0:00:01 > 0:00:03Thieves will steal our cars,
0:00:03 > 0:00:05our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour,
0:00:11 > 0:00:16police and other agencies are using new technology and tactics
0:00:16 > 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 > 0:00:24Local councils, shops and businesses
0:00:24 > 0:00:26are 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 > 0:00:33And 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 > 0:00:38We did it for everyone that she might be stealing from.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39We will name and shame you.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41So, anyone who's up to no good
0:00:41 > 0:00:43had better think twice.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46They might just get caught red handed.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Today, unknown thieves who specialise in stealing phones.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00The police call in special super-recognisers.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03We know they've got some kind of unique thing in their brain that remembers faces.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06They are experts at putting names to faces.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Also today, toxic trash.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12There's no excuse for dumping dangerous waste.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Fly-tippers who put people's health at risk.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17And the rover returns!
0:01:17 > 0:01:22A dozy thief who's robbed a pub and comes back to have a pint!
0:01:22 > 0:01:25He actually passes out and then he's caught red handed.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Incredibly, staff find him still sleeping it off in the morning!
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Our eyes see hundreds of different faces every single day.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40But most of the time, it's a flash in the pan and we forget about them.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44There are some people, though, who have the ability to recall those images.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47They're called super-recognisers.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Central London has one of the largest concentrations of security cameras in the world.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59But even if they're caught on camera,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02criminals can still slip through the net.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07You can have all the images in the world, but unless somebody says, "I know that's Billy Smith",
0:02:07 > 0:02:09then there's no point getting it in the first place.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11A face is just a face.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14To track someone down, police need a name.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18So the Met are building up a select group of officers,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23the super-recognisers, who have an exceptional ability to identify suspects.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26We know they've got some kind of unique thing in their brain
0:02:26 > 0:02:27that remembers the faces.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29We've tried to find out what it is,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32but I don't really care what it is, as long as it works.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36We're about to see an example of exactly how well it does work
0:02:36 > 0:02:38for the Metropolitan Police.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Two expert thieves are targeting London's bars and clubs.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46It will take a super-recogniser to stop them.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51It's early evening in a busy coffee shop
0:02:51 > 0:02:53and someone's night is about to be ruined.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57This woman, who's checking her phone,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01pays no attention to two men who have walked in.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03In fact, no-one does.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08But the two men are taking a very good look at everybody else.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Especially this woman.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14She's put her phone down on the table in front of her
0:03:14 > 0:03:16which proves to be a big mistake.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22The two men pull out magazines from their jackets
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and start offering them for sale to the customers.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Nobody's interested.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31But this pair don't care.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Because they've already got what they came for.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And they leave.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41It's difficult to see what's just happened.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45But watching again, we can see how this man distracts the woman
0:03:45 > 0:03:47by placing his magazine over her phone
0:03:47 > 0:03:49while talking to her non-stop.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53At the same time, using expert sleight of hand,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56he grips the phone between his fingers and quickly leaves.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01The woman actually tidies up the disturbed piece of paper
0:04:01 > 0:04:03without spotting her phone is missing.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06But then, clearly sensing something's wrong,
0:04:06 > 0:04:07she starts to search for it.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12This is quite typical behaviour of a victim,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14to look around, "Where did I put my mobile phone?
0:04:14 > 0:04:19"Did I put it on the table? Did I put it in my bag?"
0:04:19 > 0:04:22And then there will be a moment of realisation
0:04:22 > 0:04:25that the gentleman that offered her the magazine
0:04:25 > 0:04:27has indeed stolen her mobile phone.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29And then panic will set in.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33It's something that I watch on CCTV time and time again.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36People do not generally want to believe badly of other people.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39And that's why members of the public can't believe it's happened to them.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43However, obviously, there are bad people out there
0:04:43 > 0:04:45that will take your items.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48That's something Veronika is now painfully aware of.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50It was her phone that was stolen
0:04:50 > 0:04:54and this is the first time she's seen the footage of the theft.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Oh, my God!
