0:00:03 > 0:00:06Thieves will steal our cars, our valuables,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17police and other agencies are using new tactics and technology,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19where the bad guys get caught in the act.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Brilliant footage. Police officers love CCTV.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Local councils, shops and businesses are laying some traps of their own.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30As soon as he walked into the picture, I knew who he was.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34And the general public too can help unsuspecting crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35We definitely needed proof.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38You're not going to get away with it. You might as well just pack up.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41It made him swallow his pride. It was brilliant.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43So, anyone who's up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48They might just get caught red-handed.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59Today, a one-man crime wave hits a quiet town on Friday the 13th.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00It was just greed.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04But it's unlucky for him when he picks the wrong person to mug.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08He didn't reckon on our victim being so determined.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Also today, the police use their own
0:01:11 > 0:01:14technology to defeat the latest tricks
0:01:14 > 0:01:16cunning criminals come up with at cashpoints.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17They cost pence to make
0:01:17 > 0:01:20and they can make the criminals thousands of pounds.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22And in the middle of the night,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26a man trying to burn down a store finds his plans go up in flames.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35The town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36It's Friday 13th.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And it's definitely unlucky for anybody in Ashby
0:01:39 > 0:01:41who encounters this man.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45A stranger in town, he's going on a crime spree.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48First, he steals from this barber's.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52He's taken liberties with other people's money and lives.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Then he mugs another man in the street.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Whilst he's distracted and he's got his head down,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01looking at his wallet, our offender punches him to the head.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Before conning a taxi into becoming his getaway car.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09He wanted to rip the taxi driver off as well.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11He was a danger to the public.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But this outsider doesn't realise he's been caught on camera
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and that his victims, local residents and the police will
0:02:18 > 0:02:23team up to make sure he wished he'd never set foot in this town.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Ashby-de-la-Zouch isn't known as a crime hotspot,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35but DC Paul Burchell recently had to deal with a visitor
0:02:35 > 0:02:40who raised the crime figures all by himself in just one afternoon.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46This offender came to Ashby, having travelled 15 miles from Tamworth,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51confident in the knowledge he wasn't going to be recognised.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54And this is a problem we face in the police force.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55The travelling criminal.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And on this fateful Friday the 13th,
0:02:58 > 0:03:03the devious day-tripper's first victim will be David's barbershop.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06This business started 25 years ago.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Erm, I started it on my own.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14We're the most established barbershop now in Ashby.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19David's already had an occasional brush with antisocial behaviour.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Over the years, we've had one or two incidents.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Erm, we get windows broken.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28And you take it as a personal thing against yourself.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31You wonder if you've done a dodgy haircut. You hope that you don't!
0:03:31 > 0:03:35But, yeah, things happen and it affects you.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41So, for extra security, David has had CCTV installed
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and he's glad he has.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47It's just gone 2:30 the afternoon
0:03:47 > 0:03:50when this man comes into the reception area.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53David's cutting a customer's hair in the next room.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57The door went, which is not unusual. Somebody came in.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00But this man's not here for a short back and sides.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04With no-one about, he hangs up his coat to hide the fact
0:04:04 > 0:04:08that he is picking the pockets of the other coats on the stand.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14I don't think the offender realises this is being captured on CCTV.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Finding nothing in the coats, the man looks behind the counter.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21The moment he goes over that counter,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23he becomes a trespasser
