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 > 0:00:15the police and other agencies are using new tactics
0:00:15 > 0:00:19and technology where 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 the proof.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37You're not going to 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.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Today, a father and son team up to make a film.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59But it's not just a home movie, it's a crime thriller,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and this thief has the leading role.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Also today, a burglary epidemic in a London suburb
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and police prescribe a special treatment.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15They issue 1,000 households with bottles of traceable liquid
0:01:15 > 0:01:19then wait for the burglars to come and take their medicine.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And best not be a have-a-go hero, say the police,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27but this shop worker couldn't have been listening
0:01:27 > 0:01:29as he body slams an armed robber.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44The living room of a family home in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49This is a home video that's being taken by a man called Norman.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Norman is filming his father,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00but he's not just recording happy family moments.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09These pictures show the two of them laying a trap.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12This detective duo are out to catch a thief.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17We couldn't believe it, it's just continual attack,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19day after day after day.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Money is going missing.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23They're pretty sure they know who's taking it
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and it's not a professional burglar
0:02:26 > 0:02:31but a trusted carer who helps to look after Norman's mother, Innis.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35When that trust is shattered in such a way as this,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37it hurts ten times more, you know?
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Norman grew up with his parents in Lisburn,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48south-west of Belfast in Northern Ireland.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52He's now living over 100 miles away in Wicklow,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55but he regularly comes back to visit his mum and dad.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58They first met each other and married in Lisburn.
0:02:58 > 0:03:001960, they got married.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03I didn't come along until '63.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Only child, and spoiled rotten.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10His mum, Innis, worked in a local cake shop.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I used to love coming home from school
0:03:12 > 0:03:15and have a sausage roll and a cup of coffee.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17But Mum would always be there with a big smile,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and everybody loved coming into the shop to see her.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22They're a close-knit family.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26I got to spend a lot of time with Dad through all the school holidays,
0:03:26 > 0:03:27so I'd go in and help him at work,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30so it was just a very close family, you know?
0:03:32 > 0:03:33But, unfortunately,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37in later years his mother begins to develop Alzheimer's.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Dad would be looking after Mum more and more and more
0:03:40 > 0:03:41as the time went along.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Every month or two he'd have five or ten minutes
0:03:44 > 0:03:47where Mum comes back to the real world,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51and he lives for those five or ten-minute segments,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54where he can have her back, just for a wee chat.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57But then she'll be away with the Alzheimer's again, you know.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58But as time goes on,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01the workload becomes too difficult for Norman's father,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04who has also suffered ill health
0:04:04 > 0:04:06following an accident many years ago.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Norman supports them as best he can,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11but it's impossible to be there every day.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16His father contacts an agency and takes on a part-time carer.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18It appears to be the answer to their problem.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20She started working just before Christmas,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24and seemed to be getting on very, very well with Mum.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27She would get her up from bed and into the shower,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29get her dressed ready for the day.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Everything was going great, you know?
0:04:31 > 0:04:34But when Norman arrives on New Year's Day
0:04:34 > 0:04:37his father gives him some shocking news.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41My dad said to me, "Look, I think the carer's stealing,"
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and I said, "What makes you think that?"
0:04:43 > 0:04:47And he'd set up £60 in his wallet that morning
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and, when the carer had left the house
0:04:49 > 0:04:51after doing her wee bit of work,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54he counted the money and there was only 40 left.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Having become suspicious,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59his father has purposely left his wallet out as bait.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01This lady is in a position of trust,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04so he can't believe that straight away.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07He has to go and look and see if it's right or not, you know.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08After talking it over,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11they realise they need evidence to show the police.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17So father and son turn detective and hatch a plan.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21I'd taken a couple of minutes of video the previous Christmas,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24so I knew that old camera was lying somewhere around the house,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26so I went and dug it out and I charged it up.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32First thing the next morning, Norman hides his old video camera
0:05:32 > 0:05:34on top of a cupboard, just in the nick of time.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38I ran upstairs because she arrived as we were setting up
0:05:38 > 0:05:42and I stayed in the room above the living room absolutely quiet.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The two of them have counted the money in the wallet
0:05:45 > 0:05:46and left it on the mantelpiece.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50The carer enters and takes off her coat.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54She goes to see Innis, Norman's mum.
