0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our car, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09SIREN BLARES
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 and technology,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18where the bad guys are getting caught in the act.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20The CCTV was vital.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22You can see they are definitely the people there.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25- The camera doesn't lie. - Local councils, shops and businesses
0:00:25 > 0:00:27are laying some traps of their own...
0:00:27 > 0:00:29There's a eureka moment when you get that evidence.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32..and the general public, too, can help unsuspecting crooks
0:00:32 > 0:00:34get their comeuppance.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37- People won't stand by.- I couldn't sit back and do nothing.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Yes! We've got her!
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, an unarmed police support officer bravely draws
0:00:55 > 0:00:59a violent man with a knife away from other people.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02We're just taught to use whatever is at hand
0:01:02 > 0:01:04and that's why I picked up a wire basket.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07But a shopping basket isn't much of a shield.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Also today, a thief who's not so much light-fingered as light-footed.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16He would use his leg to hook someone's bag
0:01:16 > 0:01:18from underneath their feet.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21His technique means he's like the invisible man.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24- WOMAN GASPS - I can't believe I'm not aware
0:01:24 > 0:01:28that he's even doing it. It's frightening, it really is.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And this little piggy wants to stay at home,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34but this big bad wolf has come to get him.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37But there's a twist to this little piggy's tale.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The sleepy village of Shrewton, Wiltshire.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51A man with a knife bursts through the doors of a local shop
0:01:51 > 0:01:56and a police community support officer has to make a snap decision.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I've never been in a situation like that before in my life.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Face-to-face with a knifeman,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04with only a shopping basket for protection.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09I actually thought that I was going to get stabbed and that would be it.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19The county of Wiltshire is mainly rural
0:02:19 > 0:02:21and most people stay the right side of the law.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Shrewton village is on Will Todd's patch.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29He's a police community support officer.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33I've be a PCSO in Wiltshire for ten and a half years
0:02:33 > 0:02:36and I just decided, working for the bank,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39that I wanted to do something a bit more interesting.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42PCSOs are especially important in rural areas,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45where small villages are spread out.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Our job is to be the eyes and the ears of the police officers, really.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Years ago, everyone will remember that the village bobby
0:02:51 > 0:02:54knew everybody and everybody knew him.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Obviously times are different now, so we're expected to be spread
0:02:57 > 0:03:01a little bit more thinly but still have a good contact with people
0:03:01 > 0:03:04who live in the community, who work in the community,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and grow up and retire in the community.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Carol and Brian both live in Shrewton.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15Will's great. He's always knocking about doing something somewhere.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18He's a great, friendly fellow.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21His role is invaluable in this day and age.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26I truthfully believe because they don't have powers of arrest per se,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29they have to be more diplomatic.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31There's nothing better to get something resolved
0:03:31 > 0:03:33than by actually talking to people.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37And Shrewton isn't a place that gives the police much bother.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41We pride ourselves in Wiltshire as having one of the lowest crime rates
0:03:41 > 0:03:43out of the whole 43 police forces.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I think we're always in the bottom two or three,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49but that means when something does happen in Shrewton,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53I think that it has that much of a greater effect on the community.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59And early one Sunday evening, something bad does happen.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01It was in February and it was dark
0:04:01 > 0:04:05and I was out on routine patrol with my PCSO colleague, Shona,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09and we heard a job come in over the radio for a domestic incident
0:04:09 > 0:04:11at the other end of Shrewton Village.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Other officers are already on their way to a house where it's reported
0:04:14 > 0:04:17a father and son are having a serious argument.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Shona and I realised that we knew the lad
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and he'd been one of the lads that had grown up,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25played football for the village.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I'd seen him around and watched him grow up, really.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Moments later, a radio update tells them that the son
0:04:31 > 0:04:35has left the house and is now heading towards the village shop.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39As they're near, Will and Shona go straight there,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and as they pull over, they spot the young 6ft 3 man
0:04:42 > 0:04:46leaning against the postbox outside the store.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48He appears in control...
0:04:48 > 0:04:49at the moment.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52We got out and my colleague, Shona, started talking to him
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and he appeared a little bit upset, a bit tearful.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59As Shona was talking to him, he seemed to relax.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Perhaps he had been drinking
0:05:01 > 0:05:04but certainly Shona seemed to have quite a good rapport with him.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09The man seems calm, so Will turns away to radio in an update.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12But suddenly everything changes.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement
0:05:14 > 0:05:18and I heard Shona say, "Drop it."