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I hadn't realised they were standing there.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Oh, that was so easy.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09They were standing and planning it
0:05:09 > 0:05:11like right in front of me.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16Veronika can see why she was an easy target because she was busy revising for her degree exams.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20I was completely indulged in my book
0:05:20 > 0:05:22and I wasn't really paying attention
0:05:22 > 0:05:25to anything that was happening around me. Anything.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28When I actually realised that my phone was gone,
0:05:28 > 0:05:34I felt like my body was really cold and I couldn't breathe.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37And then I said out loud, "Oh, my God. My phone has gone."
0:05:37 > 0:05:40And, of course, with smartphones these days,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43it's not just the monetary value that's taken from you.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Veronika lost the contact details of all her friends
0:05:47 > 0:05:49and hundreds of photographs.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I cried a lot.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I cried a lot. Like for the whole day.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57And sadly, Veronika isn't the only one to suffer
0:05:57 > 0:05:59at the hand of these two particular thieves.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04We had eight victims that had had their mobile phones stolen.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Their faces keep popping up on CCTV
0:06:08 > 0:06:10at places where thefts have occurred.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14But short of actually being there when the crimes are taking place,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17the police can't catch these thieves without their names.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Here they are on the prowl again.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24They spot their next victim through a door.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28It's this man, concentrating on his meal and paper
0:06:28 > 0:06:30with his phone enticingly on view.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34The men split up. One goes to the counter.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36He's looking at the menu,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40creating a distraction for the staff behind the counter.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43So the staff are more concentrating on him
0:06:43 > 0:06:46rather than the other suspect.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48The other man makes a beeline for the phone.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51He quickly covers it under a magazine he's pretending to sell.
0:06:51 > 0:06:57Oblivious to the threat, the customer just wants his dinner.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59But his phone has vanished.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03From it first being spotted
0:07:03 > 0:07:07it has gone in less than 60 seconds.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10These thieves are so brazen
0:07:10 > 0:07:12because they know that in a busy place,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15most of us pay little attention to the faces around us.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Another one of the victims, Mona, is about to get a shock
0:07:20 > 0:07:23when she watches the footage of Veronika's phone being stolen.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28These two guys are the exact two guys who did the same thing to you.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- Are they?- Yeah.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35In a city, thieves can disappear into a sea of faces within seconds.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I don't think I'd recognise them if I saw them again.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Because they didn't look out of the ordinary.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43This is the problem facing the police.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46They have clear images of this pair,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48but nobody knows who they are.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Good images are fantastic,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53but unless somebody looks at it and says, "I know that face",
0:07:53 > 0:07:55there's no point getting it in the first place.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Step forward the super-recognisers.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04Officers with an unusual ability to recall the previous occasions they've seen a face.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05This man is one of them.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Ironically, we can't show you his face
0:08:08 > 0:08:10because he works undercover.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12I think I've always remembered faces.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16I'd know if I'd seen someone before, things like that.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So often it's having to go back and put a name to the face you know.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Looking back through searches and dealings you've had with someone.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26A few years ago, the Met didn't realise
0:08:26 > 0:08:31just how many of these super-recognisers officers they had within the force.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34But the London riots in 2011 changed all that.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37With so many suspects caught on video
0:08:37 > 0:08:40an online database of mug shots was created
0:08:40 > 0:08:43that every police officer in the Met could study.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46More super-recognisers came to the fore.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49So whereas before we might have had 20 super-recognisers,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51now we've got 215.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53The results were astounding.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57There have been 5,000 arrests from the London disorder.
0:08:57 > 0:09:03And we've had at least 3,000 of those are simply CCTV-driven.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06About 20% of the identifications came from super-recognisers.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10The super-recognisers are officers and detectives
0:09:10 > 0:09:12who go about normal police business
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and just happen to have this talent for recognition.
