0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15police and other agencies are using new technology and tactics,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18where the bad guys are actually getting caught in the act.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21I can see the man actually commit the robbery.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Lovely, thank you very much.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Local councils, shops and businesses are laying some traps of their own.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Why should we feel frightened for the rest of our lives?
0:00:29 > 0:00:30And the general public, too,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33can help unsuspecting crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35No way are you getting away.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38We did it for everyone else as well that she might be stealing from.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39We will name and shame you.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43So, anyone who is up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45They might just get caught red-handed.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Today, a friend in need but not in deed,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59because what she's doing is stealing from a friend.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03By doing errands for my mum she gained her trust.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06She's grabbing a great-grandmother's pension,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09but the family are filming her.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Also today, a blot on the landscape.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Over 30 bags of illegally dumped rubbish rotting in a country lane.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19- We're absolutely fed up with it. - But what's this?
0:01:19 > 0:01:22In the middle of the junk, a fast-food receipt
0:01:22 > 0:01:25that's a clue to the whole dirty business.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Also, mind your backs and mind your bags.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32You'll be asking yourself, "Why didn't anybody see that?"
0:01:32 > 0:01:35How police in London bagged a gang of bag snatchers.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46LOCATION DOT BEEPS
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Bridlington, Yorkshire.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55This building is part of a retirement home complex.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This is the view inside one of the flats.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02It belongs to Hazel, a 92-year-old great-grandmother.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05We can see inside because her son, Roy,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09has hidden CCTV camera on top of a cabinet.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12That's Hazel there, ready to go out for Sunday lunch with Roy.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18A moment later, she's collected and the flat is empty.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22All is quiet, but not for long.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30The CCTV camera triggers after just three minutes. And a woman enters.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33She's a friend of Hazel's called Gillian.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34This was the lady
0:02:34 > 0:02:36that had befriended mum
0:02:36 > 0:02:40and got bread from the shop for her and things like that.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43But it turns out that Gillian is not such a good friend after all.
0:02:51 > 0:02:5492-year-old Hazel lives by herself.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55She manages pretty well
0:02:55 > 0:02:58but have some problems with her mobility, which means
0:02:58 > 0:03:03she needs regular support from Roy and his wife, Cherril.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Hazel is a very loving, thoughtful lady.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10My mum used to be very active, by getting on the buses
0:03:10 > 0:03:12and having days out on her own.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Since her legs have started playing up, she's now
0:03:17 > 0:03:21more or less housebound unless we take her out.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Hazel is also extremely hard of hearing
0:03:24 > 0:03:26and can find communication difficult.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29What are you going to have for dinner?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- What am I going to have for dinner? - Yeah.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Salad. Mince pie and a salad.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- Are you having a cup of tea?- Yes.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39- Does she want one?- Yeah.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43She's never been 100% confident, even when she was younger.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46And obviously now she's older, certainly not.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50She relies on a lot of people and trusts everybody.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52So when Gillian, a nearby neighbour,
0:03:52 > 0:03:57offers to run some errands, Hazel welcomes her help with open arms.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01This neighbour lives in this complex
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and she's made friends of an awful lot of people.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08She goes to the shop for them
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and collects their pension and this, that and the other.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13I think over a period of time,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16by doing errands for my mum, she gained her trust.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20As did many others.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23But soon after, Hazel tells her family that she is finding
0:04:23 > 0:04:26her pension isn't stretching as far as it should.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Money seems to be disappearing.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31We didn't know whether she was buying the odd pair of earrings,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35buying the odd skirt. So we just had to brush it by.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39But Roy doesn't brush it off completely.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42He begins to keep a closer eye on Hazel's finances,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45collecting her pension and noting what she spends.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49We used to come up every other day
0:04:49 > 0:04:52But now it got to where we were coming up every day.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57On one occasion, he finds £80 has gone missing from her cash box
0:04:57 > 0:04:59when he'd only just put it there the day before.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03It's a mystery how it happened and a mystery he wants to solve.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08She hadn't been anywhere, no cause to spend it.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11It was only the day after, we knew it was there.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15So that's when we decided, well, something needs doing.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Our thoughts were obviously somebody had been in,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21somebody had stole this money.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25The only way to catch that somebody was to put some cameras in.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31Roy buys a set of motion sensor CCTV cameras and puts them in position,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34and he checks what's being recorded every day.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Nothing happens for a fortnight.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Then on a Sunday, Hazel goes out to Roy and Cherril's for lunch,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44leaving her flat empty.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47But only a few minutes after she's left,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50one of the motion sensor cameras is triggered.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Someone has entered the room.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56It's Gillian, and she's in a hurry.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58She goes straight to the kitchen cupboard
0:05:58 > 0:06:00where Hazel keeps her cash box.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05But ever since the £80 went missing, Hazel has kept the box locked.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07All she finds is some loose change,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10so Gillian sets off rummaging around the flat.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14She's obviously looking for the key to the cash box.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Gillian rifles through Hazel's handbag,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21making sure she's out of sight of the window.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25She doesn't find the key,
0:06:25 > 0:06:30so Gillian goes to plan B and decides to take the whole cash box.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32She sticks it under her coat.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Far from helping out a vulnerable neighbour,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41this so-called friend is helping herself to Hazel's pension.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Gillian then leaves.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51When Roy and Cherril bring Hazel home a couple of hours later,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54they immediately sense something is wrong.
