0:00:02 > 0:00:04Thieves will steal our cars,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06our valuables, just about anything
0:00:06 > 0:00:09they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16police and other agencies are using new tactics and technology,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18where the bad guys get caught in the act.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Brilliant footage. Police officers love CCTV.
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 > 0:00:28As soon as he walked into the picture I knew who he was.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30And the general public too,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33can help unsuspecting crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34We definitely needed proof.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37You're not going to get away with it, you might as well just pack up.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39It made him swallow his pride, it was brilliant.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43So, anyone who's up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46They might just get caught red-handed.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57Today, a threatening letter posted by a sinister stranger
0:00:57 > 0:01:01means a sudden frightening change in the lives of an innocent family.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It was like something off the TV, to be honest.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06It all didn't seem real.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09The world just came to a big halt.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12Also today...
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Moments of terror at two businesses.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Both suddenly faced with a knife-wielding attacker.
0:01:18 > 0:01:19The next thing you know,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22these two ladies are there and there's a knife in their face.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I don't think I've ever felt fear like that before.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And this man's not exactly a power dresser.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34So why is he stuffing electric power drills down his trousers?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Farnworth, Greater Manchester.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48A man types a letter.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52He chooses his words carefully to have the maximum impact.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56The writer then walks down the street.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58He slips the letter underneath this door
0:01:58 > 0:02:02and instantly changes the lives of a happy family.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Posting one letter.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07It had such an effect on all of us.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09A horrible ordeal.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11The worst couple of days of my life.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14The letter writer is a blackmailer,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16demanding money with menaces.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21Making false accusations to threaten a blameless young family.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23He was saying, "I've been watching you.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24"I've been watching your family.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27"I know where you live."
0:02:27 > 0:02:28It was just horrific.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Lives may be in danger.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34The police need to catch him and fast.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45This jewellery shop in Farnworth town centre
0:02:45 > 0:02:49is a small family business, run by Alex and Anita Kinner.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I've been working here for about five years,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54since I bought the business
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and everybody seems nice and friendly
0:02:57 > 0:02:59and it's quite a nice community, really.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03They've been married for seven years and have two young daughters.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Things couldn't be better, to be honest.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11We get on fantastically and we've got a lovely circle of friends and...
0:03:11 > 0:03:14children who are happy little girls.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20But then, one morning, their happiness is suddenly shattered.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24It was just a normal day like any other day.
0:03:24 > 0:03:25Opened up and came in.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Kevin, who works here, noticed the letter on the floor
0:03:31 > 0:03:35with just the word 'Kinners' wrote on it, nothing else.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Thought nothing of it and just put it on the side.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41A little while later, Alex gets round to opening the letter.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Started reading it and it referred to an amount of jewellery
0:03:47 > 0:03:50which we'd supposedly bought in.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Straight away I knew we hadn't bought anything for that amount.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58So, at first, I thought he was getting mixed up with somebody else.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59But it wasn't a mix-up.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03The letter accused Alex of buying stolen jewellery
0:04:03 > 0:04:07and demanded £1,353 in repayment.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Carried on reading down,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12all of a sudden it starts getting threatening
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and they would burn my house down,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17and the children and my wife.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20It got quite graphic and quite horrifying really.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Concerned for his family's safety,
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Alex phones the police
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and rushes to find his wife Anita.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I could see in his face that something was up.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32He weren't for telling me in the street,
0:04:32 > 0:04:33so I walked back to the shop with him
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and then he told me.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38And it's like, just didn't register.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40I don't think she,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42she took it in at first.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Like, the impact of it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46We're just a small family business,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50why is someone targeting us for such a thing?
0:04:50 > 0:04:51We don't do any wrong.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54But even more worrying for Alex,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58is the blackmailer claims that he's been watching their every move.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01It came across as someone who had really done their homework
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and they'd thought about it and
0:05:04 > 0:05:07it was someone not to be messed with, to be honest.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10The world just came to a big halt.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13The terrified couple instinctively want to protect their family.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16My next thought was, "Get me children."
0:05:16 > 0:05:18She straightaway went to the school.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Cos it was like, he's saying that he's been watching us.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23It's like, where is he?
