0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16the police and other agencies are using new tactics and technology
0:00:16 > 0:00:19where the bad guys actually get caught in the act.
0:00:19 > 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 > 0:00:29As soon as he walked into the picture, I knew who he was.
0:00:29 > 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 won't get away with it. You might as well 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 > 0:00:56Today, bundles of cash go missing from a family home.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It was obvious somebody was taking it.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00We definitely needed proof.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04But the writing's on the wall for the thief, thanks to a spy pen.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Also today, these aren't removal men.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10They're some of the most brazen burglars you'll ever see.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Total disregard for someone else's property.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16They steal the furniture, then a few minutes later
0:01:16 > 0:01:19they're selling it to someone right outside the house.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23This male that's invited into the premises likes what he sees
0:01:23 > 0:01:25and he agrees to take the couch.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29But there's a clever bit of kit in the house the burglars have missed.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31The police are watching.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33And a cold case.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Two muggers hotfoot it across the snow.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Hm! I wonder which way they went!
0:01:38 > 0:01:40We found a fresh set of tracks.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54The town of Dereham in Norfolk.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00This woman is in the house of an elderly couple
0:02:00 > 0:02:02who have come to rely on her for help.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07These pictures are being recorded by a tiny spy camera hidden in a pen.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10It's been tucked inside a desk by the couple's son.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Over time, this carer has become a trusted family friend
0:02:17 > 0:02:21and trust is important because sometimes large amounts of cash
0:02:21 > 0:02:24are kept in this room for the family business.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30She's here to help the lady sitting in the nearby kitchen.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35But the main thing on her mind is helping herself to some money.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40It was disbelief that she could have done it to us.
0:02:40 > 0:02:41Yeah, gobsmacked.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46The so-called friendly carer has been taking so much money
0:02:46 > 0:02:49that the family business is in danger of shutting down.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59This independent plant nursery has been run
0:02:59 > 0:03:02by four generations of the Read family.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Alan Read is currently in charge.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10The business was started in 1910 by my great-grandfather.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I left school quite a few years ago
0:03:12 > 0:03:17and obviously joined my father in the nursery business
0:03:17 > 0:03:20which we basically grow plants and supply various stores
0:03:20 > 0:03:24around Norfolk, Suffolk and slightly further afield.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27After years of working at the nursery,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Alan's mother Sheila retires to spend more time at home.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Her health started to decline.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36She just needed help around the house to begin with.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41We employed a cleaner for her approximately two days a week.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46But before long, Sheila begins to show signs of a serious illness.
0:03:46 > 0:03:52My mother developed dementia quite badly and it progressed very quickly.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56She could no longer care for herself and for her husband David.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01The cleaner had previous experience of caring for people
0:04:01 > 0:04:04with dementia so it was an obvious choice.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08The cleaner agrees to care for Sheila five mornings a week.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12My mother was looked after very well by her. My father was pleased.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16So she became part of our family
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and a good friend.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23During this time, Alan takes on all the manual work at the nursery,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26leaving his father to look after the finances.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28He had a very simple routine.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32He would always go to the bank on a Thursday,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36he would draw cash for various things,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40including wages, and he would store it in the bureau.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43They continued to run things like this for a while,
0:04:43 > 0:04:48until one day Alan gets a worrying phone call from his accountant.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Large amounts of cash have gone missing.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53I did not know what to think,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56other than it was obvious somebody was taking it.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00And we're not just talking about a few quid.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03The sums of money that were going missing on a regular basis
0:05:03 > 0:05:05could range from...
0:05:05 > 0:05:08£50 a week
0:05:08 > 0:05:11up to, potentially, £1,000 a week.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16Alan believes the cash is disappearing from his father's desk.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20I had a suspicion, a very tiny niggle in my mind,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24that the carer might be responsible.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Alan's father cannot believe that their trusted friend
0:05:27 > 0:05:31could be the culprit. To him, she's like one of the family.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I don't think he wanted to find out that it was the carer
0:05:34 > 0:05:36who was stealing the money.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41Alan's father, David, became dependent on her totally.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43He treated her like a daughter.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Trusted her, respected her...
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- ..confided in her. - We definitely needed proof.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Alan needs to get evidence to convince his dad
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and to give to the police.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58His mate advises him to buy
0:05:58 > 0:06:02a sophisticated little spy camera disguised as a pen.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05As you can see, there's a tiny hole there
0:06:05 > 0:06:08which is the lens and you can set it up
0:06:08 > 0:06:11by pressing the top and then, to stop it,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14click it again.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Now Alan uses his green fingers for a different kind of planting.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20A trap.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22I set it up where I thought was best.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27I disguised it in a box, cut a tiny little hole in the box.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29He leaves it on a shelf.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Next, he puts some money in the usual places in the desk,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35noting the serial numbers.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Then he goes back to work and waits.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Just under an hour later, the carer enters the office.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47She makes sure no-one can see her through the window
0:06:47 > 0:06:49then she opens the desk carefully...