0:06:54 > 0:07:00I put the key in the door, realised it was unlocked and that straightaway
0:07:00 > 0:07:04made me suspicious because I felt sure that Mum would have locked it.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07So I did what I've been doing for a fortnight since the cameras went in.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Straight into the kitchen to check where her money was.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And of course the box was missing.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16With that I immediately checked the footage.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21What he sees comes as a real shock, but Roy is pleased that
0:07:21 > 0:07:25the evidence from his cameras will mean that the thief will be caught.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30I was absolutely delighted, absolutely bang to rights.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31What can you say?
0:07:32 > 0:07:36We had such good footage, she actually walked right up
0:07:36 > 0:07:40to where the camera was and we had a really great picture of her face.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Angry at the betrayal of his mother's trust,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Roy hands over the film to the police and Gillian is soon arrested.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52She was still saying it wasn't her, she had an alibi,
0:07:52 > 0:07:57but then they confronted her with the footage and she just came clean.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01- She said, "Oh, yes, you've got me." - We'd actually caught a thief.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09In court, Gillian Carlton King pleads guilty to burglary
0:08:09 > 0:08:11and is sentenced to nine months in prison.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18But it took months before Hazel could get over the actions
0:08:18 > 0:08:21of the woman she'd come to regard as a friend.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24She's calming down a lot now but obviously at first
0:08:24 > 0:08:29she was extremely wary because this woman lived in the same complex.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33She was frightened that she'd bump into her in the corridors and things.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Hazel will never again have to see the woman who abused her friendship.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39As well as receiving a prison sentence,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Gillian has also been evicted from this building
0:08:43 > 0:08:45where her actions caused such shock and disbelief.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50A lot of them, even now, don't believe that she has done it.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Even though she's been placed in prison,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56there's still disbelievers, which is amazing.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01Everybody needs good neighbours, yes, but thankfully Roy's cameras
0:09:01 > 0:09:05were there to protect Hazel from a neighbour who was not a good friend.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- Oh, thank you.- OK?- Yes.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Your bloomin' hands are freezing!