0:05:23 > 0:05:24With the family under threat,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27the police arrive at the shop within minutes.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Alex and Anita were extremely worried,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33they just didn't know who this person was,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35why they'd been targeted
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and what was going to happen.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41There's nothing in that letter suggests to me that this was a hoax.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46The police are taking no chances and put safeguards in place.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49The afternoon just, was just a big blur.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52The next thing I knew,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55we was asked if we could go to a safe house in London.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It was a difficult decision for Alex to make,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59because essentially, what we're asking him to do is,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03leave your life behind and go and stay somewhere else
0:06:03 > 0:06:06for an indefinite amount of time until we can find out or assess
0:06:06 > 0:06:09just exactly what we're dealing with here.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Just four hours after receiving the blackmail letter,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15the couple have to pack up the kids and head for London.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Telling the girls that it's a treat, a holiday.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22We had a police escort part of the way going down to London.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24The journey was unbelievable
0:06:24 > 0:06:28cos me and Alex was constantly wanting to talk to each other.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31But naturally, we couldn't say anything about it
0:06:31 > 0:06:33because of the young children in the back.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36At the safe house, the police install panic buttons,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38phone the family every 20 minutes
0:06:38 > 0:06:40and visit every few hours.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44They also check up on their family and friends.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Police cars were issued to all of our houses
0:06:48 > 0:06:50and they were parked outside.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It was like something off the TV, to be honest.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55It all didn't seem real.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57But it is all too real
0:06:57 > 0:07:02and the detectives need to find out who the blackmailer is and quickly.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03They start with the letter.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06We have to look at every single line in that letter to try
0:07:06 > 0:07:08just get an idea of who this man is,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10what's motivated them to do this.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14The first few lines accuse Alex of buying stolen jewellery
0:07:14 > 0:07:16following a house burglary.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Claiming this caused the victim to become ill.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22We have to start then researching.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Has there been a robbery at somebody's home recently?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Had somebody perhaps had a stroke who'd been burgled?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Could this person who's written this letter
0:07:31 > 0:07:33be a relative of the people who've been burgled?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36There is no record of a burglary in the area.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39And Alex knows he hasn't bought any stolen jewellery.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Each line of the letter is loaded with menace.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48Perhaps he's had some sort of, maybe, a military background.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Or something along those lines,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53that he won't be deterred from carrying out these demands.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Even the detailed amount of money the writer demands,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59£1,353,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01sounds, somehow, plausible.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04He's obviously implying that the lady who's suffered the stroke
0:08:04 > 0:08:08is his grandparent, so his motivation is high.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11"On page three are directions you will follow
0:08:11 > 0:08:14"in delivery of the money. Failure to do so
0:08:14 > 0:08:16"will result in the burning down of your home
0:08:16 > 0:08:18"and your departure from this world."
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I think that speaks for itself, really.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24"I will receive a call when this has been carried out."
0:08:24 > 0:08:28That kind of implies there's more than one person involved
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and that there's maybe a team of people.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32With no leads and time running out,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34there is only one thing for sure,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37the police need to act quickly.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39We're dealing with someone who's,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43on the face of it, seems like he's prepared to carry out this crime.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Later, at the safe house in London,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Alex and Anita's lives are in limbo
0:08:50 > 0:08:54We were discussing what we're going to do if they don't catch them.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The family can't live like this for long.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00The police know it's urgent that they must find the letter writer.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02The only thing we had to go on
0:09:02 > 0:09:05was to view CCTV.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10What happens next will depend on some grainy camera shots
0:09:10 > 0:09:12and an extraordinary twist of fate.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23Coming up, drilling down to the truth of why this DIY shopper
0:09:23 > 0:09:26is putting power tools down his pants.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32But first, is it a Martian on a mission?
