0:00:02 > 0:00:05'Thieves will steal our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09'just 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 > 0:00:22I can see the man actually commit the robbery. Lovely! Thank you very much.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'Local councils, shops and businesses are laying some traps of their own.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Why should we feel frightened for the rest of our lives?
0:00:29 > 0:00:33'And the general public, too, can help unsuspecting crooks get their comeuppance.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:35No way are you getting away.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39- We did it for everyone else as well that she might be stealing from. - We will name and shame you.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'So anyone who's up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'They might just get caught red-handed.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57'Today, in Wales, a special police unit goes fishing for burglars.'
0:00:57 > 0:00:59We go somewhere where there are burglaries happening,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02where there is intelligence to say that it's likely to be burgled.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07'They fit houses with the latest technology to catch the crooks.
0:01:07 > 0:01:13'Also today, two hapless thieves choose the wrong pub to break into.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:15It just beggars belief how stupid they are.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18'The landlord used to be a detective in the CID.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24'And the uncharitable woman who tries every trick
0:01:24 > 0:01:26'to take a charity tin for herself.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39'Every day in England and Wales, almost 2,000 homes are broken into.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43'On average, that's one every 45 seconds.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48'The police think there's a very good chance this house will be burgled,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51'so they put a camera in it.
0:01:52 > 0:01:58'And they're right. Only a few hours after fixing the camera, three men break in.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03'They think new residents are moving in and they've come to steal their belongings.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06'Like bees to a honey pot.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10'But these three will soon be moving on themselves
0:02:10 > 0:02:12'to a police station.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21'Gwent in South Wales.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26'There have been a number of burglaries in this area recently.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32'And temporary sergeant Wayne Alexander from Gwent Police
0:02:32 > 0:02:35'is determined to catch the crooks responsible.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40'He's converting a council house into something the police call a "capture house".
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'It's unoccupied, so it's been boarded up.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47'But thieves still might try and steal items, like radiators and pipes.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'If they do, the police will be watching.'
0:02:50 > 0:02:53So in this particular empty house, we've installed the cameras in here.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I mean, for example, you're not going to see them.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00But even things like rawl plug holes in the wall,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03aerial sockets, plugs, skirting boards.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07We try to hide them expertly, really, because that's what it's all about.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The offender comes in, hasn't got a clue where to look.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12'And they'll not just be caught on camera.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17'Anyone who breaks in will also trigger a sensor that alerts police.'
0:03:17 > 0:03:21By its description alone, a capture house is to capture burglars in there.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24By entering a house, they take the risk.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'Before Wayne started setting up capture houses,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30'he worked as a detective in a burglary unit
0:03:30 > 0:03:33'and saw first-hand the distress to the victims.'
0:03:33 > 0:03:36The amount of intrusion that this person has caused them
0:03:36 > 0:03:38reduces them to tears right in front of me,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42this is some hours after a burglary has happened, as well. They're really distraught.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47It's not just that something has been taken from your house, it's the invasion of privacy.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51And it's the what if scenario. What if I'd got up for the toilet and bumped into the burglar?
0:03:51 > 0:03:55What if this? What if that? The victims can't stop it going through their mind.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59So, yeah, I sometimes don't think the criminal stops and thinks,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03for a quick £15 they're going to get from selling a mobile phone,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05the actual damage they're doing to people's lives.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13'Margaret knows better than most the after-effects a robbery can have.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'Because her home in Gwent has been burgled four times.'
0:04:19 > 0:04:23I suppose the first one was about 15 years ago.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26And they got in through the patio door,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30they almost took the patio door off its runner
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and they got in that way.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36And they took a lot of sentimental jewellery,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38which you cannot replace.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44The second time, they got in through an open bathroom window.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Another time, my grandson was in the house
0:04:49 > 0:04:53and he could hear somebody trying to get in through the patio door.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58So he did actually chase them away. And now this one now.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03They'd stolen a lot of money because my grandson was doing the London Marathon
0:05:03 > 0:05:08and I'd collected the money and put it in a jar on top of the microwave.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I don't think these thieves realise quite...