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- Cold hands, warm heart.- Oh.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Well, I'm just really pleased we put those cameras in
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and that we actually caught the thief.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Criminals like to operate at times and in places
0:09:30 > 0:09:32when we are off guard.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Sneak thieves especially like happy hours in pubs,
0:09:34 > 0:09:35when they are very, very busy.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38And if you don't keep your eye on your valuables during those
0:09:38 > 0:09:42times, that happy hour could soon turn into a very unhappy hour.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45LOCATION DOT BEEPS
0:09:48 > 0:09:50The City of London.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53One square mile of high-rise offices, restaurants
0:09:53 > 0:09:58and bars that cater for the influx of 300,000 commuters each day.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Two professional-looking men walking past this busy restaurant
0:10:04 > 0:10:07appear to spot a table they'd like to take their lunch at.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11The man who's carrying a bag
0:10:11 > 0:10:14squeezes into a seat behind other customers.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18But just a couple of minutes later,
0:10:18 > 0:10:19before they've even ordered,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21the pair get up and leave.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26The maitre d' finds a bag on the floor and assumes it belongs
0:10:26 > 0:10:30to the nearest customer. But she says it's not hers.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33And it isn't. It's a decoy.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35The customer's actual bag
0:10:35 > 0:10:39went out the door with those two businessmen a moment earlier.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42These are professional criminals. This is their career.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44They are stealing from professional people in the City,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47who are enjoying their job and dressed appropriately,
0:10:47 > 0:10:48these people are dressed appropriately
0:10:48 > 0:10:50to carry out their job, which is to steal.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53These thieves may be professional, but some of the venues
0:10:53 > 0:10:56where they choose to work are under secret surveillance
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and the police are on their trail.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08It's early summer in the City and the weather is hotting up.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Tourists and commuters
0:11:09 > 0:11:12pile into the restaurants, seeking refreshment.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13The crime reports begin to
0:11:13 > 0:11:17pile in on Detective Sergeant Grahame Mace's desk.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21We were finding that our thefts from licensed premises and restaurants
0:11:21 > 0:11:26were really starting to go up, and over quite a short period of time.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Grahame is working as part of a special unit
0:11:28 > 0:11:32at the City of London Police, dedicated to lowering thefts
0:11:32 > 0:11:34from restaurants and bars.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36They start by gathering any CCTV evidence.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38What we specialise in is linking crimes
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and being able to identify offenders.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44We're able to look at footage to pick these people out
0:11:44 > 0:11:46and we're able then to identify three people
0:11:46 > 0:11:50that were committing the crimes through the CCTV footage.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52It turns out that one small but very active gang
0:11:52 > 0:11:55is responsible for the sudden spike in thefts.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58We didn't know who they were at this point.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00We just literally had faces and their description.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03The gang seemed to work in pairs.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Let's just look at how they stole that woman's bag earlier.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10They're very, very confident. They were able to go into bars,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12interact with staff, be comfortable
0:12:12 > 0:12:15and not draw any attention to themselves.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19They take their seats next to the bag they've chosen to steal.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Their main method was to sit back-to-back with the victim
0:12:22 > 0:12:25so that the victim's directly behind them.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28They would take their jacket off, place it on the chair behind them.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31This helps to cloak what they're up to.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32Then in one swift movement,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36the man takes the woman's bag and leaves his decoy bag in its place.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39It's quite unbelievable what they actually do.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41They pick the bags up, they pass it over the table to each other.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44You will be asking yourself, "Why didn't anybody see that?"
0:12:44 > 0:12:47And the reason is, they're doing it so open,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49it's not drawing any attention to them.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52They make up an excuse to the staff and leave.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Cold, calculating
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and with no concern for the effect on their victim.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01This isn't just a bag worth £400-£500.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02Everything is stored in there,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05our mobile phones, laptops and our tablets.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06So we would liken it to somebody coming in
0:13:06 > 0:13:09and burgling your house and taking all your personal possessions.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11This is somebody's life
0:13:11 > 0:13:14that is actually getting taken away from them.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It's a loss Melissa knows only too well.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21I was going out with friends and having a really nice night.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24We just went out into one of the bars. We were sat down.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29And I had my handbag next to me on the seat, and I remember getting
0:13:29 > 0:13:33up to go to the bar, and I went to get my bag and it had just gone.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35I just felt complete panic.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39I had my passport in there, my mobile phone, my house keys.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I even had my car keys in my bag, as well.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46It was actually quite a sick feeling that I'd never felt before.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Because I'd never had anything stolen. I'm quite a sensible person.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51I don't normally lose things,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55so it was really distressing, really, really distressing.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Graham and his colleagues want to stop this gang causing misery
