0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08just about anything they 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.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Brilliant footage. Police officers love CCTV.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Local councils, shops and businesses are 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 > 0:00:35- We needed proof.- You're not going to get away with it.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37You might as well just pack up.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39It made him swallow his pride. It was brilliant.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42So, anyone who's up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46They might just get caught red-handed.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Today,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56when a gang of crooks target cash machines,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59they send sparks flying right across the country.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02They thought they'd come up with the perfect way of offending.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04But they're about to lose their sparkle,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07as police gather the evidence.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Also today, hounding down a dog thief.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Fudge is one of the increasing number of family pets
0:01:13 > 0:01:17- that disappear every day. - I was just in shock.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Everything was going through my mind,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20worrying that something's happened to her.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24But then, an undercover pet detective picks up the scent.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28And a young driver's destructive way
0:01:28 > 0:01:31of avoiding parking charges.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33But there's an even higher price to pay.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42CCTV of a man at work,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46using a high-powered cutter to slice through metal.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48But he's not in a steel yard,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51he's inside a rural supermarket.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57He's a member of a gang who attack cashpoint machines.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00They were the kind of people that enjoyed the adrenaline rush
0:02:00 > 0:02:02that this type of offending gave them.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05They also break into family homes
0:02:05 > 0:02:07to steal the fast cars they use to get away.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10The thought that someone had been in my house
0:02:10 > 0:02:11while my children were asleep
0:02:11 > 0:02:13was really quite disturbing.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16They think they've planned the perfect crime.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19This was a crime type that we'd never seen before.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It had never been seen before, and it's never been seen since.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24But these crooks have made a mistake.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37A small supermarket in Borough Green, Kent.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39It's one of a chain of shops
0:02:39 > 0:02:42that house a specific type of cashpoint machine.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45At around 11pm, a car pulls up.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Three men get out and collect tools from the boot.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54They take less than a minute to prise open the door with a jemmy.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Once inside, they shove goods out of the way
0:02:58 > 0:03:00to get at the cash machine
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and start to attack it with a powerful disc cutter.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05The discs that they fitted to the petrol-powered disc cutter
0:03:05 > 0:03:07were ones that were sold for cutting railway track,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11so real heavy-duty discs.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14To disable the machine's defence mechanism,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16the cut must be millimetre perfect.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19But the gang have found a way to make sure it is.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22They produced a number of these triangular-shaped templates.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25You can actually see, on the bottom of this template,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27where the disc has been held against the template
0:03:27 > 0:03:30whilst they've cut into one of the cashpoint machines.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32It takes them just four and a half minutes
0:03:32 > 0:03:36to reach the cashbox containing £18,000.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37They leave.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40This is just the first of many similar raids they're planning.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43But it's very nearly their last.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48A member of the public has phoned the local police
0:03:48 > 0:03:50who are soon in hot pursuit.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52This is the footage from their in-car camera.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Kent police officers managed to get reasonably close to it.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59It put a lot of pressure on the officers
0:03:59 > 0:04:00who were trying to follow them.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The speeds they drove at were completely reckless.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09The stolen getaway car is being driven at speeds of up to 110mph.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13As the driver takes a wrong turn into a dead end,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17he tries to spin round, straight into the path of the police car.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22He hit the side of the stolen Vauxhall.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24One of the offenders couldn't get out of the vehicle
0:04:24 > 0:04:27because it's a three-door car.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29The two sitting in the front escape,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31but a third man in the back is trapped.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32And he was arrested at the scene.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Officers recover the stolen money and seize tools from the car.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39The arrested man pleads guilty to the burglary,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42but won't grass up his partners in crime.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45He comes from 160 miles away in Birmingham,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47where it turns out,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50West Midlands police officers already have an inkling
0:04:50 > 0:04:53that some kind of criminal activity is under way.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Police Detective Inspector Warren Hines
0:04:55 > 0:04:58has noticed one of the arrested man's associates,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Noel Reilly, driving an expensive car.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03The man who I considered to be the ringleader
0:05:03 > 0:05:06was spotted by myself and a couple of colleagues
0:05:06 > 0:05:08driving a nearly-new BMW convertible car.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10We knew that he'd just got out of prison