0:09:15 > 0:09:21Our undercover officer here is about to make a breakthrough with this particular pair of criminals.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24When their mug shots were put up on the police database,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27he knew he'd come across them some months before.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'Myself and a colleague were in a coffee shop on Oxford Street
0:09:30 > 0:09:32'and we noticed them. They came upstairs.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:36No drinks. Often a tactic used by these people,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38they'll pretend to be on a mobile phone
0:09:38 > 0:09:42cos people tend to not pay so much attention if someone's on a mobile.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44They kind of leave them to it.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46It's often just a ploy that they'll use.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48You can see they're looking round the tables.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52At that time, he and a colleague had followed the suspicious pair.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55They stopped and searched them, but they found nothing on them.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Ultimately, we had to let them go after taking all their details.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01But crucially, they had got their names.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04And now, months later, this same officer
0:10:04 > 0:10:06has been looking at the police database
0:10:06 > 0:10:10and he's recognised two familiar faces.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11Yeah, it was a definite, for certain.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14That's definitely him, that's definitely the other one.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17He checked his records from the day he stopped them
0:10:17 > 0:10:20and finally, the police put names to their faces.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23They are Marcos and Trian Rostaz.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31With names, Keely can now track them down and arrest them both.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36During the interview, both suspects were shown the CCTV.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39That's when they started talking. Yes, it was them.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44In court, the men plead guilty,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48and they are jailed for a total of 15 months between them.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56News of their comeuppance provides some comfort for their victim, Veronika.
0:10:56 > 0:11:02I was really happy and impressed at how good the police was at catching these guys.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Because how were they able to fit the pieces together, you know?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09With super-recognisers about,
0:11:09 > 0:11:14being caught on camera now means a greater chance of being caught full stop.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17It's always satisfying to identify people
0:11:17 > 0:11:19because it does make up for that time
0:11:19 > 0:11:22where we may not have been able to arrest you at that point in time
0:11:22 > 0:11:24where you hadn't done enough to be arrested,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27but now we've identified you for this
0:11:27 > 0:11:28so we've got you in the end.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32So it's always quite satisfying to make that identification.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39So what can we do to avoid being duped by distraction thieves
0:11:39 > 0:11:41in the way that Veronika was?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Keep your wits about you.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Make sure if someone bumps into you or approaches you at a table,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49particularly if they've got a map, newspaper or something to cover the table,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52that they're not stealing your phone, purse or wallet.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Do keep your property either in your hand or out of sight.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58In the West End, there's a common thing with hugger muggers.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01They come up to people in the street, dance around and hug them,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03pretending to be drunken friends.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07But at the time they're doing that, they'll steal their wallet from the back pocket
0:12:07 > 0:12:09unbeknown to the victim.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Coming up on Caught Red Handed:
0:12:11 > 0:12:14two men dump dangerous asbestos.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It makes you sick because of what it's doing to the general public.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21But these reckless fly-tippers haven't reckoned on the hidden eyes
0:12:21 > 0:12:23that will tip off the police.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30But first, the story of a thirsty thief
0:12:30 > 0:12:34who learnt to his cost not to have one drink too many!
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Tamworth, in the West Midlands.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48This CCTV camera is situated inside a pub.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50A man strolls in.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55But the pub closed hours ago and this is no late-night lock-in!
0:12:55 > 0:12:56It's a break-in.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02This man is about to rob the place and cause hundreds of pounds'-worth of damage.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06But then he'll make an absurd mistake.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16M's bar is situated in a 700-year-old historic building.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19It had been closed for three years
0:13:19 > 0:13:23before business partners Nicky and Mike decided to open it up.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26It's been hard, very hard,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28cos it was pretty derelict when we got it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31It took a lot of sweat and blood and tears
0:13:31 > 0:13:32to get where we are now.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Cobwebs everywhere, which I hate!
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Mark sorted all that out, to be fair.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40I've been running bars in Tamworth for about 15, 16 years now.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43In a few pubs in town. We've been here for two years.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45It's a great building, a lovely pub.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Don't really get any trouble. Everybody knows you by first name.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Which is a bit annoying, sometimes,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55especially when you're walking down the street. "OK, Nicky?" I don't know who it is, but I say hello!
0:13:56 > 0:13:59But one night, trouble does come calling.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Mike and Nicky live off the premises, and the pub is empty.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Around 3.00am, a man forces his way in through the outside door
0:14:08 > 0:14:10and enters the bar.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Then, to avoid suspicion from passers-by,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17he wedges the door shut with a chair.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Obviously thirsty, but too lazy to get a glass,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25he leans over the counter and helps himself to beer,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27straight out of the tap!
