0:00:02 > 0:00:05Britain's bobbies see some bizarre things in the line of duty.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08I think they'll think twice about stealing an owl in future.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13And for this series, with the help of victims, cops and crooks,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16we've unearthed the UK's most audacious...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18- Go faster!- ..deviant...
0:00:18 > 0:00:20The guy's completely naked in the chimney.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23..and downright daft acts of criminality.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Stealing from a CCTV shop, it's not ironic, it's moronic.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30These odd offences all prove one thing -
0:00:30 > 0:00:33crime doesn't pay
0:00:33 > 0:00:35and the police won't rest until they get their man.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37We had him banged to rights.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40So observe your right to remain silent as we sentence you
0:00:40 > 0:00:46to 30 minutes of guilty pleasure in the weird world of Bizarre Crime.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Coming up...
0:01:16 > 0:01:19one student turns DIY detective
0:01:19 > 0:01:22to nab the crook who nabbed his phone.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26It did feel maybe that's what it could be liked to be a secret agent.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31The mysterious and mind-boggling plot behind the theft
0:01:31 > 0:01:35of a rare piece of British wartime history.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38The moment that I opened it to about there,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41it was clear that this was an Enigma machine.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But for our first story we're heading to Bristol
0:01:52 > 0:01:54for a spot of weird late-night looting
0:01:54 > 0:01:58resulting in one foolish felon being banged up for the night.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00But not quite in the way you'd expect.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04The image of the bin with just these two feet just hanging...
0:02:06 > 0:02:08..it'll always stay in my head.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12If you're thinking of trying any monkey business
0:02:12 > 0:02:16at Willow Brook Retail Park near Bristol, you won't get very far.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18The security team
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and the security coverage with the cameras is phenomenal
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and it's rare that anything actually happens around this centre
0:02:24 > 0:02:26that we don't know about.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Spotting shoplifters and keeping the centre safe
0:02:30 > 0:02:33is all in a day's work for the security team.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38But in April 2011 the cameras picked up a bizarre criminal caper
0:02:38 > 0:02:40that no-one saw coming.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45At 12:10 we noticed that things weren't as they should have been.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Yeah, control to Matt, are you receiving?
0:02:49 > 0:02:51'Yeah, receiving. Go ahead.'
0:02:51 > 0:02:56To Gareth's amazement CCTV captured someone making a deposit
0:02:56 > 0:02:59into a Red Cross charity recycling bin.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Yeah, mate, I've noticed on camera, buddy, it's a bit of a strange one.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08But it wasn't a stash of clothes to help the needy,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11it was a partner in crime to help the greedy.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14So I checked the camera twice, you know, because
0:03:14 > 0:03:17you want to make sure what you're seeing is right
0:03:17 > 0:03:20because the size of that gap is so small you can't even comprehend
0:03:20 > 0:03:22somebody getting in the bin.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29With the help of his mate the nimble crim
0:03:29 > 0:03:32had somehow squeezed himself through a gap
0:03:32 > 0:03:35little bigger than your average cat flap.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40You're talking a gap that kind of size.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Once inside the bin bandits worked in tandem.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51The fella within passed clothes out
0:03:51 > 0:03:54while his accomplice on the outside grabbed the garments
0:03:54 > 0:03:56and carefully folded them into a neat little pile.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58No matter how comical the situation is
0:03:58 > 0:04:00it's something we take very seriously.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Can you approach as soon as, please?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06'Yeah, I'm nearly there now, control."
0:04:08 > 0:04:11As the thief outside spotted security,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14clearly wracked with concern for his bin bound buddy,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17he did what any loyal friend would do -
0:04:17 > 0:04:18he scarpered.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Just left him in the lurch, well and truly.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Didn't worry about anything other than himself, to be perfectly frank.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27His mate was stranded and on his own,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30but things had gone strangely quiet in the bin.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35- What's actually going on, mate? - 'I can just hear rummaging from inside the bin.'
0:04:35 > 0:04:38We got no response from the gentleman whatsoever.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41You know, at that point we're sort of thinking, you know,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45is he all right, you know, is he in there?