0:05:10 > 0:05:12and hadn't got any legitimate means of income
0:05:12 > 0:05:14that would fund that type of lifestyle.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16It's not known how Reilly and his cronies
0:05:16 > 0:05:18learnt how to raid cash machines,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20but they've clearly perfected it.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Over a wide area,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24they start attacking more stores which have the machines.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27The gang offended away from Birmingham, where they all lived,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29travelled some considerable distances,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32targeting predominantly rural convenience stores,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34because they don't want any witnesses seeing what's going on,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and this can take local police a little bit longer to make to.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41But not every raid is successful, and at this shop in Leicestershire,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45they leave empty-handed, when a smoke defence system is activated.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48If they thought they were taking too long, they'd just leave it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49They were happy to walk away,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52rather than run the risk of being caught by the police.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Warren and his colleagues investigate each burglary,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58but the gang don't leave any solid evidence behind.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01They always wear Balaclavas and cover their tracks.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03They were all no strangers to the criminal justice system
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and they tried to work round how they'd been caught in the past.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09They don't leave fingerprints behind or DNA or anything.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Sometimes we have to bide our time to prove,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14beyond all reasonable doubt, that these people are responsible.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17And it's not just businesses the gang are targeting.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19They steal the fast-performance getaway cars
0:06:19 > 0:06:21from members of the public.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23These were people who took a lot of pride
0:06:23 > 0:06:25in owning a vehicle of such status, really,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and to wake up in the morning and find out that it's gone,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30must have been gut-wrenching, really.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Kirsty and her family are one of the gang's victims.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40They woke one morning to find they'd been burgled.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43My husband was obviously really shocked.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45He flew down the stairs
0:06:45 > 0:06:49and his first reaction was his car had been taken.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52And it was his pride and joy - his beloved Audi.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Somebody had found the keys in the kitchen in a drawer.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58While they were inside,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00the gang also stole Kirsty's handbag
0:07:00 > 0:07:04and a laptop containing many family photos.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07For me, it's not really about them taking the car.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11It's more about somebody invading our personal space
0:07:11 > 0:07:13whilst the children were asleep,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17and that I find really quite disturbing.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21To prevent more people from becoming victims,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and after investigating more than 20 cashpoint raids,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Warren and his team know enough to set up a raid of their own.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33We'd identified an area of Birmingham where we believed
0:07:33 > 0:07:36they were likely to be storing their stolen vehicles.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37We recovered this vehicle.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40It's fair to say the boot of this car was a bit like Dr Who's TARDIS,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43to be honest, when you see the amount of stuff that we managed to get out.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46It's a large haul of equipment.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49They'd swap the number plates on the vehicle they were using
0:07:49 > 0:07:51several times in the night.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53There's some household cleaning agent.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55They were really careful to wipe down all the surfaces
0:07:55 > 0:07:59where they were thinking we might get fingerprints or DNA from.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Four men are arrested.
0:08:03 > 0:08:09Noel Reilly, David Holmes, Simon Phillips and Darren Buckley.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Phillips is immediately sent back to jail
0:08:11 > 0:08:14because he's on licence from prison.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17But Reilly, Holmes and Buckley are released on bail.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20The Crown Prosecution Service wants more solid evidence
0:08:20 > 0:08:22before it proceeds with the case.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25It's disappointing news for Warren and his team.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28We just didn't have enough at that time
0:08:28 > 0:08:31to enable the CPS to charge them.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35It's a really difficult decision to make as a police officer.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38When you're pretty sure you're on the right track,
0:08:38 > 0:08:39you've then got to bail somebody
0:08:39 > 0:08:41who you know is a committed and determined criminal,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43and you know, in all likelihood,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45he's going to go on to commit further offences.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48And Warren's dead right.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Just two weeks later, a report comes in from Devon.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53A cashpoint machine has been attacked
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and has been left with a trademark horizontal cut
0:08:56 > 0:08:58right near its locking mechanism.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00The more offences you commit with a unique MO,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02you really are flagging up to the world
0:09:02 > 0:09:04that it's you that's responsible.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Whether it's over confidence in their methods or just plain greed,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Reilly and Holmes are stealing again, while on bail.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I really do think, in their own minds,
0:09:13 > 0:09:17they thought that they'd come up with the perfect way of offending.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19This is the chance Warren's been waiting for -
0:09:19 > 0:09:22to pounce with an element of surprise.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24We tracked them to a cottage just outside Exeter
0:09:24 > 0:09:26which they'd rented off a...