0:05:55 > 0:05:5711 minutes later she's back
0:05:57 > 0:06:01and picks up a logbook to fill out her timesheet.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03All the while, the wallet sits next to the clock.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05First it's there...
0:06:07 > 0:06:09..now it's gone.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14A moment later the carer puts the wallet back,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17places her signed timesheet on the table and leaves.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Once she left, we were down the stairs to see
0:06:21 > 0:06:23if we could watch it back on the telly, you know.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25It makes distressing viewing,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and when they checked the wallet £20 is missing,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32but the video also exposes another cause of concern -
0:06:32 > 0:06:35the time the carer spends looking after Norman's mum.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39It's supposed to be half an hour, not 11 minutes.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Money can be replaced, but if Mum's not getting
0:06:42 > 0:06:44the proper care and attention she needs,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48then all the money in the world won't replace her, you know.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50The video evidence is good,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53but Norman and his father realise it's not good enough.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57There is no shot of the carer actually taking the money.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59They're going to have to try again.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01We didn't want her back in the house,
0:07:01 > 0:07:06we didn't want her near my mum, but we had to bring her back in
0:07:06 > 0:07:09until we got the shot of her with the money in her hand.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11They decide to double their chances
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and dash to Belfast to buy another, smaller spy camera
0:07:14 > 0:07:17they can hide somewhere else in the room.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21It's sort of like a James Bond spy thing, disguised as a pen.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25The set another trap, but this time from two angles.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Norman also keeps a video log of what they're up to.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46He puts the old camcorder back into position
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and then goes upstairs to wait.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53The carer arrives and comes into their living room.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57The first thing she does is walk over to an armchair
0:07:57 > 0:07:59where Norman's father has left a pair of his trousers.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03She quickly feels the pockets to see if there's anything in them.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Then goes to help Innis.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11She returns just ten minutes later to sign her timesheet to show
0:08:11 > 0:08:13she's done 30 minutes' work.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Then she picks up the wallet on the mantelpiece...
0:08:20 > 0:08:22..helps herself to a £20 note,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24puts everything else back
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and turns out the light as she leaves.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Norman and his dad rush down to see what they caught on tape
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and discover a new development.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37It looks like money has been going missing from two places.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39She'd taken the 20 from the wallet,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41but she had gone to the trousers, first of all.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45If Dad had lost money at Christmas, it would have been from the trousers.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49They have now recorded one quick shot of the woman
0:08:49 > 0:08:50stealing cash from the wallet,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54but they want to prove that she takes from the trousers, as well.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Once more, they set up a sting.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07They're deliberately using an elastic band
0:09:07 > 0:09:10in the hope that it gets them a clearer shot
0:09:10 > 0:09:11of the money being taken.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13She has to bring it out of the trousers to count it
0:09:13 > 0:09:15in full view of the camera.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Then we know that we have her nailed.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Hopefully for the last time,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22the bait's planted and cameras are at the ready.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24The two retreat upstairs.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27In comes the carer.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31She immediately heads to the trousers and starts rifling.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Because the notes are held together by the rubber band,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39she has to take the whole wad of cash out of the pocket
0:09:39 > 0:09:41straight in front of the camera.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44She steals some of the money and puts the rest back.