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Unsure whether they were dealing with a bin burglar or a new David Blaine
0:04:49 > 0:04:52the security team decided not to take any chances.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Yeah, could I request police, please?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Theft from one of the charity bins.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01We actually have one of them still in the bin.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05As emergency services arrived at the scene
0:05:05 > 0:05:09the bin was still reserving his right to remain silent.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10The police were
0:05:10 > 0:05:12trying to make contact with the person in the bin,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14shouting into the bin and tapping on the bin.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17They actually had like a big sort of rod.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19They were actually prodding inside the bin
0:05:19 > 0:05:21to try and gain a reaction from him
0:05:21 > 0:05:23and he kept completely quiet.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26So that put a little bit of doubt in our mind
0:05:26 > 0:05:28as to whether anyone was actually in there or not.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30There was this discussion,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33are we telling the truth, is this actually going on?
0:05:33 > 0:05:37We go back to the security guard and he was adamant there was still somebody in the bin.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Exactly what was the silent squatter doing in there?
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Enjoying a good book?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Tucking into a little light supper?
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Updating his Twitter feed?
0:05:51 > 0:05:54He may well have been injured,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56we just would not have known.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57They had to get him out.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Concerned for the garment grabber's safety,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03firefighters decided it was time to empty the bin.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06We ended up using some hacksaws just to cut through the bolts
0:06:06 > 0:06:09and brute strength to bend the panel back at the end.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Attacking it like a giant tin can,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16firefighters pulled out a panel on top of the bin
0:06:16 > 0:06:19creating enough room for a brave bobby to climb inside.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23You know, it's hard not to laugh in these sort of situations,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25when you've got socks flying everywhere.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28And after a few odd socks and discarded frocks,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32the next thing the police pulled out was the criminal contortionist.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33This little man
0:06:33 > 0:06:37on the end of a policeman's arm, you know, it was sort of, it is funny.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45I didn't even believe that anyone was in the bin until we actually saw the police
0:06:45 > 0:06:49coming out with this guy that had been hiding away
0:06:49 > 0:06:53cos he didn't actually say anything, he didn't speak to the police.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54He was just stood there...
0:06:55 > 0:06:57..under arrest.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Your first impression is, "God, they've got to be really desperate",
0:07:01 > 0:07:04and then when you actually look at it in detail
0:07:04 > 0:07:08it's not being desperate, it's more trying to make money relatively quickly.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12The flexible felon's plan was pretty simple.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Grab unwanted wardrobe items for nothing
0:07:15 > 0:07:17and sell them on for a tidy profit.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22But their gain would, of course, have been the charity's loss.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28We're talking about £400,000 that have been raised from these bins just in the South West alone
0:07:28 > 0:07:30since 2007
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and that's obviously hugely vital to us,
0:07:33 > 0:07:39so anything that impacts on that will have an affect on our work.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43The thief was arrested and interviewed by Avon and Somerset Police
0:07:43 > 0:07:47but perhaps taking into account time already served in the bin,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49they decided to release him with a caution.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52I don't think any of us will ever know how he did it, to be fair,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54it was definitely something I'll never forget
0:07:54 > 0:07:58and one of the most bizarre instances I'm ever likely to see in this job.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06In Bizarre Crime we're treating you
0:08:06 > 0:08:10to some of the most calamitous, criminal acts caught on camera.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14And first up is possibly the world's worse bank robber
0:08:14 > 0:08:17who's as short sighted as he is shifty.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20As he hands over his demand note, he's blissfully unaware
0:08:20 > 0:08:25that right behind him is a security guard watching his every move.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28As the guard steps in to intervene
0:08:28 > 0:08:31it becomes apparent this pair are Strictly fans.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Although it looks like they're a long way off
0:08:39 > 0:08:40perfecting their Paso Doble.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43After a quick burst of the robber's rumba
0:08:43 > 0:08:46the eagle-eyed crook makes a dash for it
0:08:46 > 0:08:48closely followed by his dancing partner.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55We'd give them...
0:08:55 > 0:08:57seven!