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and this is a far more serious offence than burglary.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30Keeping an eye out for any staff, the man searches for cash.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33He finds the tin containing the staff's tips
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and duly tips THEM into his hands.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40You'd think he'd be satisfied at that,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42but no, he continues to look.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43He's looking for the till.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45He's looking for the day's takings.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47He realises he's just got petty cash.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53But David next door begins to smell, or rather hear, a rat.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58We get a tinkling sound in reception.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01OK, somebody might get some keys out of their pocket
0:05:01 > 0:05:06but this was distinct. I let it go for once but twice is too much.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08There's something going on in there.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Hearing David coming his way, the man quickly drops the tin
0:05:11 > 0:05:12and picks up a pen.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16So, when I went through to the reception, erm,
0:05:16 > 0:05:22there's this quite big, erm, guy there,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26leaning over a desk dressed in black.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28A little bit intimidating, to be honest.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30He obviously felt a little bit uneasy.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35So, I said to him, "Can I help you?" "Yeah, I want to make an appointment.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39"I'm just booking myself in." Having never seen the man before,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41David is becoming increasingly suspicious.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46So, this guy is telling me he wants an appointment but he's actually
0:05:46 > 0:05:50got his coat hanging up, which again doesn't fit with the whole situation.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54After making his fictitious appointment, the man then leaves.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58When David later discovers the staff's hard-earned tips
0:05:58 > 0:06:02are missing, he combs through the CCTV footage for clues.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06When you see somebody walking in so brazenly,
0:06:06 > 0:06:11we didn't know at the time, but he'd gone through people's pockets,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13coats hanging up, they were customers' pockets.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16There was my jacket pocket.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20He's taken liberties with other people's money and lives.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23So, it's offensive. And it's personal.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25David calls the police,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and when DC Paul Burchell sees the footage of the burglary,
0:06:28 > 0:06:33he notes that the thief has a rather distinctive thatch himself.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38Note the wisp of grey hair on the crown of his head,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42which obviously assists us in his identification.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46It's going to be a bad hair day for this man.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50This isn't the only crime he's going to commit today - or the worst.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53Later...
0:06:53 > 0:06:57He punches a man to steal his cash and causes chaos in the street.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01The decision was made, let's have this person in and lock him up
0:07:01 > 0:07:03because he was a danger to the public.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Sometimes, despite the best efforts of the authorities,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13a crook evades capture.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18But sometimes criminals can get their comeuppance in other ways.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28It's 4am when this man in a purple tracksuit ambles
0:07:28 > 0:07:32up to a local store. It's not open but he doesn't care.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37His intention is to commit a particularly nasty crime - arson.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41But call it the hand of fate or just plain poetic justice,
0:07:41 > 0:07:46this firestarter is about to get a taste of his own medicine.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49He breaks in and makes a beeline for the back of the store,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51jerry can in hand.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Though this bright spark's about to put himself on the hotspot.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01A sudden burst of flame, but it's not gone the way he intended.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Caught up in his own fireball, his left leg is ablaze.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Fuming, the man performs a frantic Flashdance,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10desperately trying to put it out.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13But he can't and is forced to hotfoot it out of the store -
0:08:13 > 0:08:14literally.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17The fire brigade were called out minutes later
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and had to spend an hour fighting the flames.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24The arsonist is probably bearing a few scars from this experience.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27But given the serious nature of his crime,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29it's hard to feel sorry for him.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31When the police catch up with this man,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34he'll be having to answer some burning questions.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Coming up...