0:09:32 > 0:09:33Watch this space.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42An unearthly sight in a high street at midnight.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44It looks like an alien has landed
0:09:44 > 0:09:46but there's no need to panic.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51The only close encounter this space invader's interested in having
0:09:51 > 0:09:54is with the thousands of pounds inside a cash machine.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58The home-made spacesuit is to protect him
0:09:58 > 0:10:01from the acid he's painting on the machine's metal casing
0:10:01 > 0:10:05For some reason, he thinks he can melt his way to money.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09A while later, the urban spaceman boldly goes back,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13unmasked, to drench the cashpoint in water.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Maybe he's hoping to speed up the chemical reaction.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Or perhaps, guilt has got the better of him.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Either way, all this corrosive crook succeeded in doing
0:10:24 > 0:10:27was causing £30,000-worth of damage
0:10:27 > 0:10:31and providing a clear snapshot of his face.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33So the force will soon be with him.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35The police force.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43In the past, people used to be afraid of high 'way' robbery.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Nowadays, that's more likely to be high 'street' robbery.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Armed raids on businesses carry stiff sentences
0:10:54 > 0:10:56but they still regularly happen.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00And it's not just big businesses with high turnover
0:11:00 > 0:11:03that are in the criminals' sights.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06It's any business with cash in the till.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09When something like this happens it affects everything.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Changes your whole world.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Quite clearly he was after cash and he got away with £220 in cash.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Often they're lone attackers, rushing in and out.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Tracking them down takes clever detective work and CCTV.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31The quiet town of Chester-le-Street in County Durham.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It's a summer evening and a few punters are in this betting shop
0:11:34 > 0:11:36hoping to get lucky.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39But the mood suddenly changes
0:11:39 > 0:11:43when a masked man bursts in brandishing a knife.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47He leaps over the counter, waving the blade
0:11:47 > 0:11:51and demands money from terrified cashiers.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54One of the women hands over the contents of the till.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58And while the stunned customers watch on, the thief escapes.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03The dramatic CCTV footage
0:12:03 > 0:12:08finds its way onto the desk of Detective Sgt John Woodhall.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11He was quite athletic, he leapt the counter, sort of, in one leap.
0:12:11 > 0:12:12And the next thing you know,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15these two ladies are there and there's a knife in their face.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Had the ladies challenged him
0:12:16 > 0:12:20or had gone towards him, it could've ended a whole lot worse.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22They're both very shaken, very upset.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I think at first a little bit confused as to what was
0:12:24 > 0:12:27actually going on and then the realisation dawned on them
0:12:27 > 0:12:29that they were actually being the victims of a crime.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31The ladies had the presence of mind to stand back
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and just let him get on with it. But I shudder to think what might
0:12:34 > 0:12:36have happened had he been challenged.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Another person who has faced a man with a knife
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and knows how it feels is Shelley.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49She runs a hairdresser's shop in Bolton.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Shelley lives above her salon Talking Heads.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I've been here about ten years now,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I live here as well
0:12:57 > 0:13:00so it's just convenient for everything, really.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Work, home life, sorting kids out.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07But on a cold January afternoon,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09that is all about to change.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12That day was just like any other day.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15We come to work, had a laugh,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18did the customer's hair.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21I was at the sink, I glanced through the window
0:13:21 > 0:13:25and thought this guy looked a bit out of the ordinary
0:13:25 > 0:13:29with a scarf covering his face.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Next thing, he come through the door, pulled a knife out,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35come straight at me
0:13:35 > 0:13:37screaming, "Give me your money."
0:13:37 > 0:13:39And I just thought it was a joke
0:13:39 > 0:13:43because nothing like that's ever happened really around here.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It happens to everybody else, not you.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51I just thought, is it a friend playing a prank?
0:13:51 > 0:13:54It's not real, it's not a real knife.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56But you're just watching that knife.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Where's that knife going?
0:13:58 > 0:14:01As he come nearer with the knife,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04my reaction was just to put the shower in his face.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05So, then he left me,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07went to my colleague,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09asked her for the money,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12started to pull her hair.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I said, "Give him the money, it's not worth our lives."
