0:00:01 > 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 > 0:00:10To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14the police and other agencies are using new tactics
0:00:14 > 0:00:18and technology so the bad guys get caught in the act.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20CCTV is gold dust.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23- Great evidence for the police. - Got to have him stopped.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Local councils, shops and businesses are laying some traps of their own.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The eureka moment when you get that evidence.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And the general public, too, can help unsuspecting crooks
0:00:32 > 0:00:33get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35People won't stand by.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37I 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 > 0:00:52Today...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55A terrifying ordeal for a grandmother
0:00:55 > 0:00:58when a robber forces his way into her home.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00I thought I was going to die.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02In your own house at 11 o'clock in the morning.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04But she bravely puts up a fight.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I said, "Get out!"
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Also today, two garden gates.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Over one of them,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15a parcel courier tries out
0:01:15 > 0:01:18her own special form of airmail delivery.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22And over another gate, he's not delivering anything.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26He's a burglar, determined to take whatever he can.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30He tries to karate kick a paving slab in half to throw through
0:01:30 > 0:01:34the window, but then he tries the whole slab.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Eccles in Greater Manchester.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49On her way back from collecting her pension,
0:01:49 > 0:01:5476-year-old Shirley realises she's being followed by this man.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59And just a few minutes later, police receive a terrified 999 call.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The robber runs off.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And it's not the first time he's struck in this neighbourhood.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23A week before, the same man snatched a mobile phone.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25The locals are on the alert for him.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28His picture has been circulated around the area.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29They all look out for each other
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and when something like this happens to one of their own,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34they don't like it.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36But then there's an extraordinary turn of events for one
0:02:36 > 0:02:38of the local bobbies.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42It's a set of circumstances that's probably never going to
0:02:42 > 0:02:43happen again in my career.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45A one in a million chance.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Eccles is famous for its small, round currant cakes.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The people here are proud of their town
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and they're a close-knit community.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Eccles is on the patch of Detective Constable Paul Davies
0:03:07 > 0:03:11and Police Constable Simon Quinn of Greater Manchester Police.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Eccles is an extremely diverse community
0:03:14 > 0:03:17with people from all different walks of life.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18It's certainly a community where
0:03:18 > 0:03:20everyone looks out for each other.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23The residents of Eccles have created a social media site where
0:03:23 > 0:03:26they can share news about life in the town.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30There is a really good community spirit between the residents.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34One of those residents, Eccles born and bred,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38is a 76-year-old woman we'll just call Shirley.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42She's asked us not to give her real name or show her face.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45She's lived here in the same house for over 30 years.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46We was quite happy.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It was the first house we'd ever had.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54And as time went on, of course, the children got married and left.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And it was just me and my husband.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00My husband died and then it was just me.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02I like it, the neighbours are nice.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05If you need a bit of help, they'll help you.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09And there's an example of how the locals help each other
0:04:09 > 0:04:13when two crimes happen there within days of each other.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15The first happens one Monday morning in January.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21A man snatches a mobile phone from a woman in the street.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24It's witnessed by two young women driving past.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28They manage to take a photo of the thief before he runs off.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30The girls contact the police
0:04:30 > 0:04:34and post a picture on the Eccles social media page.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37PC Simon Quinn happens to see it on his day off.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Even though I was off duty, because it had happened on my area,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42I did feel quite responsible.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45The fact that there was somebody running round
0:04:45 > 0:04:47stealing property from people.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Simon takes a good look at the thief's face and clothing.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55I made it a bit of a personal task to just keep an eye out in the area.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59And it's just as well he does, because not long afterwards,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02there's a more serious crime committed,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and this time, Shirley is the victim.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07It's a week later.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11A CCTV camera shows Shirley on her way to the local shops.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Pension day, I was going to the post office.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Further up on the road, the post office manager is sitting outside
0:05:17 > 0:05:21his shop in his car when he notices a man hanging around.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Thinking the man's acting suspiciously,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26he films him on his phone.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27The postmaster, he was parked up
0:05:27 > 0:05:30waiting to go to another shop that he owns.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31There's been the mobile phone theft
0:05:31 > 0:05:34the week before so everyone is on high alert.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37He decides to take a mobile phone video of him loitering about.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40While this is going on, Shirley has arrived at the shop.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I went in the post office, I got my pension.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47When Shirley leaves, she, too, notices the man.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51She thinks he's behaving oddly and feels uneasy about him.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54So I thought, "Well, I'll stay behind him."
0:05:54 > 0:05:55And he disappeared.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57So, I passed the shops, and I thought,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59"Well, I've got this far, I might as well keep going."
0:05:59 > 0:06:03But the man hasn't disappeared, he has just crossed the road.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07This shop camera shows him walking very slowly along the street
0:06:07 > 0:06:09because he's stalking Shirley.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13A few minutes later, she reaches her front door and goes inside.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I took my shoes off, took my coat off and the door went.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20To her horror, when Shirley opens the door, it's that same man.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21He's followed her home.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24So I was closing the door and he was pushing it one way
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and I was pushing it another.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28It's a terrifying moment.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I was just no contest for him.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34The man forces his way in and pushes Shirley against the wall.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38He demands money, but Shirley stand up to him.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40And I said, "Get out!"
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I don't think he was prepared for somebody to say, "Get out."
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Shirley bravely resists and he gives up on getting cash,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50but then, suddenly, he makes a grab for her neck.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I thought I was going to die...