0:08:41 > 0:08:44A brazen burglar strolls into a busy workplace,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47posing as a fire safety officer.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49He's pretending to check extinguishers
0:08:49 > 0:08:52but soon finds he's in the hotspot himself.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59And the Friday the 13th thief in Ashby steps up his crime campaign.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04But the predator becomes the prey, when his dazed victim bravely
0:09:04 > 0:09:08stumbles after his attacker and blocks his escape.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Our poor victim is standing here in the way of the van,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13stopping the van from moving forward.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Criminals keep coming up with new devices to try
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and get money out of us at cashpoint machines.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Fortunately, the police have a few tricks up their sleeves too.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Holborn in central London - and at cashpoint machines,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37two criminals are at work,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41using hi-tech tricks to fleece unsuspecting members of the public.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46This is their employment. This is what they do for a living.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48The way they make money is by stealing from others.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52They trap cards in the cash machines using small specialised devices.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53They cost pence to make
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and they can make the criminals thousands of pounds.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00And they fool their victims using distraction techniques.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03The victim was surprised that someone that he'd spoken to
0:10:03 > 0:10:06had actually been involved in stealing from him.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08But the crooks' cards are marked.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10With their crimes caught on camera,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13police hope to close down this pair's accounts for good.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24The city of London is one of the UK's major business
0:10:24 > 0:10:25and financial centres.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29The Square Mile draws in hundreds of thousands of commuters
0:10:29 > 0:10:33and tourists every day. And that, in turn, attracts thieves.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39PC Dominic Shaw works for the City of London Police Crime Squad,
0:10:39 > 0:10:40a plain-clothes unit.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43In the City of London, there was an increasing problem with
0:10:43 > 0:10:45theft from ATMs
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and subsequent fraudulent use of those bank cards.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Dominic and his fellow officers start regular patrols,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56looking for anybody behaving suspiciously near cashpoints.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It'll be people that are hanging around cash machines but not using them.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Looking at each other but pretending not to be together.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06You see the same patterns of behaviour,
0:11:06 > 0:11:07whereas members of the public
0:11:07 > 0:11:10who've not come in contact with ATM fraud
0:11:10 > 0:11:12might not be aware of these things.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Dominic is about to become aware
0:11:18 > 0:11:20of a prolific pair of cashpoint conmen,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23a modern-day hole-in-the-wall gang.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26After an early-morning theft at a supermarket cash machine in Holborn,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28he checks the store's CCTV footage.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33As you can see from the footage, this is a quiet road.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35There are a grand total of five people on it,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and two of them are our suspects, who are involved.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41And that's why they like this cash machine.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Because they can be there without being seen by too many people,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46reducing the risk that they're going to get caught.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48They are about two metres from each other
0:11:48 > 0:11:50but they're not in communication.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55The younger man at the back peels off and goes to the machine.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59You can see from this footage that he hasn't got a bank card in his hand,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01so he's not trying to make a transaction.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04It clearly shows him putting a small black object
0:12:04 > 0:12:06into the card receiver slot.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09And this is what he puts in - a card trap.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11These are what we encounter now.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14We used to get card traps that were fitted to the outside of the machine and went in.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19These have been more common recently because they're harder to detect.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22This simple device sticks inside the card slot of an ATM.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27The bank card goes in through the mouth of the trap
0:12:27 > 0:12:33and the receiver, and falls into the prongs that come out of the back.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37So, as you can see here, the card is in the trap itself.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And when it tries to get pulled out, it gets caught.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43They cost pence to make and they can make the criminals hundreds,
0:12:43 > 0:12:48thousands of pounds - if they get the right bank account to steal from.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53And that's the device that this man is putting into a card machine here.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57But how do they actually get the money?
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Well, it's a two-man operation, as in this recent case.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05When a man walks up to the tampered cashpoint, the accomplice appears.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And here we have the suspect, who watches his PIN number -
0:13:11 > 0:13:13just trying to get that view,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15to show the victim's hand
0:13:15 > 0:13:16putting the PIN in.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19And he's happy that he's got it. And he walks away.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22And it's taken him ten seconds to see what his PIN is.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25He's what is known as a shoulder surfer.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31By watching hand movements, he reads the PIN numbers from a distance.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37The victim then tries to retrieve his card, unsuccessfully.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38Leaving him confused
0:13:38 > 0:13:42and believing that his card has been swallowed by the machine.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46And that's when our suspect in the black and brown jacket
0:13:46 > 0:13:48comes back and speaks to the victim.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51He is saying, "Ah, press cancel, press cancel."