0:14:16 > 0:14:19The attacker turns his interest towards the till.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22He grabs the money and runs out.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23It's only after,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25you realise what could have happened
0:14:25 > 0:14:29but it was the longest 50 seconds of our lives.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30It felt like hours.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36I don't care, he could have took £5, £5 million,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38as long as we're all all right.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Back in Chester-le-Street, it's John Woodhall's job
0:14:47 > 0:14:49to track down the masked intruder
0:14:49 > 0:14:52who jumped over the counter looking for cash.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54He's reviewing the footage from the bookmakers closely.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57For the moment, it's all he's got to go on.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01All you can see there is he's wearing a ski mask,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03a light-coloured jacket and a black glove.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04What I'm also looking at
0:15:04 > 0:15:07is when he jumps over the counter with the training shoes.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08You can see the Nike training shoe.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11And from other camera angles in the store you can see the sole
0:15:11 > 0:15:15and the sole has a light grey/silver coloured panel running down them.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20To find the masked man, John sets off to do some super-sleuthing.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22From experience, it's like, rewind the video,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I want to know where he has been
0:15:24 > 0:15:26just prior to coming in and carrying out the offence.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Sort of following him backwards really.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Prior to him committing the actual offence.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33John starts his search at the scene of the crime.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36From the witnesses we were able to say that the offender ran
0:15:36 > 0:15:39directly up this street and headed all the way to the top.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Retracing the robber's escape route,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47John notices that a few local residents have CCTV cameras.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And it turns out they have some very interesting footage.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53This is the offender, prior to the offence being committed
0:15:53 > 0:15:54and he's in a rear alley,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57which backs on to the premises that was attacked.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00We're able to see he's wearing the light-coloured jacket,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02the vest and carrying the same bag.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05This is the offender walking down the street.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08This allows me to see the black backpack with the silver grey panel.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10And then, straight after the robbery...
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Same camera, same street, he's got the same coat on,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15he's wearing the ski mask on his head and you can see the bag,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17which is the same bag that the guy was carrying
0:16:17 > 0:16:19prior to the offence being committed.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22And this, again, is the same footage from a different camera angle.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It allows me to see, there, the grey panel on the bottom of his shoes,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28which is fantastic evidence because you can see that quite clearly
0:16:28 > 0:16:30when he leaps the counter from one of the cameras,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32he's wearing the same shoes.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36The man tried his luck at the bookies. It's running out.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39So, that gave us the impetus, then, to look for the bag
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and the opportunity to see where he came from prior to that camera.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45The last sighting we had from a witness
0:16:45 > 0:16:47was that he saw the robber run up here
0:16:47 > 0:16:49and then turn right round this corner at the wall.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Natural progression would lead him towards the supermarket
0:16:52 > 0:16:53in this direction.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59And this here, to my right, is where we believe the offender made off.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03And when John checks the supermarket CCTV,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07suddenly, all bets are off for the balaclava'd man from the bookies.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09He bursts out of some bushes,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11looking a lot less like a gangster,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13in a pair of shorts.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Minus the mask and the balaclava.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18He thinks he's incognito
0:17:18 > 0:17:20but he's actually in big trouble
0:17:20 > 0:17:22when John searches the area.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26First item I found was this mobile telephone.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30It was just sat on the top of the long grass, peering up at me.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Without even moving my feet I turned to my right,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34looked down and I found the black leather glove.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37It's that point I shouted to colleagues to come down.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39When they arrived, within feet of where we were standing,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43we found the knife. Once we found the items there,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45I thought myself, "Yeah, we've got our man.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47"We'll get him from this."
0:17:47 > 0:17:50A careless crook and now his number's up.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52He's tried to beat the bookies
0:17:52 > 0:17:54but now the odds are stacked against him.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57I was able to take that knife
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and show it to the two ladies who worked in the store
0:18:00 > 0:18:01and one of them was able to say,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04"Yeah, that knife is a similar size, similar shape."