0:06:51 > 0:06:53..and starts rummaging.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58She doesn't seem to be in any hurry
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and spends the next few minutes going through every drawer.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06She puts a wad of the family's money into her pocket.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And now she carefully returns everything back to normal
0:07:13 > 0:07:15before leaving.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Half an hour later, Alan returns to collect the camera.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24He watches the footage and checks the desk.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26£80 has gone missing.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27I was angry.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Angry, hurt. All sorts of emotions.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Um, relieved.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36It is probably a funny thing to say,
0:07:36 > 0:07:41but relieved that I had found out where all this money was going.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Alan and Vicky show his father the evidence,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45but it still doesn't seem enough.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Obviously, he could see what was happening, but he, you know...
0:07:49 > 0:07:52his immediate reaction was one of...
0:07:52 > 0:07:55He didn't want to believe it.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59I just got that feeling he needed to be convinced a little bit more
0:07:59 > 0:08:01to make sure of it.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Alan sets up his trusty pen camera again.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09This time, to get a better view, he puts it in the desk itself.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11My father is with me,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14observing what's going on cos I felt that was important
0:08:14 > 0:08:17that he was there to see this.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Alan leaves the money in the same places,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21but smaller amounts than usual.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Just closing the desk, the trap to be set.
0:08:24 > 0:08:2840 minutes later, the carer arrives.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33And even before attending to Sheila, she opens the desk
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and raids the drawers.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42She's now taken the money and now putting it in her pocket.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44But that was only a mere £70.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Perhaps she thinks there could be a lot more on offer today
0:08:47 > 0:08:51because she continues to search over the next hour...
0:08:51 > 0:08:54She's just searched through the wallet
0:08:54 > 0:08:58that my father keeps my mother's carer's allowance in.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01..though she does take the odd break to attend to Sheila.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- Have you eaten that up?- Yes.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08At this stage she's reassuring my mother.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11My mother is through that door to the left,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14in the kitchen, eating her toast.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17At one point during her search
0:09:17 > 0:09:20she unwittingly moves the camera pen
0:09:20 > 0:09:24but conveniently puts it back again.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29The carer seems to know how the nursery business is run
0:09:29 > 0:09:32and looks at details like the cheque book stubs.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34By looking at that she can tell how much money
0:09:34 > 0:09:37has been drawn from the bank the day before.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41She knew a lot because, as I said earlier, my father confided in her.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It seems as though she can't understand why there's
0:09:44 > 0:09:45not as much cash as usual.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48She's obviously getting very frustrated.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Did you see that hand movement in frustration?
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Eventually, she gives up her search.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01The carer's spent at least half the amount of time
0:10:01 > 0:10:05searching for money, rather than caring for my mother.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08This time, when he sees the video, Alan's father
0:10:08 > 0:10:11finally accepts the truth.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Then he realised that there was no shadow of a doubt
0:10:14 > 0:10:16that she was the guilty party.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19With enough evidence, Alan calls the police
0:10:19 > 0:10:21and the carer is arrested.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27At first, she denies everything,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29bizarrely, even when shown the footage.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But by the time her court case arrives,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34she changes her plea to guilty.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36She is sentenced to 18 months in prison.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42The thefts almost destroyed the family business.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46The business has suffered to the point where
0:10:46 > 0:10:50my husband Alan didn't know whether to carry on.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Alan wasn't going to let the nursery wilt away.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58He's had to put in a tremendous amount of work.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It's been running for more than 100 years
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and it takes more than one bad seed to spoil things.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06They no longer keep large amounts of cash in the house.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09New carers now look after his parents,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12and Alan's happy with the arrangements.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16There are a lot of very, very good carers about
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and I think that needs to be said.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22This particular carer was a small minority.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28The one thing I would say to everybody is be vigilant.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31And if you've got a suspicion,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34then just check and double-check
0:11:34 > 0:11:38but be vigilant, that's the important thing.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Next, a winter's tale,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49where the police take steps to track down two muggers.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Norwich, just gone 4am.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00This student is about to be knocked to the ground
0:12:00 > 0:12:02by these two muggers. It's a violent attack,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06but thankfully the student doesn't suffer any lasting injury.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10While their victim lies helpless in the snow,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14the attackers steal his wallet, cash and mobile phone.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17But a sharp-eyed CCTV operator
0:12:17 > 0:12:20has caught their cold-hearted act on camera.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22The robbers run off into the night,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26not realising that the cold is about to catch one of them out.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31When the police arrive at the scene,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33they find the pair have left a handy trail of footprints
0:12:33 > 0:12:35in the snow to follow.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37HE PANTS
0:12:37 > 0:12:39We believe the male's gone to Coslaney Street.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Filming the chase, they set off hot on the heels of the muggers.