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Because he's just trying to distract him
0:13:53 > 0:13:55from looking at the card receiver slot.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59The shoulder surfer then helpfully suggests that the victim
0:13:59 > 0:14:01goes into the supermarket to complain.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Whilst he's in the shop, the crook's partner in crime reappears
0:14:07 > 0:14:09to retrieve the trap and the card.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14With both the man's card and PIN number,
0:14:14 > 0:14:16they go straight down the road to another bank.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18They've put in the PIN number,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and he's about to take ?120 out of his account.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25That was all that our victim could afford to lose from his account.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27They've cleaned him out.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Even when the victim knew his money had been stolen,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34he didn't realise how until Dominic explained the crook's methods.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40I'd say the victim was surprised that someone that he'd spoken to
0:14:40 > 0:14:42and had been stood directly next to,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45had actually been involved in stealing from him.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50And 12 hours later, the duo are back at the same cashpoint,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52this time, in different clothes,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56targeting a different man but pulling the same routine.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58This is what they do, day in day out.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It's like an actor learning his lines, that's what they're doing.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02They're taking on a role.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Because you'd have no inclination to suspect this man
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and that's what they play on.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10The fact that people are trusting in nature.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13But it's all about to go wrong for these two,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15when Dominic gets a vital clue,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19as he pieces together their movements shortly after the theft.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Once the victim's bank provided me with the exact location,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25the exact time when the card was misused,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29I was able to obtain the footage from that cash machine
0:15:29 > 0:15:31and see the suspects involved -
0:15:31 > 0:15:33one stealing the money
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and the other one just turning up in the background.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40The CCTV also covered the side of the building.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42They both make their way down Brook Street.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Seconds later, a silver Volvo comes driving up out of Brook Street...
0:15:49 > 0:15:52..and turns onto Holborn.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55It's no coincidence that that is the first car to come out.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58More CCTV enquiries through the city provided
0:15:58 > 0:16:00the registration of that car.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02The suspects involved in this theft
0:16:02 > 0:16:04were the insured drivers of that Volvo.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Dominic then finds that the man in the black jacket has already
0:16:09 > 0:16:11been arrested a couple of days previously -
0:16:11 > 0:16:15after he was found to be carrying a card trapping device -
0:16:15 > 0:16:16an offence in itself.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Yeah, these devices, it's not like a screwdriver or bolt cutters,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25which you could claim to use through work.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29This is made purely to steal from members of the public.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32With the cashpoint thefts now added to his rap sheet,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35the man is placed on remand while he awaits trial.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41His partner in crime, the shoulder surfer, however, has vanished.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45So, Dominic puts him up as wanted on the police national database.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49And two months later, he's arrested.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I was very relieved when I took the phone call from the officer.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I think getting caught after you've committed an offence,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58months down the line, was a bit of a surprise to him.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00And I imagine that he was pretty upset.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Dominic and his team have trapped the card trappers.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10In court, both men plead guilty to conspiracy to steal
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and other offences.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Both are given 12 months in prison.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Using plain-clothes policing
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and increasingly sophisticated surveillance technology,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26the authorities are fighting back to keep this type of thief
0:17:26 > 0:17:28away from our money.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30There is now a greater power of sentencing
0:17:30 > 0:17:33when it comes to these offences because it has been acknowledged,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35the severity and the organised nature
0:17:35 > 0:17:36of the crime and the level of risk
0:17:36 > 0:17:38and threat to the members of the public.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41And that's why we are able to get these sentences.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49In scams of this type, the conmen can be very plausible.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53But there are some telltale signs that we can watch out for.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54Look for residue or any glue around
0:17:54 > 0:17:56the card slot itself.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57Make sure it's not protruding.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00If in any doubt, and if the machine doesn't look right,
0:18:00 > 0:18:01then don't use it.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Thieves will often put cameras above the keypad on the machine itself
0:18:04 > 0:18:08to try and view the PIN that's being put in.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10It's really important that you cover your PIN
0:18:10 > 0:18:11when you're at the cash machine,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14because these offenders don't have to be on your shoulder
0:18:14 > 0:18:16to be able to read it.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18They've got devices and equipment that can help them
0:18:18 > 0:18:20to understand your PIN from up to 15 feet away.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23So, it's really important that you do everything you can
0:18:23 > 0:18:25to safeguard that PIN number.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Try not to have the same number for different cards
0:18:28 > 0:18:29because if one card is compromised,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33quite often we find that further cards are compromised too.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35More importantly than anything is,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37if your card gets stuck,
0:18:37 > 0:18:38don't leave it.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Because that's what they want you to do.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Contact the bank and they'll sort it out.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45That way, you can foil them trying to steal your money.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Thieves and conmen can be so convincing,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54they can be hard to spot,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57whether it's at a cashpoint, at our own front door or,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00as we are about to see, in the office.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Most people would probably think nothing of leaving
0:19:08 > 0:19:10their phone on the desk at work.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Especially if they work in an office like this one,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16which has a security card entry system.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Well, here's a cautionary tale.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24As this receptionist swipes in, she's tailgated by this bloke.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27He confidently announces he's here to check the fire extinguishers
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and then heads off into the main area.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Scanning left and right as he goes, the self-styled fire officer
0:19:35 > 0:19:38doesn't seem to have any idea where the fire extinguishers are.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Wait - maybe he spotted one.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44The receptionist, suspicious, watches him.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47But neither she nor the cameras can see him
0:19:47 > 0:19:51when he picks up this man's mobile off his desk.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Reappearing, he briefly considers continuing the raid.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57But then thinks better of it.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00He then breezes past the man whose phone he's just nicked,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03before announcing to the receptionist, "All done".