0:14:27 > 0:14:29But it's not just cold lager he's come for.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32He's also looking for cold hard cash.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35He brought a carrier bag of tools with him
0:14:35 > 0:14:37and he sets to work on the fruit machine.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41After a few very forceful nudges,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43he cleans it out of coins.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46He then tries the pool table,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48but can't find any money.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50He goes back to the one-armed bandit
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and now this bandit really hits the jackpot.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55The bank notes.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Still not satisfied, he tries damaging the pool table
0:15:00 > 0:15:02to see if that helps to find the money.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04But eventually gives up.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08In total, he's stolen around £2,000.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10He then makes his getaway.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13And that should be that.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15But it isn't!
0:15:16 > 0:15:18He actually gets away with the crime.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22He's gone. Two grand in cash, gets away, scot-free.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24How stupid is he then,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26to actually come back into the building,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29thinking he's safe, thinking he's happy days!
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Yes, just 45 minutes later, he's back!
0:15:35 > 0:15:37He fancies some more free drinks
0:15:37 > 0:15:38in his new favourite local!
0:15:38 > 0:15:42This time, he even pours a couple of glasses.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47And then he wanders across to the nice comfortable seating in an alcove
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and disappears into the shadows.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51And doesn't come back out...
0:15:53 > 0:15:55What IS he doing?
0:15:57 > 0:15:59As dawn breaks,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01a friend of Mike the landlord, Wes,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05goes past the pub and notices the open door.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08He was first on the scene. Front door's open.
0:16:08 > 0:16:14Walks into the scene of devastation. Cash and smashed glass and machines everywhere.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17There's a screwdriver on the table, a hammer to one side.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21And then he notices that there's a body on the seating.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Wes decides to get help from the newsagent's next door.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30A bit of back-up, but you're still wary.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33So you just turn the lights on, doesn't move.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Is he dead? Wes says he just poked him
0:16:36 > 0:16:38not quite sure what to expect.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Was he going to jump up and run, jump up and start fighting?
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Or if he was dead.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47And then he sits up and it's like, "Hello?"
0:16:47 > 0:16:51It turns out that after sinking pints,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55this thief curled up and sank into a deep sleep
0:16:55 > 0:16:58in the very pub he'd just robbed!
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Wes calls the police.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04It's one of the easiest arrests they're ever likely to make!
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Mike has watched the CCTV footage back many times.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13As heist movies go, this is no Ocean's Eleven.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16He still cannot believe the man's stupidity.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Second or third attempt on the pool table.
0:17:19 > 0:17:25What he's taking off there is the mechanism which puts the coins into the table.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Worth no value whatsoever.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31But again, being up there in the league of the world's dumbest, he doesn't check.
0:17:31 > 0:17:38Luckily, Nicky had taken away the previous bank holiday weekend's takings,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and insurance covers any loss.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43But the boozy burglar had done a lot of damage.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45It made me feel sick, if I'm honest,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48because you put all your hard work into it,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50even friends and family help, go out of their way to help,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and then for someone who's just a nobody
0:17:53 > 0:17:57to come in and within a couple of hours and near enough wipe you out.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59That's how it felt, really,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03because it puts a downer on the situation. You have to get the pub back up and running.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05People to come out and sort the machines,
0:18:05 > 0:18:06put new machines in.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Totally clean the place.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12My mum had to come in and clean the place because he'd put his mouth round the beer taps.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14It's just vile.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21The intruder is identified as Adam Bell.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25He pleads guilty to the burglary.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Not much choice, really!
0:18:27 > 0:18:30And he's sentenced to three months in prison.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Mike and Nicky have now improved security on the building,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40and M's Bar is a much safer place after hours.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Since it happened, we've had another four locks put on the front door.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47It's like Fort Knox, now. Locking up for Fort Knox!
0:18:48 > 0:18:52The night-time bolts, padlocks, chains, the lot!
0:18:52 > 0:18:54In 700 years of history,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58this building is unlikely to have seen anything quite as absurd
0:18:58 > 0:19:00as this dozy burglar!
0:19:00 > 0:19:03To come back and fall asleep in the venue,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06that is the most stupid thing I've ever heard anybody do!
0:19:10 > 0:19:15Next, a frightening tale of callous people dumping rubbish.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16Fly-tipping is bad enough,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19but what if the rubbish was dangerous and toxic
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and it was dumped right next door to your house?
