a look at what happened.

It is Saturday night at a convenience store and two men into

the shop. One of them brandishes a large kitchen knife. The man

threatens the shop worker and demands that she opens the till. The

terrified woman has no choice. The two men then start helping

themselves to the night's takings. The hooded male hands are bad to the

shop assistant and tells her to fill it with cigarettes. At this point,

an elderly man enters the shop. Although the robbers tell him to get

out, he bravely stands his ground. The men decide enough is enough and

make their getaway. Desperate for a smoke, they make one last attempt to

grab the cigarettes. The shop assistant stands her ground and

refuses. These brazen thieves got away with �600 in notes and about

�200 in coins. I am joined by DC Phil Langstone who

is investigating this case. Really frightening for the shop worker.

Yes, she was working alone in the store. She had a gentleman rush at

her with a knife. She was forced behind the counter and she was then

aware that there were two offenders. She was ordered to do what they say

otherwise she would get hurt. She was given a bag she was told to fill

with cigarettes while they emptied the contents of the till. You have

got descriptions of the men? Yes, the main offender who had a large

kitchen knife is described as white, approximately five foot five, late

30s and heavy build. The second offender was described as being in

his mid-20s, five foot seven, slim build. He was wearing all dark

clothing with his face covered with a baseball cap. She was very brave,

wasn't she? She did turn around and refused to give them cigarettes and

told them they are on camera at which point they ran. Amazing. Act

to you. Now time to look at today's Wanted

Faces. This man, Przemyslaw Jan Rustelnick, is first today. Police

want to question him about a number of burglaries in West London. He is

originally from Romania. He has a patio of an eye on the back of his

neck. Next up is this man. He imprisoned a woman in her own home

and she had cash stolen. He has a cat two of the word speedy on his

left arm and one of a panther and two names on his right arm. He has

links to south Wales and Manchester. A warrant was issued for Maxie

Donald Gunanantham's arrest. He was accused of obtaining a loan in

someone else's name. He was born in Sri Lanka but has connections to

Accrington and London. And finally we have 27-year-old Shenaz Naeem.

She is wanted for questioning by police in greater Manchester. She is

part of a gang of thieves travelling across the UK distracting people at

cashpoints. She is known to have links to East London and the West

Midlands. Where is she now? If you know the whereabouts of any of these

people you can call us or text us or send us an e-mail. Still to come:

how police in Stourbridge are cracking down on careless car

owners. The Mini is an iconic reddish

design, born and bred here in the West Midlands. Their popularity has

not faded since the 60s. It is not just collectors who love them -- an

iconic British design. Thefts of them have soared to epidemic

proportions. I love Minis, my family love Minis. My grandchildren want

them. We are all Mini mad. I passed my test, saw this car and thought I

am buying it. The Mini is the West Midlands. The first Minis rolled out

of burning in 1959 and started a small revolution across the world.

But for their owners, the Mini is more than just a car. When Sue

Belcher ought her special 30th anniversary Mini it was love at

first sight. A lovely black Mini 30 with lots of chrome. Inside was

chrome and walnut. It was a beautiful car. Soon she bought it 11

years ago, Sue has sent thousands on her car. These are the wheels I

bought. But she never had a chance to put the wheels on her much loved

car. One evening in April she was at home when her beloved car was stolen

from right under her nose. I wanted to clear up so I started mopping the

floor. I thought I saw the lights come on and go wash very fast. I

thought I was imagining it. I carried on mopping. I looked again

and it was slowly rolling off the drive. I thought I had left my

handbrake off. The thief had not started the engine so sue did not

realise her car had been stolen. ran out thinking it would cause an

accident. There was a big fellow sitting in the car. Sue gave chase

but by now it was moving too fast for Sue to catch it. My heart was

pounding. It was a horrible thought. I could not believe somebody was

stealing my car. I never thought it would happen. I am still hoping I

will get it back. Motorway cop Alan Colman is also a

Mini enthusiasts. He has made it his mission to investigate and has

discovered there has been a recent surge in the theft of these classic

cars. Since September I have noticed 35 Minis have been stolen in the

West Midlands Police area alone. That accounts for half of the Minis

stolen nationally. These little cars are worth a lot more than people

think. Recently they have been selling for a lot of money. One sold

for �40,000 at an auction. A Monte Carlo Mini can be worth anything up

to �100,000. Many Mini owners like John MacAllister are happy to spend

a fortune restoring their vintage cars. I dread to think how much I

have spent on it. I work solidly for a year and a half to buy a Mini in

the first place. On the 4th of April, while John was at work in a

retail park he thought -- he caught a would-be thief in the act and

chased after him. It was pretty brazen. It was a sunny day.