0:09:45 > 0:09:4815 minutes later, after she's gone,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Norman and his father count the money.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Two twenties have been stolen.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Norman calls the police and shows them this footage.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04They arrest the carer straight away.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06She denies everything.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09If we had went with just my dad's word,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11she would have got away with everything.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The police officer then informed her there was a video evidence,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17so she was caught red-handed, so she had to actually admit it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23In court, the woman pleads guilty
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and is sentenced to six months in prison,
0:10:26 > 0:10:27suspended for 18 months.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33But the bad experience takes its toll.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38Norman's father can't face any more outside help in his house
0:10:38 > 0:10:40and, for a while, Innis goes to live in a care home.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44But eventually that proves to be unsettling for the whole family.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47To be honest with you, he was doing more running around
0:10:47 > 0:10:50when she was in the care home than when she was at home.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54His father decides to look after Innis himself again.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Norman and his wife agree it's for the best and insist on helping.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01One of them will drive over to stay each week.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Norman's with his father when they go to pick up his mum.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07They went in and he insisted that he brought his wife home,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11and I'm walking down the corridor behind them
0:11:11 > 0:11:14with my mum's bags and what have you,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and I can hear him whistling the theme music from The Great Escape
0:11:17 > 0:11:19as he's walking out the door. HE LAUGHS
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Coming up, it says on the charity tin "Help for Heroes",
0:11:31 > 0:11:33not "help yourself"
0:11:33 > 0:11:36so this thief is making a lot of enemies.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37I was so angry that somebody has got
0:11:37 > 0:11:40the audacity to come in and do that. I took that personally.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44And this pub landlady gets thousands of people
0:11:44 > 0:11:47to take it personally, too, to shame then name the thief.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Also coming up,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54police launch an operation to catch burglars in London,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56even though the crooks may argue.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Couldn't be me, officer, I wasn't there,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01you've got the wrong man this time.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Oh, no, they haven't.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13But first, it's 1:30am in a convenience store.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16A hooded man bursts in, aims a gun at the cashier
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and demands the money from the till.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23But, to his surprise, the cashier bravely grabs the weapon
0:12:23 > 0:12:25and a struggle starts.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28While a customer gets out of the way sharpish,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30this member of staff has other ideas.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36In a move any wrestler would be proud of,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39the cashier body slams the gunman to the floor
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and restrains him until the police arrive.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48The gunman is charged with attempted robbery and possession of a firearm.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Police usually advise not to have a go ourselves,
0:12:51 > 0:12:56but this shop worker seems to have the situation pretty well covered,
0:12:56 > 0:12:57including the thief.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05We're used to undercover cops from the movies we watch,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08but these days the police are using undercover goods
0:13:08 > 0:13:11and even houses to fool the thieves.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Now, what we are looking at here
0:13:21 > 0:13:23is the careful preparation of some bait.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26There is no rod, reel or line needed,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30just a tempting a selection of goodies designed to land a big fish.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34We put our lure in the water in the right place at the right time
0:13:34 > 0:13:35and we waited for a bite.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39This special liquid is not only useful for netting the thieves,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42it can help stop them wriggling afterwards.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44You know the sort of thing.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46It couldn't be me, officer, I wasn't there,
0:13:46 > 0:13:47you've got the wrong man this time.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50The police have recently used this type of bait,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54together with a special house and some surveillance equipment,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56to tackle the spate of burglaries
0:13:56 > 0:13:59that were the scourge of a London borough.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Every one burglary is one too many.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Is this the one that got away?
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Or is he well and truly hooked?
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Detective Superintendent Simon Rose of the Metropolitan Police
0:14:16 > 0:14:19heads up a burglary unit in the Borough of Brent,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23and they've seen an alarming rise in the number of burglaries
0:14:23 > 0:14:25in part of their patch, Harlesden.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28On a weekly basis we look at levels of burglary,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30but also we look at an annual picture -
0:14:30 > 0:14:34where are the glowing red spots on the map where there is most crime?
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Harlesden was a perennial hotspot for burglary for us.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Simon launches a campaign
0:14:39 > 0:14:42to reduce the number of burglaries in Harlesden.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46He knows from personal experience the serious impact
0:14:46 > 0:14:49home break-ins can have on victims.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I've been burgled, as well.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54I know what it feels like to be burgled, it's a horrible violation.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59It's not just the damage, it's not just the repair,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03it's not just the fear of, "Is someone still inside?"