0:05:12 > 0:05:15..the effect it has on people.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20And it's that sort of fear that you get, your heart trips over.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I don't think that'll ever leave me, to be quite honest.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29'Police are doing all they can to reduce the amount of burglaries in Gwent.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34'Wayne sets up capture houses at locations where thieves are most active
0:05:34 > 0:05:37'and chooses different baits for different areas.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42'To reel a crook in at this house, he's planting some scrap metal.'
0:05:42 > 0:05:47I suppose it's like fishing, you know, I wouldn't use a particular bait for a particular pond.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52Erm, I would have to know which bait to use in a particular pond if I want to catch the right fish.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55So I would go somewhere where there are burglaries happening,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58where there is intelligence to say that it's likely to be burgled, if you like,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02or a place where I know someone's actually coming out of prison soon and they're a good burglar.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07So all those things would give me the indication of where to put a capture house
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and why to put a capture house in that particular area.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13'As well as different baits, he uses different technical equipment, as well.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17'There's a new device that helps catch burglars who hide their identity
0:06:17 > 0:06:20'or who have escaped before the police arrived.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'It's a spray of specially-coded water.'
0:06:23 > 0:06:28You just need to be a little bit creative and innovative where you put things,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32but certainly the offender wouldn't know where to look for it.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35'This special water spray leaves an invisible coating on the thief
0:06:35 > 0:06:39'which will only show up under an ultraviolet light.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:44The offender will come in and try and remove the copper piping.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48But, of course, I've got a spray system already set up in this area.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52It'll probably spray out most of the room, to be honest with you,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and that's exactly what we're trying to achieve.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02OK, so the smart water system has just activated, it's actually gone all over me.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04This is what it would look like. You can't see it at the moment.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07But you shine a certain frequency of light on you,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10and as you can see, it's probably all over my face.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12'And there's a unique code in that liquid
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'which means it can only have come from this property.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19'Anyone who's marked with it has definitely been here.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23'The system can be used in different ways.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27'Wayne and his colleagues caught these two lager looters in this capture house in Cwmbran.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32'On that occasion, the special liquid had been used
0:07:32 > 0:07:35'to mark cans of beer, cigarettes and a laptop left in the house.'
0:07:35 > 0:07:39So this male here has obviously come in through the window.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43His friend joins him, and as you can see, they've got the cans under their arm,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45the laptop is under his arm.
0:07:45 > 0:07:51They climb out of the window but you can actually see he's wiping the windowsill to disguise fingerprints.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56It's too late for these guys. We paid these guys a visit, we shined the torch on them
0:07:56 > 0:08:01and they've actually got yellow all over their lips where they've been smoking my cigarettes.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05'The marked goods have made them marked men.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'Later, how another capture house with just one tiny camera
0:08:11 > 0:08:15'helped call game over for three hooded hoodlums
0:08:15 > 0:08:17'as they attempt to steal a PlayStation.'
0:08:21 > 0:08:26Anyone who appears on TV is more likely to be recognised in the street.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Well, that can happen to criminals, too,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32if they happen to appear on CCTV.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43'It's a cold Tuesday night in Shropshire.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46'This is the beer garden at the rear of a bar in Bridgnorth.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51'A couple of men appear, looking towards the pub.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53'Maybe they want to grab a drink.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56'But closing time has been and gone.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00'That doesn't bother these two, though. They're after more than just a quick pint.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04'But of all the bars in all the towns in all the world,
0:09:04 > 0:09:09'these two had to break into one owned by a former police detective.'
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I dealt with crime for 30 years. Other people's crime.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I don't think I've ever been a victim of crime that I can think of.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21'And the stupidity of this duo will lead to the easiest capture of his career.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35'The BamBoo Bar is run by Mark and his partner, Debbie.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'They recently moved to Bridgnorth, Mark's hometown,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41'to start a new life for themselves.'
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It's a lovely place to live. It's very picturesque.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48So it's been nice to come back and reacquaint myself with a few old pals. Yeah, it's been good.
0:09:48 > 0:09:54'Mark and Debbie have invested a lot of time and money in their dream of managing a successful pub.'
0:09:54 > 0:09:58This bar was offered to me, a friend of mine owns it, owns the building,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02and said, "Would you like to take it over and run it as you see fit?"