Rush-hour traffic, a lot of people are all about. A mate of mine said,

there is someone looking at your car. The unwanted admirer was not

just looking at John's car, was in it. It was not until I got to the

entrance that I saw the door was open on and I saw a guy pop his head

up. I took off like a rocket and flu after him. He made his way through

the bushes and jumped over the perimeter fence. He got into a car

waiting for him on the main road. The interesting thing about John's

case is John witnessed them trying to steal his Mini. He gave me a lead

that they got into a dark coloured Renault Megane Scenic and he gave me

a registration number that he thought was correct. The getaway car

turned out to have false number plates but it has still given the

police a vital clue. I did a bit more digging and I found that this

vehicle had been in company with another Mini which was stolen two

weeks later and we have now linked that vehicle to two War three other

thefts of Minis. That is an avenue of investigation I am looking at at

the minute to identify who owns that vehicle. I am convinced it is an

organised group of criminals. A lot of these vehicles go missing. It is

destroying people's lives. I knew it could not be replaced. I cannot

believe it has been taken. I cannot believe anyone would do it. I am

still gutted. I am as gutted today as when it was first taken.

I am with PC Alan Colman who we saw in that film. It is very upsetting

for the owners of Minis. What information do we have? We are still

interested in the red Renault Megane Scenic. Anyone who has had their

cars stolen, if they think they saw that car around the time, it might

have been two weeks before, all the time of the theft, they need to

contact us. We know that vehicle has been sold on to another person but

we are still interested in it. do you think is happening to the

Minis? I'd am pretty certain the vehicles have not been sold on the

open market. The classic Mini immunity is very close. They would

let me know if that vehicle has been stripped or partner come for sale. I

think they are being stored in storage yards or containers and

waiting to be moved on. Have you ever come across anything like this

a few years ago -- before? A few years ago the nanograms community

suffered the same fate -- M G. We found those vehicles packed up.

are a minivan. We have got something to show you. This is an original

police Mini car. Really cute. She would have been policing the

streets. This particular car policed the streets of Liverpool. They used

them from around 1957. How do they manage? Word the office is six feet

tall? In Birmingham the officers had to be over six foot. There are lots

of hilarious stories about them trying to get in and out. I have

been wanting to have a look inside. The door handle is pretty stiff but

when you go inside it is tiny in here. Just take a look at this. No

mobile phones in those days. This was the radio device so that is how

they would be getting their communications in those days.

Fascinating to see. How useful was it? It was used as a traffic car in

and around the city centre. It was fantastic. However fast you are

going, it would go round the bend is. Let's take a look at it and how

it would leave. Not too fast, I Later on we will be telling you how

you can best secure your car. A it is bad news when a thief is

scruffy enough to steal your car, but when drivers forget to lock

their car in the first place it is easy pickings for crooks.

There is an neighbourhood in Stourbridge near Birmingham where

the residents seem to trust one another and off Allott. It might be

that everyone here just has a very nice neighbours, because lots of

them do not seem too bothered about locking up their cars. We take it

as a positive that people feel comfortable and that they can leave

their cars unlocked because they do not think they will be victims of

crime. But when there was a sharp rise in crime in the area the

police went to find out what was going on. We were really surprised

by the amount of vehicles that were left unlocked. Two days later we

found 80. Within two days we had potentially 140 victims of crime.

Now the team are on a mission to get the locals to lock up their

cars. We are physically checking the vehicles to make sure they are

open or locked. If you bear with us, we welcome to you. The team have

already found a vehicle straight away. It is a van with the door

open and a load of tools out on display. We found your vehicle on

the street and it was not secure. The door was unlocked. The doors

were all open. Can you come out and rectify the situation? I usually

Lockett because there are tours in it. I left it open and went into

the house and made an appointment with the dentist and that was it.

Soon that the police found another unlocked door of. All the doors are

open. We have just checked it and it is not locked. I know.Do you

often leave it open? You need to address that. We are trying to

identify all the vehicles that are not secure and let the owners know

so that they know. I appreciate that. Please take it in the spirit

in which it is intended. We have been out for about 20 minutes and

have got about five or six already. I suppose everybody is looking out

for everybody. Just is tempting I that valuables left out on display.