0:05:18 > 0:05:22At that point, I saw he had a knife out, a large knife,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26and he pushed past her and past me and went into the shop.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29At that point, it all went a bit mental.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31What happens next is shocking.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35The security CCTV shows the man with the knife
0:05:35 > 0:05:39running into the store and straight towards staff at the till.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Will is close behind.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Immediately I pressed my red button,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46the emergency panic button on my radio.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I've been a PCSO for ten and a half years
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and I've never pressed that button.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I think I said, "Male's got a knife."
0:05:53 > 0:05:55The man has a large blade.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01He demands money, then leaps at the shop assistant, who tries to run away
0:06:01 > 0:06:02but the knifeman follows.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Will has to act, and fast.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12At this point I genuinely thought that the member of staff
0:06:12 > 0:06:16was going to be stabbed or hurt by this lad.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19We're just taught to use whatever is at hand
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and that's why I picked up a wire basket.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Using the basket as a shield,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Will shouts at the knifeman before he can get to the shop assistant.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32He seemed to be distracted and turned and actually faced me out
0:06:32 > 0:06:37with the knife, and at that point I really feared for my own safety.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43Will has distracted the knifeman, allowing the shop worker to escape,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45but now Will has another problem.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49I realised that my colleague, Shona, was still in the shop.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I really had genuine concerns about her safety.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54The lad has still got the knife, still waving it around,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58still shouting and he was really in a very agitated state,
0:06:58 > 0:06:59VERY agitated state.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03But then, a stroke of luck.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Angrily swiping at a stack of baskets,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09the man trips over them, which gives Shona the chance to get out.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Back on his feet, the man flies into a rage,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16but thankfully a police officer has arrived who's armed with a Taser.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21He shouts, "Taser," and, "Drop the knife,"
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- and the lad didn't drop the knife. - So the officer fires the Taser.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26It hits.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Which instantly delivers 50,000 volts
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and the lad went down.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33The electric current causing spasms.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37But now disarmed, the man can't hurt others or himself.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43And he's very, very upset and almost crying on the floor.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I don't think we'll ever know what was going through
0:07:45 > 0:07:47his mind on that night.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50The man is arrested and taken into custody.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54And a little later, there's a chilling discovery
0:07:54 > 0:07:57when forensic officers at the crime scene discover
0:07:57 > 0:08:00an even bigger knife dropped by the postbox
0:08:00 > 0:08:03right where Will and Shona had been talking to the man.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07When I think that Shona and myself were stood outside
0:08:07 > 0:08:10with nothing to protect ourselves out there,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12what could have happened, it does bring it home to you.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14I'm pleased with the outcome
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and happy with the way that nobody got hurt on that evening.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Pleading guilty to attempted armed robbery,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26the 22-year-old man is sentenced to three years in jail.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36And Shrewton's residents aren't going to forget the courage of their PCSOs.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Will's actions were unbelievable.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42I don't think I could have managed what he did,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45especially with someone with a large knife.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I did have a thought of whether I could have actually tried to get
0:08:50 > 0:08:54the knife off of him, but I realised that actually he's
0:08:54 > 0:09:006ft 3, in his twenties, and I'm well into my fifties with a dodgy ankle,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and there would only have been one winner in that contest,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06but I don't think I'll forget that night.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Fortunately, burglaries are not always successful
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and sometimes thieves make a right pig's ear of it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25This man is not a cat burglar.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28He's not a cattle rustler or a horse thief.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31He's a different sort of animal altogether.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33You could call him a pigsty pirate
0:09:33 > 0:09:36because he's set on bringing home the bacon.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39In the early hours of the morning he creeps into a barn
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and steals a squealing 60-pound baby pig from its pen,
0:09:43 > 0:09:48before running out to his accomplice, who's waiting in a car outside.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50But later, the thieves make a pig mistake,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53when the piglet somehow manages to hoof it.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Luckily, it's found by a kind rescuer,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58who then sees the crime on the news
0:09:58 > 0:10:03and the little porker is trotted wee-wee-wee, all the way home.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07The thieves are identified after a social media campaign.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Convicted, they are given community service.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11But if they ever do it again,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14the courts may go the whole hog and it'll be the burglars,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17not the pig, that'll be for the chop.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25Coming up, a strange clue that something hairy's been happening
0:10:25 > 0:10:27at the scene of a burglary.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29A large clump of hair was found on the third floor.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Police combed the streets for a brace of bald burglars
0:10:32 > 0:10:34who've been letting their hair down.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I asked them, "Where did you cut your hair?"
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Sharp-eyed thieves are always on the lookout for when we're
0:10:45 > 0:10:48not looking out, especially when we take our eyes off our bags.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59London's Square Mile, and there's a highly active thief at work.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Over five months, he steals scores of bags.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Causing thousands and thousands of pounds worth of loss
0:11:05 > 0:11:06to various different people.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09And leaving a trail of distressed victims.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13It was a really horrible, sick feeling in my stomach
0:11:13 > 0:11:16knowing someone had actually gone in my bag.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19This thief works in a particularly sneaky way.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23The bag getting stolen in such close proximity is something
0:11:23 > 0:11:25that I would never have considered happening.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28The police need to find a way to expose this elusive thief.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32We knew that we were going to have to up our game to get him.
0:11:42 > 0:11:48London's Square Mile is crowded with workers, residents and tourists,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51who can also be a magnet for thieves.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Detective Constable Mike O'Sullivan works
0:11:55 > 0:11:58with the City of London Police crime squad.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02One of the common problems they face is bag and purse theft.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04We investigate every single bag theft,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07every single theft from a coffee shop, every single theft from a bar,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10mainly because it causes a lot of hardship.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14People carry around their whole life in their bags.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19It's a crime that's easy for a single thief to commit many times in a day.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And over a few weeks in the autumn, the city police realise
0:12:22 > 0:12:26one of these prolific thieves is at work on their patch.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31We started to get in a lot of CCTV images from different offences.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33And every time, the same man pops up.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35He's wearing a flat cap.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39It's clear that this was a one-man crime spree.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Police need to discover the identity of the man in the cap.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46His image is checked against the police database
0:12:46 > 0:12:48but there's no record of him.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52His identity is a mystery and he leaves behind few clues.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54It's going to be hard to catch him.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Mike and the team study the CCTV footage.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01The thief seems to be able to hide in plain sight.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05He uses his phone to disguise what he's doing.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08See, now he's making a fake phone call and you'd be amazed
0:13:08 > 0:13:11about how many people don't pay attention to someone walking around
0:13:11 > 0:13:14on their phone, just because it's the natural thing to do.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Unnoticed, the thief has chosen his target.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21He'll settle on an individual and he'll bide his time,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24wait until the time is right.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26The camera shows his trademark technique.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30He would sometimes use his leg to hook someone's bag from
0:13:30 > 0:13:33pretty much underneath their feet, slide it out.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37He uses his coat to cover the stolen bag, then briskly walks off,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42leaving behind someone who has no idea their bag's been stolen.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Sam works in the city.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47She knows what it's like to be a victim of the flat-capped thief.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50It happens one day when she's out with some colleagues.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53One of my friends was having a bit of a bad day so we said to her,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55"Let's go and have some lunch,"
0:13:55 > 0:13:57just down to one of the local sandwich shops.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01She can be seen here sitting upright with her back to the window.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03I just chucked my bag down the side mainly cos
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I was sitting on the outside of the booth chitchatting like girls do,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09probably moaning about men and work.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12The man with the cap walks in.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14He spots Sam's bag.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20Pretending to be a customer, he sits as near as he can to Sam's table.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23He waits for the right moment...
0:14:25 > 0:14:26..stretches out his foot...
0:14:28 > 0:14:33..kicks down Sam's bag and starts drawing it towards him.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35It was as close to me as it could have been,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38just a chair leg width apart, really.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41I thought it was in my peripheral vision but it obviously wasn't.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Sam's friend sitting opposite doesn't see a thing.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48This time, the thief doesn't steal the whole bag.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51He hooks his foot through the strap, lifts the bag up,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54then rifles through it under his coat.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55He takes Sam's purse.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59She only finds out later on.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Knowing somebody had actually gone in my bag,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05invaded my privacy, stolen my things...
0:15:05 > 0:15:11It was a really horrible sick feeling in my stomach.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Sam has to cancel all her bank cards.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Her house keys are in the purse, so she's forced to change the locks,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and the purse itself is irreplaceable.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23I bought it in New York for my 40th birthday just last year
0:15:23 > 0:15:30so I loved it and it was my memory of my birthday and my trip.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Photos of her children are also lost.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37The City of London Police are on the lookout for the thief
0:15:37 > 0:15:40but his face is just one among millions.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43They work out a plan and analyse the crime reports
0:15:43 > 0:15:46to look for any pattern to the thefts.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48We were able to establish that the majority of offences
0:15:48 > 0:15:52were occurring on the Thursday and Friday evening.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55We also noticed that there was a pattern of particular locations.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58These were the north sides of Southwark Bridge and London Bridge,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01which enabled us to focus our resources.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Undercover officers stake out both bridges.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Pictures of the thief are circulated to hotels',
0:16:08 > 0:16:13clubs' and restaurants' staff. Someone may recognise him.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17In the meantime, reports of thefts are still coming in.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20It was frustrating cos we knew we were close but every night
0:16:20 > 0:16:24that we didn't get him there could be another six or seven victims.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28One of those victims is Andy, just back from his honeymoon.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31I'd just been over to the Caribbean to get married.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34I was feeling on top of the world, really.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36I had a brilliant holiday.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Like Sam, Andy's out for lunch with his workmates.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44After choosing his food, he hangs his laptop bag off a chair.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47If I put it down next to a colleague and opposite my manager...
0:16:47 > 0:16:50But Andy's bag has already been targeted.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Watching through the window is the flat-capped thief
0:16:53 > 0:16:58and while Andy goes to pay for his lunch, the man makes his move.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01He takes a seat and whips the bag strap off the chair,
0:17:01 > 0:17:06even as Andy's colleague sits down opposite him.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09He hides the bag in his coat and leaves.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12When Andy discovers his bag and laptop have gone,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15he also remembers his wedding photos were in there.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18My first thoughts were, "Are they actually gone?
0:17:18 > 0:17:20- "Are they replaceable?" - Andy can't remember
0:17:20 > 0:17:24if the master disc for the photos was in the stolen bag as well.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27That was pretty scary for me.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29What am I going to do when I go home
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and actually discover that the backups are gone as well?
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Obviously it's going to cause some upset because it's...you know...
0:17:37 > 0:17:38..a special day, isn't it?
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Police are determined to put an end to the trouble this thief is causing.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45And then they get a breakthrough.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Circulating the images of the thief to businesses pays off.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52A security guard from the hotel recognised the male
0:17:52 > 0:17:53and gave us his name.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58The man under the cap is 39-year-old Mario Bustamante-Leiva.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00From that identification,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04we were able to establish an address in South London.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08A team go to arrest him but frustratingly, the suspect has moved
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and no-one knows where he's living.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13The only way we're going to catch him is to
0:18:13 > 0:18:15more or less catch him in the act.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Mike and the undercover officers try a new tactic - to flush him out
0:18:19 > 0:18:20and drive him their way.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24We deployed uniformed high visibility police officers
0:18:24 > 0:18:28into various locations in an attempt to displace him
0:18:28 > 0:18:32to locations where plain-clothes officers were waiting.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36But he remains out of sight until Mike himself,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40staking out one of the thief's known haunts, finally spots him.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44All of a sudden, there he was in front of me
0:18:44 > 0:18:46walking round the corner. I knew it was him.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49There's only one person that looks like him.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Mike keeps track of Bustamante-Leiva and calls for backup.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Within minutes, my colleagues had arrived
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and we went straight in and took him out.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00He's arrested.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05In total, we identified him as being responsible for 22 offences
0:19:05 > 0:19:09over a five-month period and I have no doubt that he was probably
0:19:09 > 0:19:11responsible for many, many more.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14The evidence from the CCTV is overwhelming.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17By the time Bustamante-Leiva gets to court,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20he pleads guilty to all 22 offences.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25He is sentenced to three years in prison.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31The day that he pleaded guilty, I was ecstatic.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34It makes such a difference for these victims
0:19:34 > 0:19:37to not be put through the ordeal of a trial.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Yeah, I was pretty pleased.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Sam is also glad that the thief's been caught.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47This is the first time she's seen how her purse was taken.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50No-one else is even looking his way to see what he's up to.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53I can't believe I'm not aware that he's even doing it.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55It's frightening, it really is.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57SHE GASPS
0:19:57 > 0:19:59How does my friend not even see that?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03And there's good news for Andy and his bride.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06When he gets home, he finds the disc with the original copies
0:20:06 > 0:20:08of their wedding photos on it.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10It wasn't in the stolen bag after all.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15I was so thankful and relieved for that and that was the point
0:20:15 > 0:20:18I wish I'd told her that the actual printed ones got stolen.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24But it was OK, we can just print them again, so that was really good.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Andy and Sam had no idea their belongings had been stolen,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35so is there anything that can help us
0:20:35 > 0:20:38stop thieves getting their hands on OUR stuff?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Always keep your bag close to you at all times.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44If you can't physically have it on your shoulder
0:20:44 > 0:20:47and you're seated at a table, then put the strap around your leg
0:20:47 > 0:20:50or hold it close to your thigh so you can feel it
0:20:50 > 0:20:51and it's there at all times.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Don't necessarily rely on your friends
0:20:53 > 0:20:56if you've nipped to the loo, to say, "Look after my bag,"
0:20:56 > 0:20:58cos if it's a social setting, they'll be distracted,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00they'll be laughing, joking, having fun.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03They won't necessarily be standing guard over your property.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Use bag hooks which can attach themselves
0:21:05 > 0:21:08to a restaurant table or the pub table
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and you can actually hang your bag within your line of sight.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Something we have locally is a bell that you attach
0:21:14 > 0:21:18to the zipper on the bag and then if anyone tries to remove the bag
0:21:18 > 0:21:20or open the bag, the little noise goes off
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and you're alerted straight away that something's moved in your bag.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30It's a case of hair today, gone tomorrow.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34The actions of these next two burglars are downright bizarre.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42One night in Wisbech town centre, Cambridgeshire,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45police have a mystery on their hands.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Two charity shops have been broken into.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52We raise money for a good cause and all they did was help themselves.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56But at one of the crime scenes the burglars leave something unusual.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59A large clump of hair was found on the third floor.
0:21:59 > 0:22:05And two bald men walking into a kebab shop catch the eye of owner Jack.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07I asked them, "Where did you cut your hair?"
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Police hope some camera footage will give them some answers
0:22:10 > 0:22:12and identify the burglars.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Wisbech is a market town in the Fens of Cambridgeshire,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25and in its town centre there are several charity shops.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Dawn runs one of them that supports a local hospice.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33What we raise goes towards taking care of people
0:22:33 > 0:22:36with life-shortening illnesses.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38We rely on the donations that come through the door,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41whether it be furniture, clothes, shoes, bric-a-brac.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44To help, Dawn has a team of volunteers.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46We couldn't run the shop if it wasn't for them.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50They don't get paid to work here. They do it out of compassion.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It's hard work but we enjoy it. We love it.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58But not everyone is as compassionate as Dawn and her staff,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02as she finds out early one weekday morning.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05It's her day off but she gets a phone call telling her
0:23:05 > 0:23:08the shop's been broken into.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09Your heart just sinks.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12It usually takes me about 20 minutes to walk to work
0:23:12 > 0:23:17and I did it in record time. There was just glass all over the place.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I noticed the charity box had gone, the takings had gone,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22the petty cash had gone.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25In total, around £700 has been stolen.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29It was disheartening to come into it. It's my baby.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32Ooh!
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Dawn has to close the shop for the day
0:23:37 > 0:23:39so the police can examine it for evidence
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and it turns out that another of the town's charity shops
0:23:42 > 0:23:44has also been burgled.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Detective Constable Mark Yendley sets out to investigate.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Charity shops are set up to help people,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and to rob from people who are willing to do that...
0:23:55 > 0:23:59I think it's just disgusting. It's despicable.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Although money was stolen from Dawn's shop,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04more random items were taken from the other store.
0:24:04 > 0:24:10Nothing too expensive, like jars of coffee, staff cups,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13a keyboard and even some tubs of Smarties had gone missing.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Then crime scene officers make a really odd discovery.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21On top of the third floor, a large clump of hair was found.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Why there's a pile of freshly cut hair is puzzling, to say the least,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29but fingerprints are also found on both stores.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33All the evidence is sent for forensic analysis. In the meantime,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37officers go to examine the town centre's CCTV recordings.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Both the operator there and the PCSO did a wonderful job
0:24:41 > 0:24:43checking through all the town footage.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48At around 1am, they spot these two men on the CCTV.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52They're picked up again on another camera walking towards
0:24:52 > 0:24:54the charity shop where the hair was found.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59They kick the door in and disappear into the shop
0:24:59 > 0:25:01but they are not seen coming back out.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Scouring the town's camera footage covering the next
0:25:06 > 0:25:10three quarters of an hour, the officer and camera operator
0:25:10 > 0:25:14eventually spot two men walking along carrying bags.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Different men, they think because one of these is bald,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19the other is wearing a hat.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22The guy who's wearing the hat scratches his head
0:25:22 > 0:25:24and he's got no hair when he takes the hat off.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29Ah, so BOTH men are bald and a hat like this was stolen from the shop.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32In his left hand you can also see he's got a bag for life.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35A bag for life was also stolen.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Despite the disappearing hair issue,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Mark is convinced these two are the burglars.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43He circulates their images around the force
0:25:43 > 0:25:45and soon someone identifies one of them.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49Both are arrested but they deny everything.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51They are eventually released on bail.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56While waiting for the results from forensics,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Mark continues his investigation.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01On a hunch, he retraces the men's steps from where
0:26:01 > 0:26:03they disappear off-camera.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Just round the corner, there's a late-night kebab shop owned by Jack.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11I asked him had he got any CCTV and lo and behold, he did.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Mark rewinds the shop's recordings
0:26:13 > 0:26:17until he gets to a time before the burglaries were committed.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18His hunch pays off.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21The two suspects walk in, but at this point,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23they have full heads of hair.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25They also have some electric clippers,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29and it seems to Jack a strange request.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31He's shaving off his hair with the hand.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33He said, "I'm cutting my hair."
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I said, "No. Impossible."
0:26:36 > 0:26:39I said, "How come it's possible you're cutting your hair
0:26:39 > 0:26:42"inside my shop? This is a food shop. You can't."
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Are they serious? Who knows?
0:26:45 > 0:26:50And Jack's too proud of his five-star food hygiene rating to find out.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54The men leave but nearly an hour later the cameras show the pair
0:26:54 > 0:26:58are back at the kebab house, now with a bag, but without any hair.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- It's a surprise for Jack. - I said, "What did you do?"
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I asked them, "Where did you cut your hair?"
0:27:04 > 0:27:06He said, "Do you know the town centre?"
0:27:06 > 0:27:08I said, "How can this be possible?"
0:27:08 > 0:27:11With the before and after footage
0:27:11 > 0:27:14and the pile of hair left in one of the burgled shops,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17there's little doubt who the culprits are,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19and when the forensic results come back from the lab,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21there's no doubt at all.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23We couldn't get anything off the hair that was recovered
0:27:23 > 0:27:26because hair really has to have the roots at the end
0:27:26 > 0:27:28before you can get any DNA from them
0:27:28 > 0:27:30but what we did get a lot of was fingerprints,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34and that put both of those defendants at both of the scenes.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It's unknown why this pair got it into their heads
0:27:37 > 0:27:40to shave their heads in the middle of a burglary,
0:27:40 > 0:27:45but the bald truth is, they heartlessly stole from two charities.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51In court, one is sentenced to four months
0:27:51 > 0:27:53in a young offender's institution.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57The other is given four months in prison, suspended for two years.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00He also has to carry out unpaid work.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07And thanks to the kindness of local people,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Dawn's shop has managed to get back on its feet.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14The customers after we got broken into were marvellous. Marvellous.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16They generated a lot more stock for us
0:28:16 > 0:28:20just to replenish and so we could make more money.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23It was great. It boosted us. It did boost us a lot.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29That's it for today. Join us next time when police and the public
0:28:29 > 0:28:32catch more criminals red-handed.