0:10:02 > 0:10:06And Mark and I invested six weeks of hard work,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09completely gutting the building, making it into what we felt
0:10:09 > 0:10:13was a really great place for people to come and dine and socialise.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17'Mark is revelling in his new role as the landlord of the BamBoo Bar.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21'It's a far cry from his previous career.'
0:10:21 > 0:10:25I retired in July last year from the police, having served for 30 years.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I'm 50-old years of age, I can't think I've ever been a victim of crime.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And I've never had to worry about it,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36so you kind of put it out of your mind, you think, "It's never going to happen to me.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38"Crime is what happens to other people."
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Within the police, having dealt with lots and lots of other people,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45I saw that every day, but it never happened to me, so I never worried about it.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51'But crime is about to catch up with Mark in his own backyard.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56'Mark and Debbie have locked up and gone home for the night.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01'But two mysterious figures are creeping up to the back door of the bar.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04'They smash the door down.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08'They're in and quickly get to work.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14'One of the men heads straight for the TV on the left-hand side of the screen.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16'The other heads behind the bar.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19'Even though there's a cobweb covering the camera,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23'it still manages to catch what these thieves are up to.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25'The one behind the bar helps himself
0:11:25 > 0:11:27'to various expensive bottles of booze
0:11:27 > 0:11:30'and the contents of the till.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34'While his partner in crime is busy getting the 42-inch telly off the wall.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39'With cash in their pockets and a brand-new TV in their hands,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43'they're satisfied with their hoard and make an easy getaway.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49'The following morning, a neighbour notices that the back door has been kicked in
0:11:49 > 0:11:51'and alerts Mark and Debbie.'
0:11:51 > 0:11:55When the call came through, I physically felt sick.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59We hadn't been open long, and this is all our money that we've invested.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03So it was just sheer panic of what we were going to come in to.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07'Ex-copper Mark immediately heads to the pub to investigate.'
0:12:07 > 0:12:09I didn't know what I was going to come to,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12whether the place would be devastated, whether they'd trashed everything.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17I found the rear door had been kicked. I realised straight away that somebody had been in
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and immediately noticed the television was missing off the wall,
0:12:20 > 0:12:25the till tray was missing, and later on I found that the Macmillan charity box had been taken.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29'Using his professional police skills,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33'Mark knows exactly what to do when it comes to looking after a crime scene.'
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I was pretty much aware that there would be forensic opportunities.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39One of the things that I have got downstairs is CCTV.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42'He starts to examine the evidence.'
0:12:42 > 0:12:48We were viewing the CCTV and saw that the two men had entered the bar at about five to two in the morning.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52'But Mark is about to have an incredibly lucky break.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55'Outside, through the pub window,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57'he sees a face he recognises.'
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I just had an inkling that I'd seen this lad before.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04I've seen him, I know I have, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07And it was at that point that he walked past, and I thought, "That's him!"
0:13:07 > 0:13:09I was absolutely convinced it was him.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13It was just so bizarre to think, "God, I've got him,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17"and it's barely three or four hours since the crime was committed."
0:13:17 > 0:13:24'Amazingly, the pair of blase burglars try to cash in their money from the previous night's bounty
0:13:24 > 0:13:28'in the local ice cream parlour, right next door to the BamBoo Bar.'
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Immediately shouted, "Come here, I want a word with you two!"
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And they just straight away went on their toes,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38one on his bike and the other one ran off straight away,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41they didn't ask why or anything, so I knew I'd got the right two.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45'Mark's instinct, well-honed by years of policing, kicks in
0:13:45 > 0:13:47'and he gives chase.'
0:13:49 > 0:13:51The one on the bike I was unable to get hold of,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53despite having a kick out at his bike.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57And the other one ran off and eventually I grabbed hold of him.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00'Gotcha! And just hours after the crime,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04'Mark is marching one of the hapless thieves back to the BamBoo Bar.'
0:14:04 > 0:14:10He was pretty much telling me, "Please don't call the police and I will get you your telly back."
0:14:10 > 0:14:13So I was straight away onto the fact that he'd done it.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16By the time I got him back to the bar,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19the police had already arrived and they detained him.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26'With the help of CCTV, this burglar is identified.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32'At court, he was given a four-month suspended prison sentence,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36'put on a 12-month drug rehabilitation programme,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39'and put under an 18-month supervision order.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41'His accomplice got a community order,
0:14:41 > 0:14:46'supervision order and drug rehabilitation, all for nine months,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49'and was ordered to pay compensation, a victim surcharge
0:14:49 > 0:14:51'and court costs.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55'To this day, Mark still can't believe what this pair did.'