0:20:05 > 0:20:08The receptionist is now even more suspicious.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Hey! You missed those two.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13And when she hears shouts that a smartphone is missing,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16she tries to get the thief stopped at the main door.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18But it's too late.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23When this high quality CCTV footage is handed over to the police,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26any hopes he might have of getting away with it
0:20:26 > 0:20:29are soon, well, extinguished.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33He's quickly identified, found guilty of burglary
0:20:33 > 0:20:37and received an 18 month suspended jail sentence.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45In the movies, the sheriff and the locals quite often combine
0:20:45 > 0:20:48to run the outlaw out of town.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49And it can happen in real life too.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54When this one-man crimewave rolls in, everyone joins forces.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01In the town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03it's Friday the 13th.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06And this stranger in town is proving to be a horror.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09He's already stolen money from David's barbershop.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12He's taken liberties with other people's money and lives.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15And just minutes after leaving there, he's going
0:21:15 > 0:21:18to commit a much more serious crime.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24The town centre's CCTV cameras show a man leaving the bank.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26He's only recently arrived in the country
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and is unaware he's about to be targeted by the thief.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32You see the victim exiting the bank
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and he crosses the road
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and into Brook Street, where we're standing now.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41And straight into the path of the barbershop burglar.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Our offender sees the victim is smoking.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45So, he goes up to the man
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and makes out he's got cigarettes to sell at a cheap price.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52He manages to talk the victim to the alleyway opposite.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Agreeing to buy some cigarettes,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58the man looks down to pull some money out of his wallet.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01He's suddenly punched on the back of the head
0:22:01 > 0:22:03and the wallet is ripped from his hands.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07The offender chose this alley because it is out of the view
0:22:07 > 0:22:10of the general public, so there's no potential witnesses.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12But what the robber hasn't banked on
0:22:12 > 0:22:15is that sharp-eyed staff in a local shop
0:22:15 > 0:22:18have an acute sense of stranger danger.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23The staff in the shop were thinking, he's not local to Ashby,
0:22:23 > 0:22:24he's acting strange.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29And the proprietor of that shop sees our victim approach
0:22:29 > 0:22:32the offender and then they go out of view down the alleyway.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It is then when she gets on the radio and alerts the CCTV -
0:22:37 > 0:22:41"There's something happened here were not happy with.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44"Can you pan your cameras onto these individuals?"