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Alongside CCTV, police deploy a range of tactics
0:09:08 > 0:09:10in their fight against crime
0:09:10 > 0:09:14including, of course, the trusted photofit.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16But even police artists have their off days
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and this week's criminal countdown
0:09:18 > 0:09:21presents some of the world's egregious E-fits.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26And we promise you that while these might look unbelievably bad,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30they're all genuine images released by real police forces.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33First up is the wonderfully detailed portrait
0:09:33 > 0:09:37of a robber wanted by Gwent Police in 2008.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The attention that has been lavished on rendering such a lifelike cap
0:09:40 > 0:09:42is admirable -
0:09:42 > 0:09:44it's just a shame more time and effort
0:09:44 > 0:09:47wasn't expended on eyes, nose, hair - a face, basically.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Why the long face, you might ask this fella?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Well, if you looked like this in real life,
0:09:53 > 0:09:54you'd probably feel a bit glum.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55This, by all accounts,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59is the likeness of a bank raider wanted by Dyffed, Powys Police,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02whose artist must have run their marker pen dry
0:10:02 > 0:10:06colouring in that dense helmet of hair that even Brian May might envy.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15But he's not the oddest-looking looter around
0:10:15 > 0:10:20if this E-fit issued by Norfolk Police in 2006 is anything to go by.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23The features that look like they've been popped on
0:10:23 > 0:10:26in Mr Potato Head fashion are disturbing enough.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31But the most mind boggling-final flourishes
0:10:31 > 0:10:35must be the missing bit of ear and the stick on Hitler moustache.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40But at least he's got a nice head of tousled, natural-looking hair,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43not like this burglar Hampshire Police were hunting
0:10:43 > 0:10:45who looks like he's used lettuce as a disguise
0:10:45 > 0:10:48during a robbery in 2010.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52# It's not that easy being green. #
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Weirder still is the bank robber in this E-fit
0:10:57 > 0:10:59put out by Thai Police in 2008
0:10:59 > 0:11:01who appears to have a very big bulbous head,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04large black ears and a silvery face
0:11:04 > 0:11:06seemingly lacking distinct features,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08or maybe he's wearing a helmet.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10We suspect the reward offered
0:11:10 > 0:11:12for information on this suspect may go uncollected.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17But undoubtedly the world's worst wanted poster
0:11:17 > 0:11:19was released by Bolivian Police in 2009.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24Drawn by a witness it depicted a suspect who lacked ears,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27sported a wonky mouth and who was, without question,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31having a very, very bad hair day.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33But the cops had the last laugh
0:11:33 > 0:11:35as they actually managed to catch this crook
0:11:35 > 0:11:39although it's not clear just how big a part this image had to play
0:11:39 > 0:11:41in the criminal's eventual arrest.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54For our next case we're heading to Manchester
0:11:54 > 0:11:55where one have-a-go hero
0:11:55 > 0:11:59deployed odd and ingenious methods to turn DIY spy
0:11:59 > 0:12:03as part of a plan to foil a phone-swiping felon.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06It did feel exciting,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09maybe that's what it could be liked to be a secret agent.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19Most of Manchester's 85,000 students are rarely without their trusted phone
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and James Bird and Nick Crisp are no exception.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26But in March 2011, James faced that gut-wrenching prospect
0:12:26 > 0:12:29of having to put life on hold when his mobile was swiped
0:12:29 > 0:12:34after the two friends spotted a shifty character in the university computer room.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39He didn't look like a student or look like a lecturer -
0:12:39 > 0:12:41a bit rough round the edges.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I turned around and I was talking to Nick
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and I when I turned back round the phone had gone off the desk.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Leaping to his feet James confronted the suspicious-looking guy
0:12:50 > 0:12:52he thought had nabbed his mobile.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54He was wearing so many layers of clothes,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57he turned out probably about six pockets to me,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59and was like, "No, I've not got it,"
0:12:59 > 0:13:01I thought, have I made a mistake?
0:13:01 > 0:13:03But there was no mistake. James' phone had gone.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04My stomach just sank,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07it was sort of like - what am I going to do?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09How am I going to get it back?
0:13:09 > 0:13:12While most of us might have chalked the theft up to experience
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and made the call to put a stop on the phone,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17James wasn't going to take this lying down.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20The first thing that popped into my head was sign on and look at the GPS.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25James' smartphone was smarter than most.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Equipped with GPS technology the phone could be tracked by US military satellites
0:13:30 > 0:13:34and via a nifty app, accurately located on a map.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37James and Nick decided to use this app
0:13:37 > 0:13:39as part of an unusual but inspired plan
0:13:39 > 0:13:42and Operation Angry Bird was launched.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48As the thief strolled off
0:13:48 > 0:13:51unaware that his every move was tracked,
0:13:51 > 0:13:52the two friends moved fast
0:13:52 > 0:13:55logging on to an account linked to James' phone.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59It was quite clear the dot on the middle of the screen was moving
0:13:59 > 0:14:01and moving away from the building we were in.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Nick's job would be Mission Control,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05tracking the target across Manchester,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09while James would hit the streets and, guided by Nick,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13catch up with the crook. But the hunt got off to a shaky start.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Whereabouts is he now?