0:14:00 > 0:14:02in the City's bars and restaurants.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04They still don't know who they are,
0:14:04 > 0:14:10but hope that CCTV evidence can help them get one step ahead of the game.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We were able to actually find out what their habits were.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15They are creatures of habit, these types of criminals,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19and we were able to track them around the City.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22We see here two of the gang entering a very busy bar.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26They sit down next to a coat stand which has bags under it
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and spend 30 minutes waiting for the right moment.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32They're going to make their move. See how they're dressed.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Quite clearly, they're fitting in. They put on their nice coats.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36Taking their time.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40And one of them moves away.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The other one bends down.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Takes the victim's bag, no rush.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48And then just walks out, nice and calmly.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Another bar, and some more CCTV evidence against them.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59A man in a red shirt crossing to his table
0:14:59 > 0:15:02is about to have his holiday ruined.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Tourists are a favourite target.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09People who are here on holiday, they're sitting in a bar,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11relaxed, they're off their guard.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Scouting the bar, the thieves spot their next victim's bag.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16It's on the floor beside him,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20and they go to the vacant table alongside.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22One of them goes to sit down.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The other one leaves his coat and his jacket, like he normally does
0:15:25 > 0:15:29in all the thefts, takes the bag, and he's away.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Very, very quick.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It takes just 15 seconds.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Out on the street, the younger man darts into an alley
0:15:37 > 0:15:41and throws away the items from the bag that they don't want.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43But Graham and his colleagues
0:15:43 > 0:15:45are about to get a breakthrough in the case.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49The younger man turns out not to be so professional after all.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54He goes on to try a bit of solo work, and makes a mess of it.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58He tried to steal a bag off a female who wears
0:15:58 > 0:16:02it on her shoulder, and as he tries to grab it, fortunately for us,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05members of the public actually intervened.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07And actually stopped him.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11A man is arrested. His name is Marian Abukaff.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Once he'd come in, our unit was alerted
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and we were able to link him to six other offences.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20But he doesn't give away the identity of his partner,
0:16:20 > 0:16:21the leader of the gang.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24The ringleader, straightaway, within a matter of a week,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27had got a new apprentice and carried on with his crimes.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Grahame and his colleagues are getting ready to strike
0:16:31 > 0:16:34and arrest the gang, when the trail suddenly goes cold.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37At that point, everything stopped.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39And I knew that there was two options.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42One, they'd left the country, left the city, left this area,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45or two, more than likely, they had been caught.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48And, yes, the gang had been bagged by the neighbouring
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Metropolitan Police for similar crimes.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Grahame has the missing link.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58The ringleader is called Farkas. His new apprentice, Mumtean.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Grahame visits them in prison
0:16:59 > 0:17:03armed with the evidence that his own team has gathered.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07I then arrested the males for the 11 offences that had
0:17:07 > 0:17:09occurred in the City over the three-month period
0:17:09 > 0:17:13and they were subsequently interviewed and charged, which they
0:17:13 > 0:17:16admitted to committing the offences and received longer prison sentences.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Malu Farkas, the ringleader, is given a 44-week prison sentence
0:17:25 > 0:17:26for his crimes in the City
0:17:26 > 0:17:30and ordered to pay over £3,500 in compensation.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Marian Abukaff, his first apprentice,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38gets seven months in prison.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43And the second apprentice, Alexander Mumtean, is jailed for four months
0:17:43 > 0:17:47and ordered to pay over £500 in compensation.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53And all Grahame's team's hard work has paid off.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57It was a fantastic result for us. We managed to clear up 11 detections.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59At least with some closure for the victims,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01they know that we are working hard,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04we are bringing these people to justice, and we will take them down.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Of course, the best way to deter bag thieves
0:18:13 > 0:18:16is to make life harder for them in the first place.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Wrap the handbag strap round your leg, so that,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20if it does move, you know someone's after it.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Don't put it round the back of a chair. Don't leave it under a table.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26You might check your bag every couple of minutes,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29but a thief is checking it every couple of seconds.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Just in case the worst happens, do not keep your keys,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34phone and address book in the same place.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Keep your key in your pocket so at least you will be able to get home
0:18:37 > 0:18:40and you will not have to have your locks changed.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Coming up.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Somebody's illegally dumped their junk in this country lane.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51It's irritating.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54A council officer hopes a single fast-food receipt