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Just outside Chorley, Lancashire.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35These images are from CCTV cameras on private land,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38set up by the owner to watch over his garage.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42A car pulls up off the main road and parks up.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Two men in workmen's clothes get out.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48They open the bonnet and start to inspect the engine.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Maybe it's car trouble.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55But no.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59A few moments later, their true purpose is revealed.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03There's no excuse for dumping on other people's property.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Particularly dangerous waste. They know what it is, they know what's involved,
0:20:07 > 0:20:08and it's inexcusable.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11These are fly-tippers,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14dumping dangerous waste on an innocent person's land.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19It's a material that can have lethal properties - asbestos.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22In its solid form, it's generally no danger to anybody.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26As soon as it starts degrading, that's when you get fibre release.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28They obviously go into the lung.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31At the end of the day, asbestos is a carcinogenic.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Asbestos is known to cause lung disease.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38But originally, it was considered a cost-effective wonder material.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42It was widely used in construction during the '60s and '70s
0:20:42 > 0:20:44until it was found to be unsafe.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48But it has left a dangerous legacy across the UK.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52To avoid the charges for disposing of asbestos properly,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56some unscrupulous fly-tippers dump it illegally.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02In another area, Ashford, Middlesex,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Doreen and Veronica, residents in this road,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08have faced a serious health risk.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14A reckless fly-tipper started dumping asbestos waste
0:21:14 > 0:21:16in the lane that runs behind their homes.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18And it wasn't just a small amount.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20There was a whole load of it.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23The first time I saw the fly-tipping,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26I was just shocked to see the amount of asbestos that was there.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30The door opens at the moment,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32but when the asbestos was down, it didn't.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35You couldn't get the door open cos it was right the way up here.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Plus letters that they set fire to.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Obviously had their names and addresses on it.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41They didn't want to be recognised.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44That was just the beginning of the dumping of asbestos.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48The residents are horrified by the toxic rubbish
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and call the press and the council.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54But as soon as the council removes the asbestos waste,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56the fly-tipper returns.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00We never heard them come, so they must have come in the middle of the night or early hours of the morning.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02It went on for months.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Doreen has a theory as to why their lane has been targeted.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09There's not many other alleys here
0:22:09 > 0:22:12that you can drive down and drive out the other side of.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14A lot of them go into a dead end
0:22:14 > 0:22:17and they have to reverse back.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20He wouldn't want to reverse over his own asbestos - he'd get the fumes in his lungs.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22But to go about their daily business,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26residents have no choice but to drive over the piles of waste.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29When you drive down there, you break the asbestos up into bits.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32It gives off fumes and dust.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35We have a lot of children who use the alley with their parents
0:22:35 > 0:22:37when they're learning to ride a bike.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Parents taking children to school cut through the alleyway.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Animals come down there. Cats and dogs. They sniff everywhere.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45They take it into their lungs as well.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49He'll kill them all, just because he can't be bothered to pay his way.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53The callous fly-tipper dumps it here
0:22:53 > 0:22:56to avoid the cost of getting it disposed of safely.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58That cost can vary,
0:22:58 > 0:23:03depending on how much asbestos there is, and where it's removed from.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Local councils offer a removal service,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and so do specialist companies, like the one Rich Greening runs.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14In its solid form, it's generally no danger to anybody.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17As soon as it starts degrading, starts getting broken,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19that's when you get fibre release.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Once you breathe in the asbestos fibres,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23they enter the lung.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26You can then contract all asbestos-related lung diseases.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Rich's team have to take extreme measures to protect themselves from the dust.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Initially, we have to set up a shower unit,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37we have to cordon off the area,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40we have to build airlocks, bag locks.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42We have a device called a negative pressure unit
0:23:42 > 0:23:46which cleans the air whilst we're inside the enclosure.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48While inside the isolation zone,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51the team wear protective suits and face masks.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54As they break away the asbestos panels,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58they use a spray to help damp down any fibres released into the air
0:23:58 > 0:24:01before sealing them in heavy-duty bags.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04And that's not the half of it.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05When the guys leave the enclosure,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07they wipe down, vacuum down,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09take off their red suit in the dirty end,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13then they go into what's called the clean area,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15place on a blue transit suit
0:24:15 > 0:24:17so they can then walk out of the enclosure
0:24:17 > 0:24:19whilst keeping their mask on - this comes off at no time -
0:24:19 > 0:24:23straight to the shower unit. They still keep their mask on.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Shower for a minimum of ten to 15 minutes.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29They can then remove it whilst showering. That's the process.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Knowing the lengths professionals go to to avoid contamination,
0:24:32 > 0:24:38it seems unbelievable that anybody would deliberately expose these Ashford residents
0:24:38 > 0:24:42by repeatedly dumping asbestos right behind their homes.