0:15:03 > 0:15:06when you turn up and find your front door's been forced open.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Roger, his wife and daughter live in Brent.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16It's generally speaking a very friendly neighbourhood,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and there is, I would say,
0:15:18 > 0:15:2295% harmony in the majority of what happens in this area.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24But one morning,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Roger discovers how a burglary can shatter that peace and harmony.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32I came down and I went to get my breakfast ready in the kitchen,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34and I brought it into the living room,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and I realised instantly something was wrong.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39I couldn't put a finger on it.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Then I heard the sound of traffic, and I looked around the living room,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46I realised that the front window, one of the front windows was open.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Cash and small items have disappeared.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Roger realises they've had a break in.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53He goes back upstairs to the bedroom
0:15:53 > 0:15:55where his wife is still sleeping.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59And found markings on the open window on my side of the bed,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02and realised that that's how they must have got in.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05The burglar had climbed in through the bedroom window
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and crept right past them while they slept.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09It's a frightening thought.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12We felt that everything about our privacy,
0:16:12 > 0:16:17er, was completely damaged by the arrival and departure of this person.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19My precious family were all of them at risk.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22My wife particularly has been affected in the longer term
0:16:22 > 0:16:28by the shock of this event, and she still feels very nervous,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32erm, in certain situations around the home, and that she will still,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36I think, probably continue to feel that for very many years to come.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39To help stop other residents becoming victims like Roger,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43the police begin their planned attack on the burglaries.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47They mean business and use every method they have at their disposal.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52One approach is to try to actually catch burglars in the act.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55For this, they decide secretly to borrow a house from a local landlord
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and turn it into an undercover trap.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02If the police were to have a capture house next to where I live, erm,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I would expect that I wouldn't know anything about it.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09It looks just like any other home, but it's been fitted with
0:17:09 > 0:17:11hidden cameras, sensors
0:17:11 > 0:17:15and some well-chosen bait that will appeal to a burglar.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17A burglar doesn't want to be walking out the road
0:17:17 > 0:17:19with a 72 flat inch screen TV,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21cos not only will he be walking very slowly,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24but it will, you know, attract an enormous amount of attention.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28It's small, it's portable, it's the watches, the jewellery, the cash.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29And that's not all.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31This valuable bait is being tagged
0:17:31 > 0:17:34with an invisible, traceable liquid.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37The traceable liquid is a chemical fingerprint,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41if you like, uniquely linking that watch to that address.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Every time that burglar in that house touches anything or
0:17:45 > 0:17:47walks through a doorway where we could put a spray onto him,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50that is an opportunity for us to get traceable liquid on him,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53to categorically prove at a later date
0:17:53 > 0:17:57he was in that house at that time stealing that goods.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00And Simon and his team will get an immediate alert message
0:18:00 > 0:18:02from a sensor if there's a break in.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05We switched it on, and then fingers crossed.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09But the capture house is only one part of their campaign
0:18:09 > 0:18:11to stop the burglars.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Alongside some traditional policing methods,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16they decide to try something unusual.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Simon and his team create a saturation zone.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24They give out 1,000 bottles of the traceable liquid to local households
0:18:24 > 0:18:27so they can all mark their own properties.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31And then the police let potential thieves know what's going on
0:18:31 > 0:18:32in a new and imaginative way.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It is a reasonably established fact
0:18:35 > 0:18:37that people with substantial addictions
0:18:37 > 0:18:41to heroin and other drugs are more likely to be burglars and thieves.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45What we did is, one of the ideas of the detective sergeants,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49we got some chemist bags, so that when anyone collects their
0:18:49 > 0:18:51prescription from this chemist,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54which was right in the middle of the saturation zone,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56they would come and collect their prescription,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59into the bag it would go, and they would leave the chemist with
0:18:59 > 0:19:02a free bit of advertising, saying, "Thieves and burglars beware.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06"This is a traceable liquid area and we will catch you."
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Just a short time into the operation
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and a sensor is triggered at the specially rigged house.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13The first time, you think, "Is this a false alarm?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Has the power in the device died?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Has a cat gone through the window?"