0:14:15 > 0:14:19'I couldn't see him at all - I'd obviously gone the wrong way.'
0:14:19 > 0:14:21With time of the essence and the thief out of sight,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24it was down to Nick to get James back on track.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26As soon as I got my bearings, I could tell
0:14:26 > 0:14:30how close he was getting to where the phone was.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Then, all of a sudden, the thief stopped.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39I was saying, "It's stopped, it's stopped.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41"Just get there as soon as you can".
0:14:41 > 0:14:46As James turned the corner, his target finally came into sight,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48casually boarding a bus.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Jumping on after him, James came face to face with the crafty crim.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57As they eyed each other up,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59James realised that a showdown with the thief
0:14:59 > 0:15:01might not have been such a good idea.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05You're quite fired up that you managed to catch up with him
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and you know that your phone's on him somewhere
0:15:07 > 0:15:09but he could have been carrying a knife,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Thankfully, the pair didn't come to blows on the bus
0:15:17 > 0:15:21and after a colourful exchange, the thief handed James his phone back.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25It was quite surreal, really, he just handed me the phone back,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27casually walked off down the street.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30But this wasn't the thief's lucky day.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31As he jumped back off the bus,
0:15:31 > 0:15:36James noticed a police van directly behind him and immediately set the cops on the crook's case.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40I got out of the van and followed the offender down the street.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42He just turned onto a side street
0:15:42 > 0:15:46and tried to hide behind a metal container that was in the street.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51The thief was placed under arrest, while James got on with sharing his story with the world -
0:15:51 > 0:15:53how else, but on his beloved phone?
0:15:53 > 0:15:56I tweeted from the police car on the way to give a statement -
0:15:56 > 0:15:59"Had my phone stolen, but got it back straightaway."
0:16:01 > 0:16:04At the station, police discovered the phone snatcher
0:16:04 > 0:16:07was wanted for a range of other thefts.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11At Manchester Magistrate's Court, he was found guilty of four counts of burglary,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13as well as the theft of James' phone,
0:16:13 > 0:16:18resulting in a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20James, Nick and operation Angry Bird
0:16:20 > 0:16:25had collared not just a phone thief but a serial robber.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Because of James' quick thinking and the work he has done to get his own phone back,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32he's been rewarded with the Chief Constables' commendation.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Usually, it's to recognise outstanding achievement, really -
0:16:35 > 0:16:37it's not something that's given out every day
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and it is a very good achievement for James.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Here's wishing brave James a university career
0:16:44 > 0:16:46as successful as his crime fighting.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Time now for more criminal moments caught on camera,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and here's one witless robber about to make a real splash.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02As he makes his gazelle-like getaway,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05he's failed to spot the lily pond on the other side of the pot plants.
0:17:07 > 0:17:13# Run away you'd better not hesitate
0:17:13 > 0:17:15# Better hurry, don't wait now
0:17:15 > 0:17:17# Run away... #
0:17:17 > 0:17:20But at least he's not the last to leave the scene -
0:17:20 > 0:17:22that'd be THIS calm, collected crim -
0:17:22 > 0:17:25no danger HE'LL be taking a dip.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28But it's not always crooks who end up leaving the scene
0:17:28 > 0:17:30in an unusual or unexpected way.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Here's a traffic cop in the States having a bad day.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38As he goes over to ask the driver to step out of the vehicle,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40rather than put two feet on the ground,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42he puts one foot on the pedal.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Fortunately, the fleet-footed officer got off with only minor injuries,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55while the crims didn't get away with a thing.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05For Bizarre Crime, we've turned the spotlight on the cops,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09asking serving and retired officers from across the country to recount
0:18:09 > 0:18:13the funniest and freakiest things they've encountered.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17What you're about to hear might sound far-fetched,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21but it's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24THEY COUGH
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Welcome to Bizarre Crime's Police Confessional.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Exhibit K - waste disposal.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36We went to arrest somebody for burglary, and when we did this,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40the unfortunate guy decided that his escape
0:18:40 > 0:18:43was via the communal waste chute.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47What he didn't realise was that he was on the fourth floor,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51and eventually we picked him up with a broken leg
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and up to the eyes in rubbish.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Clearly, he didn't realise that the communal chute goes all the way down to the bottom floor.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Our final story is a truly baffling,
0:19:07 > 0:19:12ultimately unsolved case that involves an English country estate,
0:19:12 > 0:19:17a Nazi encoder, a strange and shadowy blackmail plot and this man.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18Good evening.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Confused?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22You soon will be.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27This is Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire,
0:19:27 > 0:19:33once the top-secret base for Britain's World War II code-cracking boffins.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Today, it's a museum, and its most prized exhibit is the Enigma machine.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Captured from German forces during the war,
0:19:40 > 0:19:46it was used to decipher the Nazi's otherwise unbreakable secret code.