0:12:44 > 0:12:45We're still following the footsteps.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47The robbers have split up,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50but police can still make out one of their footprints.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Found a fresh set of tracks.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Clearly, from the distance of them,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59it looks like someone's been running.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03In the end, this robber has SNOW-WHERE to go.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06He's caught red-handed and white-footed.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09He'd only been in the UK for two days,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12after arriving from abroad to start a new life.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Although the student he's attacked suffered no serious injuries,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19the attack was bad enough for the mugger to be jailed
0:13:19 > 0:13:22for two years and eight months.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24A new life behind bars, then.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34The bizarre case of a thief who actually steals security cameras.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36This must be Bradford's dumbest criminal.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39He leaves a nice selfie behind.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45But first, a moving story.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Furniture-moving, to be precise.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Sometimes one particular area in a town will be targeted by burglars
0:13:52 > 0:13:54time and time again.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57But Cleveland Police have a very clever way of
0:13:57 > 0:13:59dealing with these persistent pests.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07A terraced home in central Middlesbrough.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12This smiling, chatting couple look like they are happily moving house.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15They take their time, carefully, to lift bulky items,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18like this table, out of the window.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21It's a removals job, all right,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25but this laid-back pair are actually burglars,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and they're in the process of gutting somebody else's home.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Brazen criminals like this have been blighting the whole neighbourhood.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35There goes a cupboard.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39It looks like they are taking everything, even the kitchen sink.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Their casual house clearance is shocking.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44You can see that there is laughter going on.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Total disregard for someone else's property.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49But they won't be laughing for long,
0:14:49 > 0:14:54because these two are nicking from a house that is designed to nick them.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57It is especially set up with police surveillance gear.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08In the past few years,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Middlesbrough town centre has had a face-lift.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14It has been regenerated. We have lovely bars and shops...
0:15:14 > 0:15:17clubs, very popular.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19But working for lettings agency,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Georgina was frustrated that in this up-and-coming area,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26some criminals were determined to bring it back down again.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29We had a problem in one of the town centre streets,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31which is largely student accommodation.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Last summer, a couple of empty properties, which were obviously furnished,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38being student accommodation, were being targeted by burglars.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42We were unable to furnish the houses in and around that area
0:15:42 > 0:15:46for fear that they were going to get burgled.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Detective Inspector Cath Galloway of Cleveland Police
0:15:49 > 0:15:53also sees how the burglaries are affecting the whole area.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56What they were doing was removing the copper piping.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00The damage that can be caused through this type of crime is huge.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03We're seeing properties flooded,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05which resulted in neighbouring properties getting damaged.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08We have had gas leaks in the area
0:16:08 > 0:16:11and we have had to evacuate several houses in the street
0:16:11 > 0:16:12until we can get this sorted,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15so the impact is quite significant.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Part of the problem is that properties are often
0:16:18 > 0:16:20empty for short periods of time.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Other then making the house literally like Fort Knox,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26so no-one could get in, they still could be breached.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Instead of trying to stop the burglars,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Cath and the team try a different tactic,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33which is...not stopping them.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36They set up what is known as a sting house.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39From the outside, it looks like any other place.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44Inside, hidden cameras and sensors wait to catch burglars in the act.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46What that means is that when the premises are breached,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50we are told about it, and the camera instantly kicks into operation.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Next, Cleveland Police set about finding
0:16:53 > 0:16:56a suitable location for their sting house.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00They enlist the help of Georgina's estate agency.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02We agreed that they would put some hidden cameras
0:17:02 > 0:17:04in a property of ours
0:17:04 > 0:17:06where we had had the property next door targeted.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09It just stood out as a particularly vulnerable address,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11right in the middle of the street.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13As a previous victim of burglary,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15the owner agrees to the plan.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20He wants the problem sorted as much as anyone else.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Cath's team hide the surveillance kit
0:17:22 > 0:17:25where it is most likely to see some action -
0:17:25 > 0:17:29by a large kitchen window at the back of the property.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32And how long is it before someone tries to break in?
0:17:32 > 0:17:33A week? Two weeks?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36A month? No.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It's just 48 hours later.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45A pair of shady figures cross the camera's view.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48They've already removed the window pane,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and this large object coming into view
0:17:51 > 0:17:52is an orange sofa.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Most burglars aim to sell on their stolen goods quickly,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59but this has got to be a record.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03The buyer for the couch has actually come along to inspect the item.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05It's this chap.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Here is almost comical,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10if it hadn't been such an emotive crime.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13It appears that they invite someone into the premises
0:18:13 > 0:18:16to show them their goods.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19It then appears that this male, that is invited into the premises,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23likes what he sees and he agrees to take the couch,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26because he then helps them remove the couch from the property.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29A bright orange sofa is not to everyone's taste
0:18:29 > 0:18:33but, clearly, this guy does not seem too fussy.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Obviously, you don't normally invite people into your house
0:18:36 > 0:18:37through the window,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41so you would think that they would start to become suspicious.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46One of the burglars helps him to carry it out and they all leave.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Because there have been so many burglaries in this area,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51there's a good chance
0:18:51 > 0:18:54there's more than one bunch of crooks responsible,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58so the police keep the cameras running at the house.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00And sure enough, at the crack of dawn,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02another couple pay a visit,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04also a man and woman.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07They don't seem in a hurry, and once it's light,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11they start removing all the other things that are left in the house,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14from a chest of drawers to a mattress...
0:19:14 > 0:19:15to a table.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18They even take the pictures off the wall.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22I think this particular property has just been word-of-mouth.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27Someone has already breached the premises,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29removed some of the property,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33and it becomes a bit of a free-for-all sometimes.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Even after lifting out the last item,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39a washing machine, the couple seem in no rush to leave.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42He has a cigarette tucked behind his ear,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46as if he was on a break from his day at work, or something.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48They've taken everything.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50He's even having a go at the kitchen sink.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54He's not going to be able to sell on that tap once he's ripped it out.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57So why do it? He just doesn't care.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59The thieves go about their business,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02completely unaware they are being caught on camera.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Watching them brings mixed feelings for Cath.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Obviously, you can't deny you get a little bit of satisfaction initially
0:20:08 > 0:20:11because your plan has worked,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14but then it can really make you angry after that.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It's as if they've convinced themselves
0:20:17 > 0:20:19there is no-one at a loss here.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21They don't think about the neighbours,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24they don't think about the person who has invested
0:20:24 > 0:20:27perhaps their pension into this.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Thankfully, the police do think about it.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33DC Mark Coverdale oversaw the arrests.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Charges are not brought against the two women involved,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39or the man who bought the orange sofa.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41He isn't identified, but Mark
0:20:41 > 0:20:45makes short work of tracking down the two main male burglars.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Doing the job we do, we get to know the same faces,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50and as soon as I've seen the footage
0:20:50 > 0:20:54I've immediately known the offender.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02The sofa snatcher is arrested.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06He pleads guilty to burglary and is sentenced to eight months in jail.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16The second man also pleads guilty to burglary.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23A strong message goes out to anybody who's considering
0:21:23 > 0:21:27burgling a house in the area - beware, it could be a sting house.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30This is an important message to get out there,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32that we don't just deploy for a day or two days,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35and get bored and put it in another property.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38We can set these sting houses up for weeks and months on end.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And the deterrent works.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Over the last few months, we've seen some of our best figures
0:21:44 > 0:21:46for burglary for the Middlesbrough area.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49I believe that both the permanent residents
0:21:49 > 0:21:51and tenants and student tenants
0:21:51 > 0:21:53that might just be here for a term or two
0:21:53 > 0:21:56feel more secure and more safe.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Cath and her team use specially rigged sting houses
0:22:02 > 0:22:04to deter the burglars.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07But we all have to leave our homes empty from time to time.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09So what can we do to make them more secure?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12If you're going to go away on holiday
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and leave your house empty, the most important thing
0:22:15 > 0:22:18is to not make it look like it's been left empty.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Make sure you have a neighbour or a friend that comes in
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and removes the post from your doorstep.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Would anyone mind parking their spare car on your drive,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28just making it look like your house is occupied?
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Invest in a timer. Use one for a radio, maybe,
0:22:30 > 0:22:35so it will come on during the day and have another one for some lights to come on in the evening.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39You wouldn't think about putting an advert in the paper saying, "I'm going away on holiday
0:22:39 > 0:22:42"for two weeks, burglars come and try your luck at my address."
0:22:42 > 0:22:45So what I'd say is, don't post it on social media.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48It's an open invitation for the criminal community to
0:22:48 > 0:22:50target your address.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53As we've seen,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56thieves will take anything, even if it is bolted down.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Like this next chap. He is clearly not
0:22:59 > 0:23:02bothered about CCTV cameras.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04But there is a slight flaw in his plan.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Bradford, in the early hours of a Sunday morning.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15This man is trespassing.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Picked up on CCTV,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19he is scoping out the back of this office building.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22He leaves, but then, hold on,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24he's back in the frame,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26this time in daylight.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28But then he spots this camera filming him,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32stops and stares right down the lens.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Being caught on camera would normally put off
0:23:35 > 0:23:36a would-be thief,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38but not this star of the silver screen.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41It's the cameras he's after.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44For various reasons, we're not showing his face on TV,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48but he's about to commit one of the most blatant thefts
0:23:48 > 0:23:50you'll ever see.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52This must be Bradford's dumbest criminal.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54He's staring straight at the camera
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and we have such a clear picture,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58I can see him even sweating.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Amjad runs a law firm
0:24:06 > 0:24:08that he has built up from scratch.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11This is my baby, in terms of I initially set it up.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I went through the initial heartbreak of getting the work in,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16obviously dealing with that work,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and employing staff.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22The business thrived and Amjad needed to expand.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25He took on this former pub and started building work
0:24:25 > 0:24:27to turn it into new offices.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30But while the work is still in progress,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Amjad's legal firm attracts attention
0:24:32 > 0:24:34from people on the wrong side of the law.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Straight away, there were several attempts to burgle the premises,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40especially with the copper piping inside
0:24:40 > 0:24:44and all the materials people could use to sell off as scrap metal.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46I realised we would have to do something about this.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51Amjad protects the former pub with shutters on the doors and windows.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Then he gets CCTV cameras fitted,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57but just one week after the cameras were installed,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01an employee, Obi, sees that something is amiss.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I was just walking down from the main road here,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07going to the bank, which is further down.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I noticed there's a camera missing right over there.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11I just seen a bare wire.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Checking around the rest of the building,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Obi sees that not just one but four cameras have vanished.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20He now has to tell Amjad that,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23ironically, the very gadgets he has fitted
0:25:23 > 0:25:26to secure the place have been stolen.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29When he told me this news, obviously I was devastated.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I thought, "I've not paid my bill yet,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34"around £1,400," and I was extremely annoyed.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37But all is not lost.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39The cameras record onto a computer
0:25:39 > 0:25:41inside the building.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Perhaps it will provide a clue as to the identity
0:25:44 > 0:25:46of the camera snatcher.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Look at these images - how fantastic is that?
0:25:48 > 0:25:53Turns out it provides a lot more than a clue.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58Amjad has clear images of the moonlit prowler,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00who returns in the morning with some tools
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and spends the next four hours - yes, four hours -
0:26:03 > 0:26:06removing the cameras from Amjad's walls.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10But by the time he gets to this last camera,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12a fatal flaw in the man's plan is revealed.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Cameras can record,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and he leaves a perfect selfie behind.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20He was looking straight into the cameras,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23which at that time I found quite funny and quite amusing.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Not realising that whilst taking the cameras,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31he's being recorded. I mean, for God's sake, he's taking cameras.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32I can describe him to a T.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Amjad takes the footage to the police,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37and the local press, who run a front page
0:26:37 > 0:26:41with the man's image plastered all over it.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42The exposure soon pays off.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I think he was caught within four or five hours.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47He was identified and arrested.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Pleading guilty to theft,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57the 22-year-old is sentenced to a 12-month community order,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00with 12 months' supervision, and ordered to pay compensation.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06With the thief caught and convicted,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09you'd have thought that would be that.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11But to protect his business from further trouble,
0:27:11 > 0:27:16Amjad installs a new camera system. But guess what?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Eight months later, the incident happened again.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I thought to myself, "Oh, no, this can't be."
0:27:22 > 0:27:27Unbelievably, another thief gets his hands on Amjad's cameras,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30though, unfortunately, this thief didn't leave a selfie
0:27:30 > 0:27:32and isn't caught.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Amjad's installed more cameras to protect his building now,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37but these ones are theft-proof.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Installed them higher, put security screws, which can't be taken out.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43There have been no more incidents
0:27:43 > 0:27:47and Amjad can now concentrate on running his business,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50though he does think he might have found a way for
0:27:50 > 0:27:53the first camera thief to make a more honest living -
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- as a photographic model. - Perfect, a fantastic pose.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01So much so...I think Vogue might be interested in him(!)
0:28:04 > 0:28:06That's it for today. Join us next time,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11when police and the public will be catching more criminals red-handed.