0:14:55 > 0:14:58To trying and cash the change at the shop next door
0:14:58 > 0:15:02and walk past us whilst doing it, I just think is...
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Of every other shop in town they could've gone to
0:15:05 > 0:15:08and they picked the one next door to where they'd burgled,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11it just beggars belief just how stupid they are.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15'With their back door fixed and extra security precautions now in place,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19'Mark has at least got a new record to be proud of.'
0:15:19 > 0:15:21As crimes go, it was my quickest ever.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25It's ironic that I detected it after I'd left the police, rather than in it, but there you go.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29'Hopefully Mark can now forget all about crime and criminals
0:15:29 > 0:15:34'and enjoy a new life, spending time behind bars of a different sort.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40'Coming up on Caught Red Handed,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43'a very uncharitable thief.'
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Who steals money from a charity box?
0:15:45 > 0:15:48We're all short of money, but you don't go doing things like that.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52'But while this woman is making clumsy attempts to steal a collection box,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56'a camera is collecting evidence to donate to the police.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09'But now, back to Gwent, South Wales,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13'where temporary sergeant Wayne Alexander is spearheading a police operation
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'to stop the rise in burglaries. He's setting up capture houses,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20'so-called because they have the latest hidden surveillance
0:16:20 > 0:16:24'and technology to catch thieves in the act.'
0:16:24 > 0:16:26With water, with the footage we get,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29with the forensic technology, we're certainly moving
0:16:29 > 0:16:31in the right direction and it's making criminals think twice.
0:16:31 > 0:16:37'Gwent resident Margaret has been burgled four times since she moved in.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42'On the last occasion, they stole her grandson's sponsorship money for the London Marathon.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:46As a friend of mine says, build a bridge and get over it,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50which is what you've got to do. Make sure you lock the doors,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53always keep the windows shut, and, yeah,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56you've just got to learn to get on with your life.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59'Margaret lives in a typical Gwent house
0:16:59 > 0:17:05'and that's exactly the way Wayne wants his capture properties to appear when setting them up.'
0:17:05 > 0:17:09We try to give the impression to people that somebody is moving in.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Plain clothes officers, et cetera, would pretend to be moving in.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17Perhaps a couple, anything really, we can manufacture anything to suit the particular situation.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20'And we're about to see how, one evening,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24'three thieves take advantage of a situation Wayne has set up.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29'In this capture house, a games machine has been laid out as bait.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32'The camera's hidden, ready and waiting.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36'Incredibly, only a few hours after the undercover officers leave,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38'burglars break in.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42'One man walks in.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47'He spots the games console but ignores it.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50'His mate is far more easily tempted.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55'He grabs it without a second thought.'
0:17:56 > 0:17:59At this moment, we know that they've come into the living room.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03We've been alerted as police, and a certain response is on its way.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06We have pictures of the offenders coming through so we know how many there are
0:18:06 > 0:18:10and what they're wearing in case they leave the property, run down the street.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14All good intelligence that we're going to need from this equipment that we've installed.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16'The thieves are still hanging around,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21'taking the cables and the box, presumably planning to sell the games console.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23'One of them shows his face to the camera.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27'These clueless crooks casually hunt around for more stuff,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29'but they're overstaying their welcome.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33'The capture house has done exactly what it was set up to do.'
0:18:33 > 0:18:36When the police arrived, they were walking down the stairs
0:18:36 > 0:18:38with some of the gear and they were caught red-handed.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46'These three were captured, found guilty and sentenced
0:18:46 > 0:18:51'to a variety of community and supervision orders plus costs.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53'Result!
0:18:53 > 0:18:59'And word spreads about the capture houses throughout the criminal fraternity.'
0:18:59 > 0:19:03We're starting to gain the upper hand with the battle of the deterrent, if you like.