0:19:46 > 0:19:52It's one of only three in the world so you can imagine the horror the museum's former director felt
0:19:52 > 0:19:56when she got a call in April 2000, telling her
0:19:56 > 0:19:59the Enigma machine had disappeared.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03It's probably one of the worst things that could ever have happened
0:20:03 > 0:20:05to Bletchley Park,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09losing a really, really important piece of national history.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11I was shocked to the core.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Bletchley Park had hundreds of visitors the day the machine vanished,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18so the police had their work cut out for them.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21There were no particular suspects,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23there were no positive leads for the enquiry
0:20:23 > 0:20:25from members of the public, at all.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29In the face of a national outcry, the police pulled out all the stops,
0:20:29 > 0:20:34yet despite their best efforts, the trail soon went cold
0:20:34 > 0:20:39and there was a genuine fear the precious museum piece could have been lost forever.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44But five months later, Christine got a very odd letter.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It struck me as very bizarre.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52It had quite a warped element to it.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It was typed on something that looked like a very old machine.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57One sentence reads,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00"I've been asked by the current owner,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03"the above Enigma machine,
0:21:03 > 0:21:04"who purchased it in good faith,"
0:21:04 > 0:21:09"in good faith being the operative word,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11"to say and tell you now today
0:21:11 > 0:21:15"the unwitting person having no ultimate desire
0:21:15 > 0:21:21"of depraving your august self or anyone the pleasure to see it again."
0:21:22 > 0:21:28To be honest, it struck me as slightly unhinged, is the way that I would describe it.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Over the coming weeks, Christine received more letters
0:21:31 > 0:21:35claiming that the Enigma machine had been bought by someone
0:21:35 > 0:21:37who didn't know it was stolen.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40They'd return it, they said,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44but to ensure they weren't out of pocket, they demanded £25,000,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48or else the museum's prized possession would be destroyed.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51That is still blackmail, that is still extortion,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and we had a responsibility to recover the machine
0:21:54 > 0:21:58without paying out that particular money.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03But who was the shadowy figure sat behind the typewriter?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06The answer is - this man - Dennis Yates.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It should have really been a simple matter of paying £25,000
0:22:09 > 0:22:13and getting the machine back, which is what I hoped it would be.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Dennis might have been writing and sending letters,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20but to this day, he claims that he did not steal the Enigma machine
0:22:20 > 0:22:24and wasn't holding it to ransom to get cash for himself -
0:22:24 > 0:22:30he maintains the stolen machine came to him from a mystery man he calls...
0:22:32 > 0:22:33..The Master.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Dennis claims The Master was pulling all the strings,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41using him as an intermediary between him and Bletchley Park,
0:22:41 > 0:22:46and the next surreal step in The Master's plan was to keep the case in the public eye
0:22:46 > 0:22:49by getting Dennis to send the machine to a high profile figure.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Good evening.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Yes - Dennis had randomly posted the Enigma machine to Jeremy Paxman.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59It arrived in a box here at Newsnight,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01actually at the end of, erm, last week,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and has been knocking around the office.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05It was only when a colleague came over this afternoon
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and said, "There's a whacking great box over there for you",
0:23:08 > 0:23:10that I went over to open it -
0:23:10 > 0:23:13the moment I opened it to about there,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16it was clear that this was an Enigma machine.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19But if police thought the case was closed,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21they were in for a nasty surprise.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25When Jeremy Paxman received the case for the Enigma,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28it wasn't the complete package
0:23:28 > 0:23:30because the most valuable element,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32the rotor arms, were missing,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34and it was another twist,
0:23:34 > 0:23:39another quirk in what was becoming an increasingly bizarre investigation.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Dennis had removed crucial code-cracking rotors
0:23:43 > 0:23:48so he could continue to demand the 25 grand, but at this point,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52the police were no closer to knowing the identity of the bizarre blackmailer,
0:23:52 > 0:23:57and with Bletchley Park still refusing to pay the ransom and Paxo back to his day job...