There is a bag on the back seat. There is also clearly someone's

identity badge on the front. Would you mind coming to the vehicle and

removing it? I will do that. Fantastic. And the badge on the

front seat. A fantastic. It would be better to bring it into the

house. Absolutely, because you never know what people's intentions

will be. And just when you thought it could not get any worse.

need to be aware of leaving valuables like that. You need to

secure your vehicle. OK. I think my little boy was with me and I was

distracted by the children and I left my credit cards -- credit

cards as well. It was appalling. has been a busy night with 21 cars

found unsecured in less than three hours. But they are not going to

get up on the neighbourhood. will never stop with this kind of

tactic. Offenders will always be out there and we will do our very

best to make sure we reduce the offenders and reduce the number of

vehicles they can actually break into. Leaving your car unlocked is

undoubtedly an open invitation for thieves, but nowadays the modern

cars are fitted with all sorts of security devices which make the job

pretty difficult. But what about the classic Mini? In the 1950s the

safety devices and security were pretty crude. Reshan is a many

lover, but he is going to show us how easily and quickly it can be

done to get into a car like this. I am going to time him. The stopwatch

is on. Obviously we are not going to show you exactly how he did that,

for obvious reasons, but it illustrates the point that people

have to be very careful and think about how they can secure cars like

this one will stop he is inside the vehicle now. We have got 23 seconds

on the clock. I am not sure what he was doing. He has just started the

car. Stop the clock and it is 34 seconds. Come on out. 34 seconds it

took you to do that. What we want to talk about is securing cars like

this. What can people do to protect them? The problem with the old Mini

is that the locks and the barrel is really worn out, so replace them as

soon as you can be. �22 and job done. What about these things?This

is a selection of steering locks. This is one of the better ones. It

is a visual deterrent as well as a good security one. That would put

somebody off. Yes, the time it takes to get that off, it is not

worth getting involved with. What about the smaller one? Again it is

different, the same principle. It goes through the steering wheel.

And the final item? It is a tracker. You can hide this anywhere in the

vehicle. They start at about �150 and got up to �300. The annual

subscription is about �100 a year. You are a many lover and Paul owns

the police car that we just sort. I'm sure you are devastated by the

theft. It is a bit concerning that you cannot leave the car anywhere

now. You cannot do it anymore. it is time to cast your eye over

our second batch of criminals caught on CCTV. Be warned, there is

some nasty stuff happening. Hinckley train station in Leicester

and a group have just got off this train, but something has upset one

of the women. One man decides talking is not enough and shoves

the guard backwards onto the train. There is a scuffle as his mates

tried to drag him away. The guard has been left shaken by the

incident. If you know anything, please get in touch. We are in

Salisbury and the man in the brown coat walking towards us has already

been assaulted by someone up an argument in a car park, but his

attack it is still angry and confronts him again in the street.

He pushes him to the floor. He suffered bruising and cuts to his

face and was very shaken up. Can you help the police solve this

crime? It is a cold, January evening, and there is trouble at a

club in Basildon. This guy has been kicked out, but his night is not

over. He greets a stranger and then suddenly punches sent in the face.

He is knocked out cold. The man realises he has injured his victims

seriously, but he runs off as his victim is being looked after by the

bouncers. He suffered at lead on the brain. We need to catch this

violent thug. Do you recognise this man? He suffered bleeding on his

brain. You can call us or text us. The space in the text message is

important. You can also e-mail us. And you can call this number

anonymously. The lines are very busy, so please keep calling if you

cannot get through. The roadshow is all about the nuts

and bolts of everyday policing, but here on BBC One later this morning

there is a programme that will tell you more about one particular group,

the special constables, who give their time for free.

The majority volunteer on Friday nights and weekends. This means

patrolling high streets and town centres, on the front line of

Britain's binge drinking culture. Tonight in the battle to reclaim

the streets is 21 year-old special Sergeant Lewis Newton and his

colleague, web developer, Adam. you are caught in the city centre,

you will be arrested. Taking a stand against the lager louts is

the reason he decided to become a volunteer. Binge drinking and anti-

social behaviour, somebody needs to crack down on that and that is what

I want to do and I will see that difference. Joining me now it is

Sam had Linton who has been a special since March last year. What

is your day job? I work at a nursing home as a care support

worker. Does that help you?Yes, during the day I help people with

learning disabilities and I get valuable experience which I can

bring into this. You do not look old enough, do people tell you

that? Yes, I get it all the time. I am only 21. What about the reaction

to this new job? What do you family and friends think I Stimac the a

all love it. They look at me and say, why are you doing this for

free? Absolutely enjoyed it. My mum is always knocking on the door and

asking me if I am OK. She is worried when you are out at night a

Stimac she does not do it so much now, but when I started. What is

the best thing for you? I love everything about it. And you get to

meet so many different people as well? Yes, it is just brilliant.We

wish you all the very best for your future. That programme is on at

11pm on BBC One. Last week we featured this 19-year-

old who police wanted to talk to in connection with a murder in south

London. The police are tracing a promising,Of enquiry. Plus we

featured this man who failed to turn up to court. The police are

following up a lead on that as well because of pure information.

What are you up to tomorrow? I am finding out how West Midlands

police are training a new generation of specialist stocks.

And on a more serious note, how they are tackling the link between

drugs and gangs. That is tomorrow. For more details on today's

programme had to the website. Finally, we are going to leave you