0:19:03 > 0:19:09We were having between 12 and 13 burglaries a month in Caerphilly homes, in council houses.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12We did capture houses covertly and then overtly.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17After the project, they actually went to zero for a 12-month period.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21And that really is quite an impact, so it goes to show, that it certainly works.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25'Margaret's grandson completed the London Marathon
0:19:25 > 0:19:28'and a story in the local paper helped him to raise
0:19:28 > 0:19:32'even more money for charity than was originally stolen.'
0:19:32 > 0:19:36A lot of people then came towards me and gave me money,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38which was great.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40We actually got probably about £400 in the end.
0:19:40 > 0:19:47And he ran it and I think he raised about £2,000, something like that.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- And we went and cheered him on. - SHE LAUGHS
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'And despite Margaret being burgled so many times,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55'she still remains defiant.'
0:19:55 > 0:19:58They're not going to beat me. I'm not going to live in Fort Knox.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02This is my home and they're not going to beat me.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'So, how do we beat the burglar?
0:20:10 > 0:20:14'Well, there's things we can do to make our houses less attractive to unwelcome visitors.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Burglars know what to look for, they know the weak spots.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20You imagine it, if you've got an alarm on your property,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22you've got the security lights up, you have a dog,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24there's no valuable items on show,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28they're going to go somewhere else, they're not going to take that risk.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Why not consider putting gravel on your driveway?
0:20:30 > 0:20:34No burglar wants to be heard approaching a house.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Or a prickly hedge at the bottom of your garden.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Again, it may just be the deterrent for the thief to move on.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46There are those people who will leave their wallet and car keys on a little table
0:20:46 > 0:20:49that is in their hallway, and all they've got to do is open the letterbox
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and they've got your items straight away.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54And before you know it, your car has gone off the drive
0:20:54 > 0:20:58or they're actually in your house with the key that's on the car keys. It happens so often.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Have strong top-quality locks on internal and external doors
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and make sure that you cut back trees and shrubs from windows
0:21:05 > 0:21:07that may provide cover for burglars.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12And now to a crime that might not seem as serious as some of the ones we've seen.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17But nonetheless, it's one that leaves a bit of a nasty taste in the mouth.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23'Wakefield, Yorkshire.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27'This CCTV camera is installed inside a shop that specialises
0:21:27 > 0:21:31'in everyday living aids for elderly and less-able people.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35'One day, a woman with a child enters
0:21:35 > 0:21:38'and asks to look at some equipment for her grandfather.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41'Everything looks normal.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44'But this woman isn't here to help a relative.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48'She's here to help herself
0:21:48 > 0:21:50'to a charity box full of donations.'
0:21:52 > 0:21:56To steal from a charity is the lowest of the low.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00I just don't understand it. I don't know how they can sleep easily at night.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03We're all short of money, but you don't go doing things like that.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'She takes what others have given.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09'But a camera will give her away.'
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Right, if you could just bob a couple of signatures on here for me.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17- Just there and there, please. - 'Karen is the store manager.'
0:22:17 > 0:22:20We have a lot of customers that come in and they're very friendly,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24very chatty, open, and tell us all about their lives and everything.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26They'll sit down and have a cuppa with us and a biscuit.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29They offer me a cup of tea now and again, like.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32That's a lie. We offer you a cup of tea every time!
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Yeah, OK. OK.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36It's nice to come in, have a look round,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- see if there's anything that you need. - It's a good, friendly atmosphere.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44'While they're in the shop, Karen's customers often show their generosity
0:22:44 > 0:22:48'by giving to a charity that's near to many of their hearts.'
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Nine years ago, I had a triple bypass. I've had a heart attack.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56They helped me cos I've got angina.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I have given to the charity.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03And I've also got a friend that had a triple bypass.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06'But unlike these good people,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'this customer has not got her heart in the right place.'
0:23:09 > 0:23:12The lady came in with her son, a little five-year-old boy,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15he was just a sweet little boy, he was looking round all the scooters.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17It must have been about half past four.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20And she came to ask about a scooter for her grandfather.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22'And she's come well-prepared.'
0:23:22 > 0:23:26I was obviously asking her questions which she responded to straight away.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30There was no pause or anything. So when I asked about her granddad and what he suffered from,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33she said immediately, "He's got spina bifida."
0:23:33 > 0:23:37She'd have the answers there, just ready.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39'She's very convincing.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43'But there is something that makes Karen feel slightly uneasy.'
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I could smell alcohol on her breath all the time I was talking to her,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50which is not a good thing when you've got a little boy with you.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52It was that that made me wary, really.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57'Time ticks by as they discuss the scooters and flick through brochures.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03'The woman also stealthily moves her bag closer to the charity box.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:07And there she is opening the bag again, just in preparation.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12'The woman has now been in the shop for almost ten minutes.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15'She even pretends to make a phone call to check information.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18'It's turning into a long operation.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21'She has no idea how much money is in the box.'
0:24:21 > 0:24:25I would imagine there'd be about £5 in the collection box, that's all.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Because it had been the week before emptied.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30'The woman tries a new tactic.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:34She's realised that I'm actually not going to move away from the desk.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39This is where she thinks, "I need to ask about something across the shop to get her away from the desk."
0:24:39 > 0:24:42'She leads Karen over to another section of the shop.'
0:24:44 > 0:24:49She comes back to the cash desk and she's checking to make sure I'm not looking in the right direction
0:24:49 > 0:24:54for the ideal opportunity to take the box. That's the first attempt, there.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Obviously, I've spoken to her again and turned round.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02'A moment later, she gets herself into position for a second attempt.'
0:25:03 > 0:25:05She's waiting for me to look away again.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Yep. It's amazing, isn't it?
0:25:09 > 0:25:13'Karen then sits back down to begin her paperwork for a sale.'
0:25:13 > 0:25:16As you can see, she's wiggling her legs now, looking really nervous.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20'Finally, when Karen goes to pick up the stock,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'the woman makes a very uncharitable grab.'
0:25:27 > 0:25:31There she takes her opportunity to put the charity box in the bag.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37'Next, she has to find a way of leaving without arousing suspicion.'
0:25:37 > 0:25:41She passes me her credit card, but the card is split
0:25:41 > 0:25:44so I couldn't actually process the payment at this time.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47So the lady took it back and said that she was going to go to the cash machine
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and get some cash out to pay for the items.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54'Of course, she's no intention of getting anything out of the cash machine.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57'She just gets herself out of the shop... fast.'
0:25:57 > 0:26:00My partner came to the shop to pick me up,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and he'd been shopping next door and he'd got a penny in his hand.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05And he went to put it in the collection tin
0:26:05 > 0:26:08and he said to me, "Where's your collection tin?"
0:26:08 > 0:26:10And that is when we realised it had gone.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12And I was just so shocked.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I mean, who steals money from a charity box?
0:26:15 > 0:26:20And it's not just about that, it's about the people that actually donate to the charity, as well.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22So it's like stealing from two people.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24When I found out it was taken...
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I...
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It's not very nice to find out something like that.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35I actually felt guilty because a lot of our customers don't have a lot of money themselves,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39so for them to have donated, I felt responsible that I'd let her get away with that, really.
0:26:39 > 0:26:45'Karen hopes that the whole thing has been recorded by the shop's CCTV camera.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48'She contacts head office where the footage is kept.'
0:26:48 > 0:26:52They rang me back after I'd spoken to them and they said, "Yeah, we've got her on CCTV."
0:26:52 > 0:26:54'They hand over the recording to the police
0:26:54 > 0:26:58'who decide to release an image of it to the local press.'
0:26:59 > 0:27:01When that came out,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I mean, we put a piece on the cash desk as well about it,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and a lot of people were chatting about it, talking about it,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10and apparently somebody saw the picture in the Wakefield Express
0:27:10 > 0:27:12and that's how the police found out who it was.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17'The woman is arrested.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20'She pleads guilty to stealing the charity box
0:27:20 > 0:27:23'and she also admits to other thefts.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27'In court, she is sentenced to a 12-month community order...
0:27:28 > 0:27:31'..and a year of drug rehabilitation.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36'Hopefully, the charity that is shown to her will rub off
0:27:36 > 0:27:41'and any fundraising activities she undertakes in future will be for other people.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47'Karen now has a new collection box in the shop.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49'And her bosses have chipped in, too.'
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Obviously it was upsetting for the company as well as for us.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56So the company has actually donated a sum of money to the British Heart Foundation.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That's all for now. Join us next time
0:28:04 > 0:28:08when the police and the public catch more crooks red-handed.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:12 > 0:28:12.