0:09:26 > 0:09:29It was a holiday cottage that they'd rented off a local farmer.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Warren sent a team down to Devon.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34They arrive, unannounced, to catch the gang in their hideout.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37They just weren't expecting to get arrested.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38I mean, one of them made a comment -
0:09:38 > 0:09:40what were we doing in Devon cos we were from Birmingham?
0:09:40 > 0:09:44So, to say that they were surprised was a bit of an understatement.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47The gang never thought the long arm of the law could reach them,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50so they had no time to get rid of the evidence.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55The police recover many items, like cash, sat navs and laptops.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Another stolen car,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59£86,000 in cash that they'd had from one of the jobs
0:09:59 > 0:10:02and some other very incriminating evidence.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06So that really was confirming everything, all our beliefs,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08all the other work that we'd done, we were right.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10The strength of the new evidence,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13together with the work they've already done,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17give the Crown Prosecution Service what it needs to charge the gang
0:10:17 > 0:10:19with ALL the burglaries.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Noel Reilly is sentenced to seven years in prison,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27with David Holmes given six years and three months.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Simon Phillips is jailed for five years.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And Darren Buckley gets five years and seven months.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43And to make sure that this type of cashpoint crime
0:10:43 > 0:10:45can never happen again...
0:10:45 > 0:10:46The convenience store chain in question
0:10:46 > 0:10:49have spent millions of pounds improving their security
0:10:49 > 0:10:51as a result of this crime spree,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53specifically around the design of their cash machines.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56They've also strengthened the backs of the machines
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and employed a number of other security devices,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00so, you know, this just won't work any more.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03They thought they had planned the perfect crimes,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06but their sparkling success proved to be short-lived.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16They're waiting to take a taxi,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18but first, they decide to take some pictures -
0:11:18 > 0:11:20or rather, steal some pictures.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It was probably the most bungled crime
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I have ever come across in my life.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28But this taxi company boss isn't easily taken for a ride.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Also, a rubbish dumper has a rubbishy reason
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and ends up getting dumped himself.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47Next, three men in a parking lot who decide to feed the meter...
0:11:47 > 0:11:48into the back of their car.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56Oh, dear.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Looks like someone's had a prang in this supermarket car park in Dudley.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02But this is no accident.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05They've intentionally rammed their small car
0:12:05 > 0:12:09into a parking meter to try to get their hands on the cash inside.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Their accomplice looks on from his rather smarter getaway car.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15No way he's damaging THAT!
0:12:16 > 0:12:18They may have knocked it to the ground,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23but they're starting to realise that this meter's made of stronger stuff.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26They line up a second assault on the stubborn machine.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Bang! This time, they've uprooted it,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33at the expense of the bodywork.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Now the easy bit - stick it in the back and ride off in triumph.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Well, in a Peugeot, to be precise.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42But it's not proving that easy.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45As they struggle to get the bulky item onto the back seat,
0:12:45 > 0:12:50a CCTV operator at Dudley Council calls 999.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52The police are on their way.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Finally, they've got the meter in the four-seater.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Now, just to close the door...
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Nope, they've still not got it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05This is probably the slowest smash-and-grab in history.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Finally it's in, and now it's time to make a quick getaway.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12But this delinquent driver isn't going to get far.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14The police are on his tail.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19What follows is a short car chase -
0:13:19 > 0:13:23a few hundred metres that don't end well for the bungling meter thief.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28After causing £5,500-worth of damage, the machine,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32filled with £1,000 in coins, proved way too weighty to outrun the law.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35The driver pleads guilty to theft,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38criminal damage and dangerous driving
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and is sentenced to two years in prison.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43He's certainly had to pay for his display.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53We all love our animals, especially our canine companions.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56So, when man's best friend goes walkies with a complete stranger,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00has anyone got a lead on who it might be?
0:14:00 > 0:14:01Could it be a dognapper?
0:14:03 > 0:14:04According to the dog charities,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07dog theft is becoming a massive problem,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09causing great distress to owners.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11The moment you realise your dog's missing,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14you just go into sort of shock. You can't eat, you can't sleep.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16It's the best diet you'll ever have.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20For one family, when their beloved brown Lab, Fudge, was taken,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22they feared the worst.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Everything was going through my mind,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26worrying that something's happened to her.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30But Fudge's abductor hadn't reckoned on an army of dog-lovers
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and one pet detective in particular.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Every piece of information, she was, like, amazing.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Can they pick up the trail and retrieve their Labrador?