0:18:54 > 0:18:57will help identify the phantom fly-tipper.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Northumbria. It's just gone 6am,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and it looks like some sort of ninja warrior's got lost.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16But actually, this is an early bird,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19trying to worm his way into somebody else's house.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Not surprisingly, he finds the doors locked.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26But this suburban shinobi isn't to be deterred.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Spotting a window left ajar, he creeps over there, stealthily,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33his black garb hiding him in the shadows.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Except, there are no shadows.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36It's broad daylight
0:19:36 > 0:19:40and he's breaking in to a bright, white conservatory.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41He doesn't know it
0:19:41 > 0:19:44but he's providing a perfect picture for the hidden camera.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48He climbs in very slowly.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51He knows the homeowner is asleep in the house.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Once inside, he walks around until he finds an internal door
0:19:55 > 0:19:59to the garage, where he selects a mountain bike he fancies.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01But he's been a noisy ninja.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04He's woken up the homeowner, who comes to investigate.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09And the intruder scrams, showing him a clean pair of heels.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12And it's those heels that will eventually do for
0:20:12 > 0:20:14our self-styled man in black.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15Watching the footage,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18a police officer recognises the thief from his trainers.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21They also found he's taken a picture on his own mobile phone
0:20:21 > 0:20:26of the bike he stole. He ends up being jailed for 16 months.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29So less of a ninja, more of a nincompoop.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Meanwhile, if you have a conservatory or patio door,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37best check your security.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Here's another thief who's got in that way, in Chiswick, West London.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46He left the bike but took two laptops and a tablet.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48And he's still at large, so if you recognise him,
0:20:48 > 0:20:53his clothes or his trainers, then the Met would like to hear from you.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02"Fly-tippers will be prosecuted," or so the signs say.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05But that doesn't stop some thoughtless people from dumping
0:21:05 > 0:21:08their rubbish and leaving it for others to clear up behind them.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11What you're about to see might make them think twice.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22The illegal dumping of rubbish is a country-wide problem.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24It's harmful for the environment
0:21:24 > 0:21:27and potentially hazardous for the public.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31It can also be a pretty unpleasant task for council workers to
0:21:31 > 0:21:33clean up the fly-tipping mess.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36It can get a bit gut-wretching.
0:21:36 > 0:21:37It is a real filthy job.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41It's difficult to catch fly-tippers red-handed.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43The majority of them pick
0:21:43 > 0:21:46out-of-the-way places to do their dirty work.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50But in East Sussex, to find a culprit,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54this single, crumpled receipt, found in over 30 bags of rubbish,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57sparks off some old-fashioned sleuthing.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00And an intriguing investigation begins.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10The district of Rother in East Sussex
0:22:10 > 0:22:12has many areas of natural beauty.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Beaney's Lane is one of them.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Dog lovers Peter and Madeleine live nearby.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Beaney's Lane is a few hundred yards from our house. Good girl.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23It's a country lane.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27We go down there twice a day, usually, with the dogs.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28It's relaxing.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34But Beaney's Lane is being blighted by the fly-tippers.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38The sort of rubbish we find down there, is like car seats
0:22:38 > 0:22:43and radios. It's a worry when you take the dogs down there
0:22:43 > 0:22:45because they could pick up things to eat.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48This gets right up my nose - the plastic bags.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52It's mainly the builders' stuff that's the real problem.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Whereas most of us
0:22:53 > 0:22:56can dump our household rubbish at the local tip,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59tradesmen obviously generate more waste, and have to take it to
0:22:59 > 0:23:04specially designated places, or pay somebody to take it away for them.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Yet despite some rather blunt warnings in the area,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10some don't bother in Rother.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13There's the sign. "No Tipping". And look at it.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17One day Peter and Madeleine come across a particularly shameless
0:23:17 > 0:23:18piece of fly-tipping.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22A massive pile of builder's rubble has been dumped overnight.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24It's the last straw.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27We thought, "OK, straight back home and phone the council."
0:23:27 > 0:23:30We're absolutely fed up with it.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31Peter contacts Alex Balshaw
0:23:31 > 0:23:35who works as an environmental enforcement officer for the council.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39His main job is to investigate fly-tipping.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42And it still makes him angry.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47We work in a countryside area, a natural beauty area
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and to have it trashed with their waste because
0:23:50 > 0:23:54they can't be bothered to dispose of it properly is irritating.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Determined to catch the offender,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Alex gets his gloves on and gets his hands dirty.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04He methodically goes through the many bags of rubbish
0:24:04 > 0:24:07looking for any clue inside as to who dumped them.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I'm into the 30th odd bag that I've been looking through
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and I'm still finding nothing.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I then come across a fast-food wrapper.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19It says "food made to order".