0:18:04 > 0:18:06John's got the weapon.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Crime scene investigators come along, they take the glove
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and they take DNA samples from inside.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14That went off to the science laboratory
0:18:14 > 0:18:16and it gave me the name of the guy.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Now all John needs is an address
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and the mobile phone holds an important clue.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24It was quite apparent from the nature of the messages on the phone
0:18:24 > 0:18:26that taxis from the Newcastle area had been ordered
0:18:26 > 0:18:28and luckily for me, the taxi companies
0:18:28 > 0:18:30who were requested to attend
0:18:30 > 0:18:33actually send a text message back to your telephone
0:18:33 > 0:18:36to tell you your car is on its way to your home address
0:18:36 > 0:18:39and provide you with that home address. So, that was fantastic.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Thanks to some clever and determined detective work,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47and the help of yet more CCTV from the day of the robbery,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49John now has a suspect in his sights.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51He looks to his right just as he's moving
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and you can see he's got quite pointy facial features
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and you can see the silvery, grey hair.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58And it allowed me in interview to show this and say,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00"Well, I've never met you
0:19:00 > 0:19:02"but sitting two feet away from you across a table, that's you."
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Which sort of took the wind out of his sails a wee bit
0:19:06 > 0:19:09and caused him to bury his head in his hands.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12The CCTV evidence in this case was
0:19:12 > 0:19:15the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17It allowed me to see exactly what had happened
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and it also allowed his barrister to say to him,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22"I think you need to hold your hands up with this one,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25"you're pretty much stuck." So, without the CCTV,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27we would have been fighting a losing battle.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29John's finally got his man.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32And it turns out, this armed thief has had a very busy week,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Robbing another betting shop in Newcastle a few days before.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Richard Black pleads guilty to both robberies.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43And is sentenced to ten years in prison.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49A good result for John and his colleagues.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Everybody involved in the team played their part
0:19:51 > 0:19:55and the result in the end for the victims was great.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I don't think for one moment the victims ever thought we were going to catch him.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01When we spoke to them the morning after the robbery,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04it's, he's got a ski mask you're never going to find out who he is.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07And then when I went and told them, "Yeah, we've arrested somebody
0:20:07 > 0:20:09"and we've charged him," they couldn't believe it.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10They thought it was great.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Such attacks are very rare.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21But what should people do if they are confronted
0:20:21 > 0:20:23by someone with a weapon?
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Don't try to tackle them. Step away.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30The value of the items that thieves want to take
0:20:30 > 0:20:33is not comparable to your own safety and your own life.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Perhaps you'd want to make note of the clothing that they're wearing.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Any tattoos, significant marks or scars. Are they wearing glasses?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41And look where an offender's touched.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45We can look back for DNA and for fingerprint evidence,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48which can lead to the early identification of a suspect.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Did they go in a vehicle? Which direction did they go?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52And try and make note of all of these things.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It makes it much easier for us to follow a path
0:20:55 > 0:20:57with a dog later. We can track.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00And also our police units and get people into the area
0:21:00 > 0:21:02to try and locate the suspect.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04People think other people have rung 999.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07You ring 999, then you know for sure that it's been done.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Now, a shopper in a DIY store.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17He's looking for tools but he's not a 'paying' customer.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19He's a 'slippery' customer.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29It's a weekend at this DIY store in Barnstable
0:21:29 > 0:21:32and this man is looking to make a big saving.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36100% off, to be precise.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39But this chap is not the sharpest tool in the box.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41He's loitering around the power tools section
0:21:41 > 0:21:45and he's about to help himself to a top-of-the-range cordless drill,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49which costs about £300.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52There it goes, straight down the front of his trousers.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54I hope for his sake, it's turned off.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58He just walks out with it,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02although, I imagine, walking may just be a little, um, uncomfortable.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06When the staff eventually find the drill is missing,
0:22:06 > 0:22:11they hand this CCTV footage over to the police.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Everyone thinks the crook has probably got away with it though.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Until, that is, on the following Saturday.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Unbelievably, he's back.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23When it comes to shoplifting, he reckons he knows the drill.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27He's on the lookout for any security staff.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31But he's failed to notice that the CCTV cameras are focused on him.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33He decides the coast is clear
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and packs another drill away
0:22:35 > 0:22:38into his own personal tool box.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42He scarpers. But the manager and the security team have spotted him