0:14:46 > 0:14:48CHILDREN SQUEAL
0:14:48 > 0:14:51St Helens, Merseyside.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54When the Porter family decided they wanted a dog,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56a friendly Labrador was a natural choice.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Fudge is a chocolate Labrador. She's nearly nine.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02We got her when she was six weeks old.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04She was the runt of the litter,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07so we thought, if we don't take her, no-one else will.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10And Fudge fitted right in as the family expanded.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14When we had Dylan, she didn't really notice any difference.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17It was just, carry on. She's part of the family.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19They've always known that she's there.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23But things changed one night, when Sam was putting her twins to bed
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and let Fudge out into the back garden.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28I was about 20 minutes, went out into the garden to look for her
0:15:28 > 0:15:32and she wasn't there. So, I went out onto the front.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35I checked the gate and it was open.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37The gate is normally shut.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Sam starts a frantic search in the street.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Looking for her for about an hour,
0:15:42 > 0:15:47cos my sister was there to look after the kids. I couldn't find her.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50I went home and everything was going through my mind.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53After a sleepless night, Sam has a brainwave.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57I remembered that the CCTV from the community centre covered my house,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01so they must have seen her either get out or be taken.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05The community centre staff want to help.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07They rewind their recording and this is what they see.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Sam's house is here and that's her garden gate.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19At just past nine, a car pulls up.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25A woman gets out, leaving the hazard lights on, and opens the boot.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30As there are people passing by, she hides her face in the car boot.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36She then walks towards Sam's house
0:16:36 > 0:16:38and pauses at the edge of the driveway...
0:16:39 > 0:16:41..but not for long.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44She goes straight up to the gate and into the back garden.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Seconds later, she reappears with Fudge on a lead and runs to her car.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58She puts Fudge in the boot, slams it shut and drives off.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59I was just in shock.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03I didn't think that anyone could do it, and just the nerve.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08Shocked by what she's seen, at least Sam knows that Fudge is alive,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10albeit in the hands of a thief.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16With evidence to prove it's a dognapping, Sam notifies the police.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20But, desperate to find Fudge, she also turns to the internet.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22I put the video on social media,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24mainly to see if anyone recognised them,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27but also, as well, to maybe frighten the person who'd done it
0:17:27 > 0:17:29into coming forward, or even handing her in.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31They wouldn't even have to give their name,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33they could just say that they'd found her.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Fudge isn't handed in.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38But Sam receives messages from people who want to help,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40including a very useful one
0:17:40 > 0:17:44from somebody who goes by the pseudonym Miss Marple.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47She's an undercover pet detective who is one of the volunteers
0:17:47 > 0:17:53for a charity called DogLost, run by canine crusader, Jayne Hayes.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57She set up the charity ten years ago and it's been a great success.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01So far, the volunteers have helped to reunite thousands of dogs
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- with their owners.- I started the website because it happened to me.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05My own dog went missing
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and I realised afterwards it had been stolen.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11If it wasn't for the help of other dog owners... Because at that time,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13the authorities weren't in contact with each other,
0:18:13 > 0:18:15and several reports had been missed.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17And I realised then, if I get my dog back,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19something's got to be done about this.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Jayne did get her dog back and was as good as her word.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27The DogLost website is a group of people, all volunteers,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30all dog owners, working together and now, more and more, working together
0:18:30 > 0:18:35with the dog wardens, the vets, the local rescues and the police.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Jayne's local coordinator for Sam's area is Miss Marple.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42She sent me a message saying she was from the DogLost website
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and to make her a profile on the page.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Which Sam does.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50When we got the footage,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Miss Marple was then able to use that
0:18:52 > 0:18:55to spread the word around the area.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Miss Marple has contacts on social media sites who see the footage
0:18:59 > 0:19:03and they, in turn, post it on to their friends.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Fudge's video gets seen by 20,000 people.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09She was in constant contact with me,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12and every piece of information, she was, like, amazing.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The amount of exposure pays off.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Names started to come forward and an address.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23I'm not sure how she did it, but she did, so...