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Well, not so much a cat as a cat burglar.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25It's almost midnight, and this intruder's eyes have alighted on
0:19:25 > 0:19:27the valuables left on offer.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28And helpfully for the police,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31he's right in front of one of their cameras.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Among the items he takes are a games console and a watch.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Shortly after he leaves the house, he is arrested.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41We found him wearing the watch.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44We also found the clothing that he was wearing.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47It was stained with the traceable liquid product, erm, and that was
0:19:47 > 0:19:50quite nice cos when we were bringing him in through custody,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53we have a UV system whereby the UV light goes on,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and he lit up like a Christmas tree.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59And you can see from my small torch, there's the, er,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01the bright green of the traceable liquid glowing on the jacket.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05That proves beyond all reasonable doubt he was our burglar.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06The man pleads guilty
0:20:06 > 0:20:08when he finds out whose house it is he's burgled.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11When you hear the victim's the Metropolitan Police service,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13you've got a bit of an idea you've been caught.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18The man is convicted of three burglaries
0:20:18 > 0:20:20and one attempted burglary.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Just 72 hours after he burgled the house,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26he starts a 30-month stretch in prison.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31And that's something we're very pleased with, cos every day
0:20:31 > 0:20:34he's in prison that's one less person being burgled in Brent.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37It's a good result for the police and the neighbourhood,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40and this whole police campaign in Harlesden
0:20:40 > 0:20:42proves to be a great success.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46The level of burglary in that area in the first nine months
0:20:46 > 0:20:49dropped by 81%.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54And that's over 70 victims of burglary that weren't victims
0:20:54 > 0:20:57as a result of the trap house and the traceable liquid product,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59and that's something we're delighted with.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Simon and his colleagues managed to reduce the number of burglaries
0:21:06 > 0:21:08by a staggering amount,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12but sadly there will always be some people out there who target homes.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15So what can we do to protect our property?
0:21:15 > 0:21:17You can avoid your house being a target for burglary
0:21:17 > 0:21:21if you follow simple safety measures like lock your doors,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25lock your windows, think about what security systems you have.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27You may want to invest in an alarm, or CCTV,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31which is really easy to purchase now and quite reasonable,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33and that acts as a real deterrent to any thief.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Something simple as a motion sensor light,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38so that once you come onto the property,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41then the light shines on and it scares the perpetrator away.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Or if you've marked your property with a traceable liquid, you put a
0:21:45 > 0:21:49sticker in your window and that also acts as a deterrent to that thief.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57You've heard that saying, "Honour amongst thieves."
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Well, I'm not convinced by that one.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02But you would have to be really dishonourable to steal
0:22:02 > 0:22:04charity donations, wouldn't you?
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Or so you'd think.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Hounslow, near Heathrow Airport in Greater London.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19This is the Sun pub,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21known for its warm atmosphere.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27But this man is about to commit a particularly cold hearted act.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32He's come to steal a charity tin full of money for injured soldiers.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36I was so angry. I was absolutely devastated that somebody has got
0:22:36 > 0:22:38the audacity to come in and do that. I took that personally.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43And the landlady of the Sun doesn't want the thief to get away with it.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46She starts an internet campaign, and gets not just one or two people,
0:22:46 > 0:22:51but over 13,000, to help her expose the culprit.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Helen manages the Sun pub in Hounslow.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02She's lived on the premises here for 17 years,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05having taken the pub over from her father.