0:24:19 > 0:24:21And with it he finds a receipt with three letters,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24AUP, scrawled at the top.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Alex has a flash of inspiration.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32For some reason or another, why I know this is worrying that I do.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I know that sometimes
0:24:34 > 0:24:37when you go through fast-food restaurant drive-thrus
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and you ask for a special order they will ask you to wait.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41Park you up around the corner
0:24:41 > 0:24:44and take the last three digits of your registration.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48As well as the letters he suspects are part of a registration
0:24:48 > 0:24:52plate, the receipt shows exactly what food restaurant it is.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55And the exact date and time of the order.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Alex remembers that they have cameras at that drive-thru.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04He gets the manager to search through footage and before long
0:25:04 > 0:25:07they have a screen shot of the car that placed the order.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12I've now got a make, model, full registration plate of the vehicle.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Alex calls the DVLA to find out who owns the car.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17The name the DVLA have given me
0:25:17 > 0:25:19is Graham Wilkinson who just lives
0:25:19 > 0:25:21around the corner from Beaney's Lane.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23And it turns out that Graham is a builder.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28He seems to fit the profile. It's builder's waste that's been dumped.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29This is my man.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33But is he?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36When my wife took the phone call from the council she said
0:25:36 > 0:25:38she couldn't stop shaking.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40She knew it wasn't me. She knew I would never do that.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42I never have and never would.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Though when Graham sees the evidence,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47he's stunned to see it is his stuff lying there.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Even though it's a pile of rubbish, you can recognise your own rubbish.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52It was partly from my own house
0:25:52 > 0:25:55because I'm renovating my own property.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Very slowly, I will say.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59And partly from a couple of very small jobs.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Where it's not worth getting a skip in. It was just a couple of bags.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07So, the plot thickens. How did Graham's junk get dumped?
0:26:07 > 0:26:11For his business Graham uses a reputable waste clearance firm.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14But when he had a small amount of his own building waste
0:26:14 > 0:26:17he felt he didn't need such a big operator.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19One of the guys that works for me
0:26:19 > 0:26:21knew someone that done rubbish clearance.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24I didn't check him out too closely because I'd met him
0:26:24 > 0:26:26a couple of times previous.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28So I thought I'd give him a call
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and see how much he would charge to get rid of it.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And Graham has some proof of his conversation with the man.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Text messages on his phone.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39"Hi, Graham. Sorry I didn't text the other day about the rubbish.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42"Can remove it today for £40 if that's OK with you?"
0:26:42 > 0:26:46But Graham has no idea the man is then going to dump
0:26:46 > 0:26:50his rubbish in a country lane and he's certainly not happy about it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52People that fly-tip are lower than low.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55The more that can be prosecuted the better
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and I think there need to be seriously hefty fines to deter them.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02And this fly-tipper would have got away with it
0:27:02 > 0:27:06if Graham's wife hadn't unknowingly provided that vital clue.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09When clearing out her car, she had thrown that fast-food receipt
0:27:09 > 0:27:10away in the rubbish.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Very impressed with the evidence they've got.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15They've really done their job well.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Alex now has the offender's name and number.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20He hauls the man in for an interview.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Towards the end we explained how we had traced it.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Initially all from the fast-food wrappings.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Needless to say he was shocked.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Any excuses went out the window, hands came up.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35And he admitted it.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39In court, the offender pleaded guilty to fly-tipping and was
0:27:39 > 0:27:46given a £180 fine and ordered to pay the council's costs of £172.40.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51It's very fulfilling to get this result when you know it
0:27:51 > 0:27:55just stems from a receipt in a burger wrapper in a lane.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59The council have been doing a clean up operation of Beaney's Lane.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02But it looks like a strong message has gone out to all the fly-tippers.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Peter and Madeleine have noticed there is less rubbish being
0:28:05 > 0:28:07dumped here.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Obviously, those people won't hopefully do it again.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15I think word's got around the area, certainly with bigger tipping.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19It's not such a huge problem as it was so...
0:28:24 > 0:28:25That's it for today.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Join us next time when the police
0:28:27 > 0:28:30and the public catch more criminals red-handed.