0:19:23 > 0:19:25The police visit that address.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27They said as soon as they knocked on the door,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and the door was opened, the girl panicked.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Um...she didn't say anything, she just got on the phone,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38made a phone call, and within five minutes, the dog was at their side.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42People power and technology are a powerful combination.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44It's taken just a week to find Fudge.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Sam decides not to press charges
0:19:49 > 0:19:53and the woman agrees to take part in a special justice scheme
0:19:53 > 0:19:56that includes writing a letter of apology to Fudge's family.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I think it was just a moment of madness that she did it,
0:20:00 > 0:20:07because there was... She had her own kids, she had her own dog.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It was just one moment what she took it, and she regretted it.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Fudge was brought home by the police the day they found her.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18CHILDREN SQUEAL
0:20:18 > 0:20:20It was amazing, getting her back.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22We shouted her. She then ran to us and ran in the house
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and was running all over the house.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28And then, within ten minutes, she was back to normal,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30so all's well that ends well.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33There's Fudge. There's Fudge.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41It's heartbreaking when a beloved pet goes missing,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43but what can we do to help keep them safe?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48You see your pet as something very valuable and precious.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49Thieves see pound signs.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52So, the usual precautions around, make sure your pet,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56wherever you leave it, is safe, it's in a secure location.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58If you leave your dog tied up in the street and unattended,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00you're presenting an exceptional opportunity
0:21:00 > 0:21:02to a thief to come along and take that animal.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Microchipping is so important
0:21:04 > 0:21:06because quite often we find
0:21:06 > 0:21:09that animals are abandoned once they've been stolen,
0:21:09 > 0:21:10if they're no longer needed.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And if the local authority wardens do actually recover an animal,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16the first thing they'll do is check to see if they've got a microchip.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Don't ever put the animal's name on its collar,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21just a return phone number.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It introduces familiarity between the animal and the thief itself,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28so it would make it much easier for the thief to sell the animal on.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32If anybody is asking for money or anything else from the victim
0:21:32 > 0:21:34for the return of their animal,
0:21:34 > 0:21:35then that constitutes an offence
0:21:35 > 0:21:38and we would want them to report that to the police.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40If you've done these things, which is microchip and have identity,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43we'll get your animal back to you as soon as we can.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Now, this next chap is doing his bit for the environment.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53His bit to spoil it, that is.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Having chosen a nice, quiet spot on an industrial estate,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06this man's emptying a large amount of rubbish from his boot.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09This is a popular location for fly-tippers.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13So much so, Salford City Council has set up a CCTV camera
0:22:13 > 0:22:15to watch what goes on.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18The man grabs more from the passenger seat
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and casually chucks it along with the rest.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23Then he drives off,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26leaving a heap of waste for someone else to clean up.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30And when they have, he's back making another delivery.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35He's easily identified from the footage
0:22:35 > 0:22:39and soon finds himself up before a Manchester magistrate's court.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Now, the excuses fly-tippers give are generally a load of old rubbish,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and this chap's no exception.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47He says, in court,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50that he was trying to impress his girlfriend's father
0:22:50 > 0:22:52by getting rid of some rubbish for him.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55He found the local tip closed, so rather than look stupid,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57he tipped it in the street.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58D'uh!