0:24:42 > 0:24:49It makes me sick. Not because the likes of what people within my industry are losing the work.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52It makes you sick because of what it's doing to the general public.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54What it's doing to children. Something needs to change.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56People shouldn't get away with it.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00And back up in Chorley, Lancashire,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03these fly-tippers aren't going to get away with it.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06We saw them earlier, going to great lengths
0:25:06 > 0:25:08to avoid drawing attention.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13Waste of time, really, seeing as their every move is recorded on camera!
0:25:13 > 0:25:16We see them just manage to get the bonnet up
0:25:16 > 0:25:17and this is all part of the cover.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20This is to say, "We've pulled up because of an engine failure",
0:25:20 > 0:25:22or "We've got a problem with the car."
0:25:22 > 0:25:26But it's a distraction from the real reason why they've moved into the area.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28They start removing asbestos sheets from a roof-rack
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and throw them down the side of the garage.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Then they get disturbed.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37He's just put that back on the roof. There must be someone in the area.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Both of them now are looking very serious at this engine
0:25:41 > 0:25:43that's obviously in perfectly good working order!
0:25:43 > 0:25:46And there they remain until the person passes.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Then the two men resume their dumping.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53It's something they've thought about, something they've planned.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55The crazy thing is,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58in this case, it's not a huge amount they're dumping,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01so it wouldn't have cost much for the council to have taken it.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04There's no reason why he can't afford the charge.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It may be 20 or £30 to dispose of the waste legally.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Last sheet dumped, the men get ready to leave,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13seemingly unconcerned that the owner of this land
0:26:13 > 0:26:16will stumble upon their toxic rubbish.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17They think they've got away with it.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21What they don't know is that we've got two cameras that have seen everything
0:26:21 > 0:26:22from the start to the very end.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29The garage owner soon finds the asbestos
0:26:29 > 0:26:31and sends this footage to the council.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Police are able to identify the car driver
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and arrest him.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Ryan Clough pleads guilty at court.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43He is sentenced to 60 days in prison...
0:26:45 > 0:26:49..and ordered to pay £1,400 in costs to the council.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53It's a serious and expensive sentence.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58The fact that it's asbestos has a big impact on the outcome of the sentence.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00No doubt about that at all.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02The deliberate act of taking it there,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04the deliberate act of trying to cover up what they were doing,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07all the time knowing what the material was,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09makes it very, very malicious
0:27:09 > 0:27:11and also very reckless.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15And back down in Ashford, Middlesex,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17the other reckless asbestos fly-tipper
0:27:17 > 0:27:19has also been caught.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21This time by a vigilant neighbour.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Fortunately, the lady round the corner managed to catch them.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Because she's on the corner, she heard them tipping it,
0:27:29 > 0:27:30went round to get the lorry.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32They'd gone, gone round the back.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35So she dashed the other way and got the number plate.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38And it was only then that we got some relief from all this stress.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42A man is arrested and sentenced to six months' imprisonment
0:27:42 > 0:27:44suspended for 18 months.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48He also has to carry out 150 hours' unpaid work
0:27:48 > 0:27:51for depositing illegal waste
0:27:51 > 0:27:53and pay £3,000 in costs.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Both of these callous fly-tippers made a big mistake.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00It's cost them a hell of a lot more, being caught as they were,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03than it would have done just by picking up the phone,
0:28:03 > 0:28:08speaking to the local authority and asking what's the best way of dealing with the waste we've got.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Since then, thankfully, no more asbestos has been dumped in the lane.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Getting that dust in their lungs is not doing anyone any good.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18So I'm glad it's stopped.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23That's it for today. Join us next time
0:28:23 > 0:28:28when the police and the public catch more criminals red handed!