0:22:42 > 0:22:44and throw a spanner in the works.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50He's not getting away with it this time.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Just as he tries to leave the DIY store,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55he gets nailed.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00The man is made to pay £289 for the drill he got away with
0:23:00 > 0:23:04and sentenced to a 13-week curfew order,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08meaning he can't leave his home between 6pm and 6am.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Plenty of time to catch up with all that DIY around the house.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Blackmail and demanding money with menaces. A nasty crime.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26But, thankfully, an uncommon one.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30But that's no comfort for Alex, Anita and their family.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37In Farnworth, Greater Manchester,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Alex and Anita's innocent family have received a letter
0:23:40 > 0:23:43demanding money with violent threats.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47It was detailing how he was going to come and burn my house down
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and my children's life would come to an end.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53The police are taking the threat so seriously,
0:23:53 > 0:23:54Alex and Anita have moved
0:23:54 > 0:23:57with their young children to a safe house.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01We were just like a coiled spring, really. Constantly alert.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I could see Alex was, he was been strong for me
0:24:04 > 0:24:08cos he knew that I would take it really personal and to heart.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10With time running out,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14the police are under pressure to find the blackmailer quickly.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Detective Karl Chandler is on the case.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Alex's life and his family's life's on hold
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and we need to move this investigation on.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24This offence has taken place on the town centre
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and I know the town centre is well-covered with CCTV.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31The police find out that Alex's jewellery shop
0:24:31 > 0:24:33is covered by the town's cameras.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37And so it was a case of just sitting through that footage.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Karl watches pedestrians as they pass in front of the shop.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49At around 8.15 in the morning, one of them stoops down.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53And posts an envelope under the shutters.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56He slowly walks on.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01This is the moment where this person commits the offence.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04As a police officer, we've got something to work with.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07The man walks with a distinctive gait,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11making him easier to follow as he crosses the town centre.
0:25:11 > 0:25:12You see he appeared to have a limp,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14he was quite a stocky build,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17looked like he was wearing a dark jacket and a bob cap.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21So, we could then start to backtrack.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25It looks like the man is heading for a supermarket further down the road.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29But with the store shut for the night, Karl has no choice
0:25:29 > 0:25:32but to wait till the next morning to check their camera footage.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35While we were waiting to speak to the security,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I was looking across the car park
0:25:37 > 0:25:41from the foyer of the local superstore,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45when a man, matching the blackmailer's description,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47walked past.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48Limping,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51bob cap, dark clothing, heavy build.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55And I just thought straightaway,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57it looks like the blackmailer.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00But is this the right man?
0:26:00 > 0:26:03They stop and ask him for his address, which turns out
0:26:03 > 0:26:07to be on the same road as the blackmailer's ransom drop-off point.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11So that raised the suspicions even further
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and it was at that point we decided he was to be arrested.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Back at the police station...
0:26:16 > 0:26:20He made no comment to a number of questions asked but then later
0:26:20 > 0:26:24he did speak and did explain that he was the person responsible.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Only 30 hours after their ordeal has begun,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31the police phone Alex and Anita to tell them the good news.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36Real relief, unbelievable. Best news I've ever had.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40It was like, I'm going to burst out, saying we can go back.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Karl collects the CCTV footage from the supermarket
0:26:44 > 0:26:47and it clearly shows the face of the man
0:26:47 > 0:26:50who sent Anita and Alex's world into turmoil.
0:26:50 > 0:26:5250-year-old Anthony Wilcock.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56The offence of blackmail's a serious crime.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Demanding money with menaces,
0:26:59 > 0:27:00threatening a family.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05And so, you can see that the sentence would reflect the crime.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12In court, Wilcock is sentenced to four years in prison.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Not deterred by his bad experience,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Alex was back in business after only four days,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24determined to continue a job he knows and loves.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25It does cross your mind,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28is it worth it being in the jewellery business?
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Having to go through things like this?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Do you give it all up or...?
0:27:34 > 0:27:37But you can't bow down to people.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40You can't let people run your life.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43To make sure his family never feel threatened again,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Alex put in a security system in his home.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49But the experience has left them stronger.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It brought us close, we are a close family anyway
0:27:52 > 0:27:56and nobody's going to take our family away from us,
0:27:56 > 0:27:57no matter what they say.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That's it for today.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Join us next time when the police and the public
0:28:06 > 0:28:08catch more criminals red-handed.