0:22:58 > 0:23:03He has to pay almost £1,000 in fines, costs and compensation.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06And, to put the lid on it, his girlfriend dumps him.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15A group of friends, out one night, taking pictures.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18But not that kind of picture.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Because this crowd ended up in the frame for stealing.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Hull city centre and a crime that's a little off-the-wall.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37It's the early hours of the morning in a taxi waiting room.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40And here's three friends who like taking photos.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Not selfies, but someone else's.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44When you think to any of the great films -
0:23:44 > 0:23:47The Thomas Crown Affair - where they'll take the original
0:23:47 > 0:23:49and replace with a fake, there was none of that.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51It was probably the most bungled crime
0:23:51 > 0:23:53I've ever come across in my life.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56This artful trio don't know it,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59but with the help of local and social media,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02the taxi company boss will take them on a ride
0:24:02 > 0:24:04they won't forget in a hurry.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Hello, 6-5.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12This taxi firm in Hull is run by local entrepreneur, Mark Fleming.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I've been involved in the business for about a year,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17though the company's over 20 years old.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Started with five cars,
0:24:19 > 0:24:24and then obviously slowly built up to where we are now, to over 100.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27They recently moved to these old railway cottages
0:24:27 > 0:24:29in the hub of the town.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31They're the only buildings on the street
0:24:31 > 0:24:34which survived bombing during the Second World War.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Obviously they tried to maintain the historic value of the building,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39but then also provide the customers
0:24:39 > 0:24:41with exactly what they need for a taxi office.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Mark has hung up photographs in the waiting room,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49depicting significant landmarks and famous people from the area.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I'm very passionate about Hull.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Um, Hull has been named one of the most poetic cities in the country.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57We've got people such as William Wilberforce.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00We have Amy Johnson. We have got a really rich history.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03So, it's basically celebrating the city as much as we can.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06But one night, three people,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08who have, themselves, been out celebrating,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10are in the waiting room.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14They're waiting to take a taxi, but decide to take something else first.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20The young woman has become extremely interested in a photograph.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24It was first "taken" in 1903, but she wants to "take" it again,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26right now, for herself.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28And she lets her friends in on her plan.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32They block the view of the telephonist
0:25:32 > 0:25:35working in the office, but seem to have failed to notice
0:25:35 > 0:25:38the signs warning them about the security cameras.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43It says everywhere, you know, "You are being watched by CCTV."
0:25:44 > 0:25:48The woman spends several unsuccessful minutes
0:25:48 > 0:25:51trying to stuff the large photo up the back of her jacket.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54It wouldn't quite fit, so they had to take the jacket off again,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and her jumper, and put it back on again.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57It was just a real mess, really.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Not to be outdone, the man in the red jacket
0:25:59 > 0:26:03also takes a photo and manages to conceal it in his clothing.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Though it's not going to be the most comfortable of journeys home.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Finally, they're called over to the desk. Their taxi's ready.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Then, to order a taxi
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and give their personal details to our telephonist,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21and then, for our taxi marshal to assist in the crime
0:26:21 > 0:26:23by pushing them into the vehicle,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25and then our driver to be the getaway car was...
0:26:25 > 0:26:27It was quite funny, really, to a degree.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31He may be smiling now, but it had taken a lot of effort
0:26:31 > 0:26:35for Mark to collect and exhibit the photos, so he wants them back.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39He contacts the police and also decides to release this footage
0:26:39 > 0:26:42to a local newspaper and social media sites.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45It causes a small sensation in Hull,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and quickly gets the required result.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50When it came out in the Hull Daily Mail,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52"The Artful Dodgers" on the front page,
0:26:52 > 0:26:53our phones just went crazy here.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57So much so, that relatives of the actual thieves were ringing up,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02saying, "This is my...brother, sister, cousin", whoever...
0:27:02 > 0:27:04um, "And this is where they live.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06"I will ring them and tell them to get in touch."
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Now armed with their phone numbers, Mark calls them.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13They actually were glad that we rang. They said they were so embarrassed,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16they couldn't leave their own house because people were saying,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18"You're the 6-5 thieves."
0:27:18 > 0:27:21So, myself and one of my colleagues actually arranged to meet them
0:27:21 > 0:27:24in a housing estate, on a bench, and collected the pictures
0:27:24 > 0:27:28and they were ever so apologetic. It was almost...
0:27:28 > 0:27:32It was quite nice, really. It was almost, like, laugh and joke.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33I was glad that they'd seen the moral light,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36that we'd embarrassed them and handed them back,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38and they were quite glad to give them back.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41So, Mark's got the pictures.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43And, luckily for the Artful Dodgers,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45he's able to see the wider picture
0:27:45 > 0:27:47and puts it all down to youthful high spirits.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I am quite easy-going and the way I see it...
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I think, when they've had a drink, yep, they shouldn't have done it,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55but the way I look at it...
0:27:55 > 0:27:57I thought, well, the way we've embarrassed them,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59I'm sure they won't do it again.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00And the other good thing is,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03if anyone comes in to our taxi office now to try and steal anything
0:28:03 > 0:28:06or commit any kind of crime, I'll just do exactly the same.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09So, it's almost, if you want to come and embarrass yourself, do.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11But otherwise, I took it quite lightly, really.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17That's it for today.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18Join us next time,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21when the police and the public catch more criminals red-handed.