0:23:57 > 0:24:01- Good evening. - ..the surreal investigation reached another stalemate.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06But Dennis wasn't a man to be defeated.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08He hatched a new plan to keep the story alive
0:24:08 > 0:24:12by getting in touch with Sunday Times journalist Nick Fielding.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15He tried working directly with the police,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and, erm, with Bletchley Park authorities
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and it hadn't worked for whatever reason,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22so he was looking for somebody to be an intermediary.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Perhaps inspired by the Enigma machine's history,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Dennis decided that all communication between him and Nick
0:24:27 > 0:24:32would be via coded messages in the Times' personal column.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34It was the only way that I could contact them
0:24:34 > 0:24:40without direct telephone contact or speaking to anybody personally.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46Yates wanted us to arrange a drop-off of a large amount of money - £25,000 -
0:24:46 > 0:24:50to take it to a cemetery in Derbyshire
0:24:50 > 0:24:55and to leave it on the grave of a woman called Alice Fletcher.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59What Dennis didn't know
0:24:59 > 0:25:04was that Nick was working with the police, who seized the opportunity to set up a sting operation.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Following Dennis' instructions,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09they placed a package in the cemetery
0:25:09 > 0:25:11before putting it under surveillance.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Cops spent three days hiding out, waiting for someone to show up.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19By sheer bad luck on the final day just three hours after they'd left,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Dennis arrived. But as police had removed the package,
0:25:23 > 0:25:28Dennis assumed the drop-off hadn't happened and toddled home.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Dennis had narrowly slipped through their fingers,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34but a few days later, police got a second chance.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Eager beaver Dennis abandoned the personals and phoned Nick direct.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41He was a bit flustered. What I said to him was,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43"I don't have much to say to you at this moment,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46"but can you call me back in two days' time?" He said that he would,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and we arranged a time that he would call me.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53The cops had traced Dennis' call to a phone box in Derbyshire,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and two days later they were ready and waiting,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00hoping he'd make the schoolboy error of using the same phone to call Nick back.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Sure enough, Dennis finally slipped up.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08I began talking to him and again he was quite flustered -
0:26:08 > 0:26:13suddenly, to my left, I heard the police officer shout
0:26:13 > 0:26:16quite loudly into his mobile phone...
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Strike, strike, strike!
0:26:20 > 0:26:24And in the other ear, where I was listening to the phone, I heard...
0:26:24 > 0:26:26You're nicked.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31Frightening...
0:26:31 > 0:26:35there must have been a dozen special branch officers,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and they asked me what I was doing, and I said I'm trying to
0:26:39 > 0:26:42negotiate the return of the Enigma to Bletchley Park.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I made no secret about what I was doing,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48cos it was obvious that I couldn't deny it.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52At last the police had their man, or so they thought.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Dennis denied actually stealing the Enigma machine
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and stuck to his story that he was acting on behalf of the mysterious Master.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03He was only ever found guilty of handling stolen goods
0:27:03 > 0:27:07and sentenced to ten months in prison.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11No doubt Dennis now rues the day he ever set eyes on the Enigma machine.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I should have said, you know, "I'm not interested,
0:27:14 > 0:27:15"it's nothing to do with me".
0:27:15 > 0:27:19If I'd have thought it was ever going to turn out the way that it did,
0:27:19 > 0:27:20I would never have got involved.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23The missing rotors were recovered
0:27:23 > 0:27:27and the national treasure safely returned to Bletchley Park,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30where it's now protected by sophisticated infrared security systems.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32But while the machine might be safe,
0:27:32 > 0:27:38the enigma surrounding its disappearance refuses to go away.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40The case in itself is an enigma,
0:27:40 > 0:27:45and I happen to know that some police officers have decided
0:27:45 > 0:27:49that as long as they live, they're never ever going to give up
0:27:49 > 0:27:53until they find the man who stole the Enigma Machine.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Next time on Bizarre Crime...
0:28:03 > 0:28:07a bizarre criminal obsession terrorises a seaside town...
0:28:07 > 0:28:10It was an extremely weird thing to do,
0:28:10 > 0:28:15to go out and basically bring the whole of Bournemouth to a standstill.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18..and possibly the world's stupidest crime is caught on camera.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20How stupid can one be?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23There's cameras absolutely everywhere - idiots!
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd