0:00:02 > 0:00:04Thieves will steal our cars, our valuables,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15the police and other agencies are using new tactics and technology,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18so the bad guys get caught in the act.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22- CCTV is gold dust.- Great evidence for the police.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23Got to have them stopped.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Local councils, shops and businesses
0:00:25 > 0:00:27are laying some traps of their own...
0:00:27 > 0:00:29The Eureka moment when you get that evidence...
0:00:29 > 0:00:30..and the general public, too,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33can help unsuspecting crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 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 is up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46They might just get Caught Red Handed.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Today, a masked armed robber in the high street...
0:00:54 > 0:00:57When I first turned round and saw that he'd got
0:00:57 > 0:01:00a gun in his hand, I didn't really have much time to think.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03..but this gunman gets more than he bargained for...
0:01:03 > 0:01:05I went for the hand with the gun, you know.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06..with a shocking result.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08But it fired.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Also today, a family's best friend is dognapped...
0:01:15 > 0:01:16SHE SIGHS
0:01:16 > 0:01:21I just cannot even think about not having Charlie, at all.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25I felt sick, upset, angry.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28..but a nationwide network of pet detectives sets out
0:01:28 > 0:01:29to collar the thief.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34And this shady pair of thieves hide handfuls of fashionable,
0:01:34 > 0:01:39stylish sunglasses in a very unstylish fashion.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53A jewellery shop in Barnstaple, Devon.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58The owner, David, is working on his own when a masked robber bursts in.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Claiming he has a gun, he orders David to fill up a bag.
0:02:02 > 0:02:03He was a bit scary-looking.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07He had a full latex mask on, which made him look a bit like a cyborg.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11And it's then, 71-year-old David makes a snap decision.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13He doesn't believe the man has a gun
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and reaches for a baseball bat he keeps in case of attack.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21But David's made a mistake, because the robber does have a gun.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24There's a desperate struggle and then...
0:02:24 > 0:02:27the gun fires twice.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30It's the kind of call that you never really want to hear -
0:02:30 > 0:02:33two shots fired in Barnstaple high street.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Barnstaple is a busy market town
0:02:43 > 0:02:44and shopping centre in North Devon.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53David and his family have lived in the area for nearly 30 years.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55He's been a jeweller most of his life
0:02:55 > 0:02:58and opened this particular store three years ago.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59It's a family business.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04My daughter-in-law, she was my first employee when she was 17.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07So, I've seen her progress over all the years.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11With a passion for antiques, David is a familiar figure
0:03:11 > 0:03:13bidding at auction houses around the area.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17I enjoy it. Sourcing various things, especially antique jewellery.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21That's the buzz, always looking for the next, the next thing,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24you know, the next deal, shall we say, yeah.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27David's life now is a far cry from his youth,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29spent in tough areas of south London.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34I was brought up, you know, in a, sort of, a poor situation.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38I have no brothers and sisters. I've always had to fend for myself.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I was a mod and used to go down and have all these
0:03:42 > 0:03:44weekends down in Margate and Brighton,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48having fights and things with the rockers and stuff, at the time.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52David's days as a bit of a bovver boy are long past,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54but he still knows how to defend himself.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58And in the jewellery trade, there's always the threat of trouble.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Jewellers are, obviously, the main target for any
0:04:00 > 0:04:04smash and grab, or armed robbery and there's probably not that many
0:04:04 > 0:04:08shops that have not been attempted to be robbed in the past.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11David's daughters-in-law was once caught up in a raid
0:04:11 > 0:04:14when she was working at another jeweller's.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I think there was three or four of them in the shop
0:04:16 > 0:04:20and they were robbed and tied up and everything.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And they took, quite a, obviously, a large amount of stock.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27So, as well as electronic security, David's always felt happier
0:04:27 > 0:04:31with a bit of extra protection in the shop, a baseball bat.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33I've never had to use one in the past, you know, I mean,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36it would have to be something pretty serious for me to go to the lengths
0:04:36 > 0:04:38of picking up a baseball bat.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43But on this day, something serious does happen.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45It's all captured on David's security cameras.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50It's Thursday afternoon.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52David's daughter-in-law has popped out for stamps,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54so he's alone in the shop
0:04:54 > 0:04:57when a masked figure rushes in.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00When I saw him, suddenly, he marched straight in the shop, real
0:05:00 > 0:05:02quickly, and straight up to the counter.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06I knew immediately that there was something going to go down.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07And he was a bit scary-looking.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09He had a full latex mask on, which made him
0:05:09 > 0:05:14look a bit like a cyborg, dark glasses, scarf, big coat, gloves.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18The man demands to have his bag filled with expensive items.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22He threatens David, saying he has a gun in his pocket.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25It's all well and good him saying, "I've got a gun."
0:05:25 > 0:05:28At that moment in time, I didn't believe him.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30David turns his back and walks away.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32The robber follows.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Well, I think that he probably thought I was going to the safe.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37But David's really heading for his baseball bat.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40He's hoping to frighten the man off.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43But he doesn't see that behind him the robber's drawing a gun.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45When I first turned round and saw that he'd got
0:05:45 > 0:05:48a gun in his hand, I didn't really have much time to think.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51David instinctively reacts to defend himself.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53I went for the hand with the gun, you know,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and try and knock it out of his hand.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57He strikes the gun hand.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Then suddenly, the situation gets a lot worse.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01But it fired.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06The gun goes off, but David keeps going.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08And I thought, "Well, I'm not hit."
0:06:12 > 0:06:15The gunman dives down to pick up the used bullet casing.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17David chases after him.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21At the door, the robber turns back, defiantly.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25David knows he's now in real danger, so he goes for the gun again.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I then proceeded to give him
0:06:27 > 0:06:30another really hard whack with the bat across the wrist
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and I hit it so hard at the time that the magazine flew
0:06:33 > 0:06:35out of the gun on the floor.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36The gun went off again,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and then he ran across the road with the gun in his hand.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44The gunman disappears down a side road.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46At this point, David's daughter-in-law
0:06:46 > 0:06:48returns to the store.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50She heard two shots
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and saw the guy run out of the shop with a gun in his hand,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56so she immediately thought that she was going to find me on the floor
0:06:56 > 0:06:58in here when she returned.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So, she was probably more scared than myself.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Security staff at a nearby shop also hear the shots and call the police.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09We had everybody here, you know, I mean, there was armed police,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13there was dog handlers, helicopters.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Despite a major search, the gunman has vanished.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23The robber's left some DNA evidence,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25but it's no help.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28This was somebody who hadn't come to police attention before.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32But a supermarket CCTV video from a few days before the crime
0:07:32 > 0:07:33poses a question.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37What does this dangerous armed robber look like behind the mask?
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Surely, not someone who looks like this, like the boy next door?
0:07:41 > 0:07:44This young man, who had never been in trouble with
0:07:44 > 0:07:46the police before, from a very well-respected family,
0:07:46 > 0:07:47was now a prime suspect.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Most of the criminals we come across
0:07:54 > 0:07:56aren't exactly the sort of super villains
0:07:56 > 0:07:58that you find in the movies.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00In fact, as far as criminal masterminds are concerned,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03these next two fall a little bit short.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Short-sighted, that is.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13An optician's is about to be burgled by a pair of thieves who are
0:08:13 > 0:08:16so focused on stealing designer sunglasses,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20they are blind to the fact they're on camera.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21The store is closed,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26but these two break in, intent on some out-of-hours shopping.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30The gentlemanly thief holds the door for his partner in crime.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33There's obviously nothing wrong with their eyesight.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36They quickly spot the most expensive sunglasses
0:08:36 > 0:08:38and start ripping them off the shelves.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40With no more room in her bag,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42the woman starts shoving shades
0:08:42 > 0:08:44up her dress, and
0:08:44 > 0:08:47makes a spectacle of herself.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52They eventually get away, albeit walking strangely with 26
0:08:52 > 0:08:55pairs, that's nearly £4,000 worth,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and they're still at large.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01But police have released this footage, hoping the glare
0:09:01 > 0:09:05of publicity will prove too bright for this pair of shady characters.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09And they'll soon be well and truly in the frame.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20A man removes a car window, but he's not there to repair it.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22He's stealing a bag off the back-seat.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24But before he gets carried away with his crime,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28strapping security guards zip over to bag the blagger.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32And another crime, another bag.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Police unmask the armed robber at the jeweller's with
0:09:35 > 0:09:40the help of a reusable Bag for Life and a few slices of ham.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47We love our canine companions,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50so when a family pet gets taken for a walk by a stranger,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52the hunt is on to find a lead.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Bradford, and a back yard that's home to Charlie,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05the miniature schnauzer and his loving owners.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Charlie is a family member. He's more like a child than he is a dog.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15One evening, Charlie's sitting out the back like a watchdog,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18but unfortunately, on this particular night,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20it's Charlie himself who's being watched.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24A man walks up to the wall.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27He leans over, and in one rough,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30single movement he grabs Charlie,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32taking away the friendly little dog
0:10:32 > 0:10:36and leaving behind a family that's shocked and distraught.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39SHE SIGHS
0:10:39 > 0:10:43I just cannot even think about not having Charlie at all.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47I felt sick, upset, angry.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52In desperation, the family turned to a nationwide army of dog owners
0:10:52 > 0:10:56who are joining forces to fight the rising problem of dog thieves.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00We are all like a close-knit community of doggy detectives.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Charlie's out there somewhere.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Andy and Annette had raised their family here in Bradford
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and moved to this house 15 years ago.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20It's a nice place to live, it's just
0:11:20 > 0:11:23a normal multicultural place, and it's a family area.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26It's just a down-to-earth place to live.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Now, they look after six-year-old Kyla, their eldest son's
0:11:30 > 0:11:35daughter, as well as Ryan, their younger son, who's 18.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38And then, there's Charlie, their nine-year-old miniature schnauzer.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Charlie's just a family member.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43He's more like a child than he is a dog.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47He just mixes with us, he has Christmas presents with us.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49He's just so brilliant.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Throughout the day, he spends a lot of time with
0:11:51 > 0:11:53my granddaughter who's autistic.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57As Kyla grew up, she became best friends with Charlie
0:11:57 > 0:12:00because, with her autism, she's not good at getting friendships
0:12:00 > 0:12:01and socialising with people.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04She's non-verbal as well, she can't speak, so they do stuff
0:12:04 > 0:12:05together without having to talk.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09She'll point to him to do stuff and he'll do it,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11absolutely brilliant together.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Charlie's also friendly with the neighbours.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16He's a house dog, he's not a dog that's left in the garden,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19but when you do let him out he'll do what he has to do
0:12:19 > 0:12:21and then he'll stand at the gate and he'll watch for people
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and a lot of people in the area know him. They all pat him on the head
0:12:24 > 0:12:25and give him a bit of a stroke.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Charlie's so important to them they've had him microchipped, so if
0:12:29 > 0:12:34he was ever lost and found, he could be scanned to find out his address.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35The garden gate is padlocked
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and although they've never had any trouble here,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Andy recently decided to have a CCTV system installed.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45There wasn't a reason for doing it, it was just the fact that we've been
0:12:45 > 0:12:48here 15 years, we decided to upgrade our
0:12:48 > 0:12:53alarm system on the house and after having done that, we put CCTV in.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56And it's going to prove important that they did.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01It's a Wednesday evening, 9pm and Kyla's in bed.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06Myself and Andy were watching television, Ryan had gone out and
0:13:06 > 0:13:09he came back, let Charlie out.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13While Charlie's in the garden, Ryan puts a pizza in the oven
0:13:13 > 0:13:14and pops upstairs.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17So he came down, opened the door to shout Charlie back in
0:13:17 > 0:13:18and he didn't come back in.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21And then he said, "Where's Charlie?" and I said, "Well, he's outside."
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- And he said, "No, he's not." - So, we all went outside to look...
0:13:25 > 0:13:27But there's no sign of Charlie anywhere.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30That's when we decided that, rather than go wandering
0:13:30 > 0:13:32looking for him, let's go have a look at CCTV
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and look at how he got out and what direction he went in.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38And what they see shocks them all.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Charlie's sat at the gate, watching the road.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Their other camera shows a white van passing.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50A short while later a man walks across the road
0:13:50 > 0:13:53and stands by the corner for a few moments.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Then he walks along the hedge to near where Charlie's
0:13:55 > 0:13:57sitting in the back garden.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02He calls the friendly dog over, then checks up and down the street.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Reaching over the wall to pet Charlie,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10the man signals to the white van with his right hand.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Now, he calls Charlie over to him again,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17then suddenly, grabs him by the collar
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and hauls Charlie over the wall and runs to the van.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26The family can't believe what they've seen on the CCTV.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27SHE SIGHS
0:14:27 > 0:14:32I absolutely felt sick, upset, angry.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37When my son said, "That's it. It's my fault. They've stolen him.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38"They're going to use him as a bait dog.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40"No, he's going to get ripped to bits."
0:14:40 > 0:14:42And it were just a matter of sheer horror for my son.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45They wouldn't want him as a pet, if they were just
0:14:45 > 0:14:46going to drag him the way they did.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48The worst things are in your mind of
0:14:48 > 0:14:49what could somebody be doing with him?
0:14:49 > 0:14:53They have no idea why Charlie was taken.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54Andy phones the police,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56while one of Annette's friends suggests
0:14:56 > 0:14:58something else they could do.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02She actually said to me, "Put it on social media, you know,
0:15:02 > 0:15:03"get the word out."
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Within ten minutes, we had footage on the media site
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and asked for any help, try and get him back.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13A short while later, messages of support start to trickle in.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15They soon become a torrent.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17It just sort of kicked off.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Within a couple of hours, it had gone phenomenal.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- We had it everywhere.- It's gone viral.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24No-one knows what's happened to Charlie,
0:15:24 > 0:15:29but the couple have discovered a massive network of pet detectives.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32People like Diane.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35She's a dog owner in Bradford who has successfully helped to
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- reunite lost pets with their owners. - Give me your paw.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41There's thousands of people all over England that do what I do.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43I started on my laptop,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46noticing that there were a lot of dogs being stolen and scanned
0:15:46 > 0:15:50through what dogs had been found and trying to match them up.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55It's hard sometimes, but when you get a result, it's brilliant.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58As well as matching missing dogs to their owners,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01the detectives also put pressure on the dog thieves.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04They flood an area with pictures of a stolen dog to get
0:16:04 > 0:16:07hundreds of local dog lovers on the lookout.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10You've just got to make it too hot to handle.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13They just can't sell that dog on immediately, like they would do.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17You know, you usually find that they do dump the dogs then because
0:16:17 > 0:16:19there's nothing they can do with the dog then.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Diane's hopeful the dog detectives can help in Charlie's case.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27I think the CCTV footage made him stand out, really.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30It just spread like wildfire around the UK.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Two days go by.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Charlie's story has also been in the local press,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38but there's still no news.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40It's a tough time for the family.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44My son wasn't eating, he wasn't sleeping, he were just sat worrying.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47And obviously, it had a big effect on Kyla because
0:16:47 > 0:16:49this were her friend, basically.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52On the third day, they decide to take Kyla to a theme park to
0:16:52 > 0:16:54help take her mind off Charlie.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57At the same time as they're driving,
0:16:57 > 0:17:02another driver called Daniel is also making his way through Bradford.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Daniel's not a pet detective himself,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08but he happens to be Diane's son and shares his mum's interest
0:17:08 > 0:17:12and always keeps an eye out for stray dogs.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Me and my girlfriend were going to buy some new clothes and as I was
0:17:15 > 0:17:17driving up the road and I'd seen this little grey dog
0:17:17 > 0:17:20just running up the main road.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22So, I rung my mum to see, you know,
0:17:22 > 0:17:23to ask her what I should do.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I said, "Well, what kind of dog is it?" And he said, "It's a grey
0:17:26 > 0:17:28"terrier-type looking dog."
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Instantly, I thought of Charlie, so I sent him the picture and
0:17:31 > 0:17:35immediately he said, "Mum, it's definitely him."
0:17:35 > 0:17:36With the help of passers-by,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Daniel manages to catch the bedraggled little dog.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43He had slight red bits on his paw like he'd been bleeding.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46He were all wet and scruffy in his beard and down his paws.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48He started calming down when I got him home and got him
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- some food and some water. - We knew instantly it was Charlie.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55As soon as I called his name, he looked straight at me. So then,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59we took him straight up to the local kennels to check for a microchip.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01While the dog is scanned, Andy
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and Annette have arrived at the theme park.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07They get a message telling them that Charlie might have been found.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10We were both looking at each other saying, "Don't get your hopes up,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- "it might not be him."- Then there's a phone call from staff at the
0:18:13 > 0:18:15kennels who retrieve Andy's number from the microchip.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And then Andy got off the phone and said, "Yes, it's Charlie.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- "It's Charlie."- We were, like, trying to fight back the tears.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23"Great, brilliant, brilliant!" (Thank God for that.)
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Diane takes Charlie back to his home
0:18:26 > 0:18:28where the family's son, Ryan, is waiting.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Charlie just cried when he got there and Ryan opened the door.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34He just were crying to get into the house.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Seeing what Ryan looked like she said, "I just wanted to
0:18:37 > 0:18:40"give him a hug and a kiss." She said, "But I didn't want to, because
0:18:40 > 0:18:42"he's 18 and I didn't think he'd like, you know, the giving
0:18:42 > 0:18:46- "him a hug, sort of thing."- That was a really emotional reunion as well.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49When we got home, then he just went crazy.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Kyla were...she were just kissing him
0:18:52 > 0:18:54and cuddling him and stroking him.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Now Charlie is safely back home and because no-one can identify
0:18:58 > 0:19:02the thieves, the police decide to close the case.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05But the family thank everyone for their help.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09They have no doubt that it was the power of the online pet detectives
0:19:09 > 0:19:11that led to Charlie's release.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I think there was that much media about the dog, I think
0:19:13 > 0:19:15they just thought, "It's going to
0:19:15 > 0:19:17"be a matter of time before we get caught."
0:19:17 > 0:19:20People would have been looking. "Is that that dog?" I really think
0:19:20 > 0:19:24because of media, yeah, he was then returned because of that.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Daniel's become a bit of a local hero.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29And I'm so proud of Daniel for helping.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31There's been women wanting to kiss my son,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34there's been hundreds of messages saying how wonderful he is.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Inspired by the help they received,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Andy and Annette are now supporting the pet detectives
0:19:39 > 0:19:43themselves with their own internet page called Charlie's Angels.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Because we've had so much help from people, we thought
0:19:45 > 0:19:48we needed to pay people back, because we knew how devastated
0:19:48 > 0:19:51we felt when Charlie went missing, but we also know how elated we were
0:19:51 > 0:19:53when we got him back. So, it were, like, if we can do
0:19:53 > 0:19:56that for at least one other person, at least we've given something back.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Andy and Annette faced a pet owner's nightmare when Charlie went missing.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11So, what steps can we take to help keep our pets safe?
0:20:11 > 0:20:12Microchipping is a really
0:20:12 > 0:20:13effective way of being able
0:20:13 > 0:20:15to identify an owner of a dog.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17But it's really important that you
0:20:17 > 0:20:18keep your details up-to-date.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20So, if you do move house or change
0:20:20 > 0:20:21your telephone number, make sure
0:20:21 > 0:20:23you constantly update those details.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24You'd be surprised,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26it's not just the high-value
0:20:26 > 0:20:27pedigree dogs that may be taken.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28Often, some dogs are taken
0:20:28 > 0:20:30because of the nature of them,
0:20:30 > 0:20:31so if they are fighting dogs,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33people may take them for that reason.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36If you've got to let the dog out at the end of the evening,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38before you go to bed, then a few things you can do.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41First of all, put a bell on the gate so that you can hear
0:20:41 > 0:20:44if anybody has actually accessed your garden, listen out for passing
0:20:44 > 0:20:47motor vehicles and thirdly, if you can, go out with them.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Often thieves will simply look at your pet as a commodity.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Your dog, to them, could be worth £300, £400.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57For you it's priceless, so make sure you look after your pet
0:20:57 > 0:20:58and protect it as best you can.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Now, a thief who tries a bit of backpacking but ends up
0:21:07 > 0:21:09being sent packing.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19In broad daylight, a man tries to prise open a car window.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It could be he's left his keys inside.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29But no, he has a quick look around, checks nobody is watching, and
0:21:29 > 0:21:33pops out the whole windowpane and steals a bag off the back-seat.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Putting it on, he then struts off,
0:21:37 > 0:21:42with an air of confidence that says, "Hey, I'm just an ordinary guy,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45"not someone who's just stolen a backpack."
0:21:45 > 0:21:48But his attempt to hide in plain sight fails.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53On CCTV, an eagle-eyed security guard has seen him remove
0:21:53 > 0:21:57the rucksack and sends a colleague to run out and tackle the thief.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01The man drops the bag and tries to get away.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06He's definitely not strutting now.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Two members of the public also join in the attempt to bag
0:22:09 > 0:22:14this thief, though sensibly they decide it's best not to get
0:22:14 > 0:22:18too physical and follow him, taking pictures on their phone.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22The owner of the backpack was grateful it was rescued
0:22:22 > 0:22:24as it contained a valuable laptop.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27As for the thief,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30he bagged himself a ride in the back-seat of a police car.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44In Barnstaple, Devon, jeweller David has used a baseball bat to
0:22:44 > 0:22:48fight off a masked robber who's threatening him with a gun.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54The gun's fired twice, but David isn't hurt and the robber's fled.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58It was a chance I took and, you know, fortunately for me,
0:22:58 > 0:22:59it turned out to be OK.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03And afterwards, you can't sleep very well because you keep
0:23:03 > 0:23:07thinking about things, what might have happened, what did happen, etc.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Yeah, it plays on your mind, without a doubt.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13The gunman's left empty-handed,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16but he's left behind some potential clues.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20In the scuffle by the door, David managed to damage the gun
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and its magazine clip flew off.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24When I struck him on the wrist at that time, it's difficult
0:23:24 > 0:23:28to see, the magazine ended up on the floor just by this cabinet.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36Detective Inspector Praveen Naidoo is in charge of the investigation.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37It's the kind of call
0:23:37 > 0:23:38that you hear over the radio, which
0:23:38 > 0:23:42you never really want to hear. Two shots fired
0:23:42 > 0:23:43in Barnstaple high street.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46David's daughter-in-law, who'd heard shots, as far as she was aware,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48her father-in-law could have been shot dead.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52His team finds that the gun's magazine is actually loaded
0:23:52 > 0:23:55with blanks. It might be an imitation weapon.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57But as well as the gun clip,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00the robber has also left his bag on the counter.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04My granddaughter, who also works here, recognised the bag,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07that it was one that was being sold by one of the major
0:24:07 > 0:24:10supermarket-type stores close by.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13It's a reusable Bag for Life.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17The bag and the gun clip are sent for forensic analysis.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The results show both have traces of the same DNA.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22But unfortunately,
0:24:22 > 0:24:26it doesn't match any past offenders on the police database.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28The mystery deepens.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29What that told us,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32this was somebody who hadn't come to police attention before.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35It looked like this might be the man's first offence.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Praveen's team will have to find another way to identify him,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and the bag gives them another lead.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44This bag, which in itself, is quite distinctive,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47we could identify the shop that it came from and
0:24:47 > 0:24:48we had a local branch of that shop.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52This particular type of bag has only been on sale for three months
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and when a sharp-eyed manager at the shop checks the till receipts
0:24:55 > 0:24:59for all the bags they've sold, she spots something strange.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02It was a bag which one would reasonably expect to have
0:25:02 > 0:25:05been sold with the larger quantities of goods, except for this
0:25:05 > 0:25:08one transaction the day before the robbery, for a Bag for Life
0:25:08 > 0:25:10and £2.50's worth of gammon ham.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15Because it seems odd to buy such a large bag for one small item,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18she reviews the CCTV images
0:25:18 > 0:25:21to find out who bought the bag.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23It's this young man.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27What we then did was to set about identifying who this person was.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Praveen appeals to the public for help,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and the man's face appears in the local newspapers.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35And a few days later,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39an 18-year-old man comes forward saying he'd bought the bag.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41When he came into the police station,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43he presented as a young man from a very well-to-do family,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46never been in trouble with the police before.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50The man denies attempting to rob David and claims he bought the ham
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and then bought the bag on a whim.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55That seemed odd, but being odd doesn't necessarily
0:25:55 > 0:25:57make him our offender.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59To rule him out of the investigation,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01the police take his DNA.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04It is something which we'd policied right from the outset that
0:26:04 > 0:26:07anybody coming into our inquiry, we would take their DNA to obtain
0:26:07 > 0:26:11that comparison because most people lie to us.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15A few days later, Praveen's team get a surprise from the lab.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18The officer who took that phone call couldn't believe it. You know, he
0:26:18 > 0:26:20was just completely taken aback by it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23The 18-year-old's DNA matches the samples found on both the
0:26:23 > 0:26:28gun clip and the bag left at David's jewellery shop.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31This young man, who had never been in trouble with
0:26:31 > 0:26:34the police before, was now a prime suspect.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36The police arrest him.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39The suspect gave a full and frank admission.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41He admitted to the officers that it was him that had done it
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and at that point, clearly, we knew we had got the right person.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Back at the jewellery store,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51David and his staff are glad the culprit's been caught.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Obviously, we were very, very happy, you know, because we all
0:26:54 > 0:26:55wanted to know who he was,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58we all wanted to see what was under that mask.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05In court, the 18-year-old is sentenced to three years, eight
0:27:05 > 0:27:07months for attempted robbery
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and two years for the possession of an imitation weapon.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18David's bravery helped lead to the man's conviction.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20But he took a big risk.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Fighting back under these circumstances is something that
0:27:23 > 0:27:25I'd never actively encourage, but if it weren't for the action
0:27:25 > 0:27:28of Mr Bruce, we wouldn't have retrieved the items that we did, we
0:27:28 > 0:27:31wouldn't have got the forensic evidence, and we might not be
0:27:31 > 0:27:34in this position today. We've got a successful prosecution.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35What took place, took place
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and I'm sure now that he's going to much regret it.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44He'll have plenty of time now to reflect on his misdemeanours.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48David's improving security at his shop and despite his recent
0:27:48 > 0:27:52experience, he isn't giving up the business just yet.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55David continues to bid for antique jewellery.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59My wife would like me to retire but, as I always say,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02you're never too old to put your hand up at an auction.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08That's it for today.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Join us next time when police
0:28:10 > 0:28:13and the public catch more criminals red-handed.