0:23:05 > 0:23:06I grew up in the pub trade.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09My father before me was a publican all his life.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Obviously very well known and very well respected man.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Erm, he taught me everything I know, really.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Her father has now sadly passed away,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20but Helen still keeps his traditions.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23It's a friendly pub with no need for a bouncer on the door.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25You don't have to look over your shoulder
0:23:25 > 0:23:27every time somebody comes in the door.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29It's absolutely a community.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Erm, my youngest daughter, she works here, erm,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34so it is family orientated.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36And if there's a rare spot of bother,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Helen can usually handle it herself.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42I think the last big crime we had here was a mobile phone got stolen
0:23:42 > 0:23:45off a table, and the CCTV caught the person that done it,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and the next time this chap came in for a drink, and I said,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50"You've got two days to bring the phone back
0:23:50 > 0:23:53"or I'm giving your picture to the, on the CCTV, to the police,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56"and they'll be coming after you." And he brought the phone back.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Helen is keen on raising money for charity.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02She has a fountain that customers throw money into.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And with an army barracks nearby,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07there's one cause that's particularly close to her heart.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Help For Heroes was personal.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12My children's father is a Grenadier Guard, and he's served his full time,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14retired at the age of 40,
0:24:14 > 0:24:20and also my son-in-law is ex-military.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22So it was kind of close to home.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26The locals here are generous, and the charity tins fill up quickly.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30So, just to be on the safe side, Helen chains them to the bar.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32I wouldn't leave my wallet on the bar
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and anywhere that I go, not even at home,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39so I certainly wouldn't leave a box full of money unchained on a bar.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45But one morning, Helen notices there's something amiss.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46I came down the stairs,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and I've been here so long I know where everything is.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52It took me a minute to register, charity box is gone.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55She immediately checks the recordings
0:24:55 > 0:24:56from her security cameras.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00The charity tins are sitting on the bar.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05A man walks in and strikes up a friendly conversation
0:25:05 > 0:25:06with the barmaid.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09When she goes to serve another customer,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12he sidles over to the tins and picks one up.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16He's checking how much is in it, and it's full.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20The man leaves,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22but a short while later he's back,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24this time with a pair of pliers.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27He casually snips the chain
0:25:27 > 0:25:33and strolls out with a tin under his arm. Helen's horrified.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35I was so angry.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40People work hard for raising money for charity in this pub,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42and it is personal.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45And to have some guy come in and just help themselves to what
0:25:45 > 0:25:48other people have donated is just wrong.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49Helen's seething,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52and she thinks the public will feel the same way,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54so she calls on their help to catch the thief.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59First off, I put a picture of this guy on a website, on the internet,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02on a social media site, erm, "Does anybody know this chap?"
0:26:02 > 0:26:04And explained what he had done.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08At first, word goes out to locals via social media.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12But Helen's appeal soon spreads further around the internet.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15We had a visit then from a couple of young soldiers from the barracks,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19just to express to us how devastated they were for us
0:26:19 > 0:26:22that that had happened, and if there was anything they could do
0:26:22 > 0:26:25to support us in finding him, that they would.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30The campaign is successful, and the man is identified.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Within literally a couple of hours I had his name,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36his address, his mobile phone number, details about him...
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Realising that there are now a lot of people very angry
0:26:39 > 0:26:43at what this man has done, Helen hands his details over to the police
0:26:43 > 0:26:46so they can get hold of him as quickly as possible.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49We got to him before anybody else could -
0:26:49 > 0:26:53fortunately for this fella, cos I don't rate his chances if
0:26:53 > 0:26:55he'd have been caught by the general public,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57with the emotions running so high.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02The man is arrested.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07And after spending a night in the cells, he pleads guilty.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14But he'd better not choose the Sun pub as his local from now on.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16If he was to walk into the pub right now,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20I'd like to think that I'm older, wiser and responsible enough
0:27:20 > 0:27:22to take him by the elbow and escort him out and say,
0:27:22 > 0:27:23"You're not welcome."
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Maybe the shame of having his face planted all over the internet
0:27:27 > 0:27:30might make this man think twice before stealing again.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Helen is impressed by the power of social media.
0:27:33 > 0:27:39There was over 13,000 hits, and they were mostly local. Mostly local.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40But I've got friends in America
0:27:40 > 0:27:43and also they put on there "Let's take this global!"
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and things like that. It was quite funny, really.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49But in the same breath, the amount of care that came from people
0:27:49 > 0:27:52that we didn't even know was phenomenal.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59That's it for today. Join us next time,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03when police and the public will be catching more criminals red handed.