0:22:44 > 0:22:47They see the robber coming out of the alleyway
0:22:47 > 0:22:50with his dazed victim behind him.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54He thought he was strong enough and experienced enough to get away
0:22:54 > 0:22:56and get away with this offence.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00He didn't reckon on our victim being so determined.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04In a bid to get away from his victim,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08the robber approaches the driver of a van delivering gas bottles.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12He makes out HE'S the one being harassed.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15The bemused driver agrees to take him away from trouble,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17allowing him to climb in.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21But desperate to stop him,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25the victim bravely puts himself in front of the moving van.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Our poor victim is standing here in the way of the van,
0:23:32 > 0:23:33stopping the van from moving forward.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38He's traumatised, he's confused, he's trying to call the police.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Thwarted, the angry robber gets out and starts shouting at his victim.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Then he spots another opportunity to escape
0:23:47 > 0:23:49when a taxi pulls up at the junction.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50..wondering what all this is all about
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and he engages in conversation with the taxi driver.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56He is obviously going to ask for a fair.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58The robber jumps into the front seat
0:23:58 > 0:24:02and the taxi driver unwittingly provides a getaway vehicle
0:24:02 > 0:24:05for him to escape, with over ?200 of the victim's money.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Our victim is very upset and confused.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13He's had a punch to the head.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Fortunately, we've got these events captured.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Had those ladies not alerted the CCTV,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21none of that would have been captured.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25That was vital, that that happened, and we were very grateful.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28The taxi numberplate is recorded on the footage
0:24:28 > 0:24:33and the driver is this man, Tariq, a hard-working father of four.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37And it turns out he's also a victim of this criminal.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38I couldn't really say no to him.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41He sat in and said, "Can you please help me?
0:24:41 > 0:24:45"You know, I'm going to beat that guy up.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48"He's my brother-in-law and he's really, really winding me up."
0:24:48 > 0:24:50He was quite a big guy as well.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53I wasn't aware that he was involved in anything,
0:24:53 > 0:24:58otherwise I would have stopped the taxi there and then, you know?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01The man tells Tariq to take him to Tamworth, 15 miles away.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04When they get there, he asks to stop at this pub,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07saying he needs to pick something up from a friend.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13About 12, 13 minutes had gone,
0:25:19 > 0:25:24straight in - and straight OUT - the rear entrance without paying Tariq.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27He just conned a free ride, basically.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30The total loss would be about 80, ?90.
0:25:30 > 0:25:3380, ?90 in the week is quite a lot.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35It's very hard to take sometimes.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Tariq makes a complaint about the man to the police.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Had he not done the taxi,
0:25:42 > 0:25:47we might not have got the evidence that we needed. So, it's just greed.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Paul now knows his quarry has got out in Tamworth
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and is likely to be from the area.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56He collects the pub's CCTV, taking it along with the footage
0:25:56 > 0:26:00recorded in Ashby town centre, to the local police station.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03I invited one of their officers to view it.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06And she said, "I know this person."
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And they were delighted because he is a thorn in their side.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14He is a prolific offender.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23But even though his face and distinctive shock of grey hair
0:26:23 > 0:26:26is all over footage from three separate crime scenes,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Espie denies it's him.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34And he agrees to take part in a police identification parade.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36He knows the system.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And he knows that there's always the chance
0:26:39 > 0:26:42that some of our key witnesses wouldn't have picked him out.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45They don't always remember the person for various reasons.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Sometimes they are in shock. So, he's going to ride his luck.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Unfortunately for him, the taxi driver picked him out,
0:26:53 > 0:26:54as did the victim.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56And it was crucial evidence.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Robert Espie is prosecuted.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03As a prolific offender, he is placed on remand until his trial.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05The decision was made, let's have this person in
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and lock him up, because he was a danger to the public.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15When he appears in court, Espie is found guilty of robbery,
0:27:15 > 0:27:20burglary and fare avoidance and is sentenced to 44 months imprisonment.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28This is an excellent example of the local business community
0:27:28 > 0:27:33and public, in conjunction with the CCTV operators, helping the police.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37And the unlucky victims of Espie's Friday the 13th spree can count
0:27:37 > 0:27:42their good luck that he won't be back on the streets any time soon.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45I must say, it was quite a relief.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Because I wondered if he would ever come back.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Friday the 13th was his unlucky day.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57That's it for today.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Join us next time when the police
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and the public catch more criminals red-handed.