0:06:52 > 0:06:55in my own house at 11 o'clock in the morning.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59The man snatches two gold necklaces Shirley's wearing and then leaves.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05A shop CCTV camera shows him running away back up the street.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08I just had to get him out the house.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Shirley is in a state of shock, but manages to call 999.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29While Shirley is talking on the phone,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32the CCTV shows the robber turns down a side road.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38At the other end of that street, PC Simon Quinn is out on patrol.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42News of Shirley's robbery hasn't come over the radio yet.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45But he's still on the lookout for the thief who stole the phone
0:07:45 > 0:07:47a week earlier.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49And when Simon sees a man running towards him,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52he looks just like the picture of the phone thief.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56I immediately recognised him. His face was the same.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Simon gets out and stops the man.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I asked him if he had any identification.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03He handed me a passport.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07The man is 26-year-old Aleksandras Bogdanovic.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Because I was happy it was the same male, I subsequently arrested him.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15That's for the theft of the phone, but then, over the radio,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Simon hears reports of Shirley's robbery just around the corner.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Could it be the same man?
0:08:21 > 0:08:25As we got further information, it became more and more plausible
0:08:25 > 0:08:29that the male who I had arrested was the male responsible.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It's an extraordinary turn of events.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34A man being arrested for one crime
0:08:34 > 0:08:37while he's making his getaway from another.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41DC Paul Davies hears about it when he's on his way to the scene.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Quinn shouts up on the radio that this lad has literally
0:08:43 > 0:08:45ran into his arms.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Unreal.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Talk about right place at the right time.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51They've got their prime suspect.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56But he's adamant it's a case of mistaken identity.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Meanwhile, Paul and a forensics team have been to Shirley's house.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Having seen the shock in the lady's face,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I was determined more than ever to get him.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Shirley is shaken after the robbery.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10I was frightened.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13At night, going to bed, it really is frightening.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Watching back the CCTV, Paul is shocked
0:09:16 > 0:09:19by the robber's callous planning.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22He's targeted her from the minute he's seen on that junction.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Almost like an animal waiting to prey.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27He pulls together the evidence.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29The clothes the robber was wearing
0:09:29 > 0:09:33when he was arrested match the clothes of the man in the CCTV,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36though his face is not clearly visible.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40But the postmaster's mobile phone footage does reveal
0:09:40 > 0:09:41the robber's face.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43It's Bogdanovic.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45It is great, it showed his face.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47That's how key this footage is.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49When I'm interviewing, I can say, "That's you."
0:09:49 > 0:09:53And when the forensic team find a footprint in Shirley's garden,
0:09:53 > 0:09:54it matches his trainers.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58But despite the evidence against him,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01he still continues to protest his innocence.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Throughout this, he pleaded not guilty.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06He took it all the way to trial.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09But finally, in court, when he takes the stand...
0:10:09 > 0:10:13He changed his mind after the trial had started and pleaded guilty.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I don't think the judge took kindly to that.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24For robbery and theft, Bogdanovic is given 7.5 years in prison.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Thanks to the police working together with the people of Eccles.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Without their help, we wouldn't have got him.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36The postmaster and the girls who had the presence of mind to take
0:10:36 > 0:10:37a photograph of him,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41because that set off the chain of events that led us to him.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43I was quite happy on getting him
0:10:43 > 0:10:47off the streets and that's something I'm actually quite proud of.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51To show their support, Shirley received messages,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54flowers and gifts from local people.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57The neighbours were lovely. They was. Honest to God.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00These girls at the shop here, they sent me this box
0:11:00 > 0:11:04with perfume things in, like bath things.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05It was just nice of people.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Delivery companies often ask you where
0:11:12 > 0:11:15they can leave your parcel if you're not in.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Well, let's hope you don't get this particular courier.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Her idea of a special delivery is rather far from first class.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Expecting a parcel, the house owner has said
0:11:31 > 0:11:34if he's out it can be left by the shed.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37But this courier doesn't even try the gate.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Instead, she just lobs it over.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Fortunately, it's not fine china.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Even so, the customer's not happy to find his new shoes
0:11:48 > 0:11:52lying in the drive and posts this video online.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55It gets viewed thousands of times.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Keen to stamp out this sort of thing, the company
0:11:57 > 0:12:02apologises to the customer and has sent a refund for the shoes.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03As for this careless courier,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07she might be in danger of getting the boot.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Coming up...
0:12:11 > 0:12:14A burglar thinks stealing from a farm will be easy,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17but farmers are used to dealing with rogue animals.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Back to the old rugby days, I rugby-tackled him onto the floor.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23One mucky, muddy scuffle later
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and this rogue's rounded up and put in a pen.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Most CCTV cameras are in plain sight.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36But even so, some criminals are so intent on their crime,
0:12:36 > 0:12:41they fail to realise their every move is being recorded.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Stourbridge in the West Midlands.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51It's early afternoon.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54A man is apparently delivering circulars,
0:12:54 > 0:12:55but he's not.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58He's a burglar, and what happens next is shocking.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02He vaults the gate and breaks in.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05You wouldn't believe that somebody could ransack
0:13:05 > 0:13:06your house in 12 minutes.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10All my underwear and everything thrown out the drawers onto
0:13:10 > 0:13:13the floor. It's just horrendous.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But her son posts footage from his cameras on the internet.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20And within one week, it had got over 10,000 views,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23and I thought, "Somebody has got to know who he is."
0:13:29 > 0:13:31One, two...
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Stourbridge near Dudley in the West Midlands is home to Anne,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38her son Jay, and dog Poppy.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Stourbridge is a lovely area.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43It's really nice. Lived here all my life.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46They've lived in this particular house for a few years.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Anne goes out to work, but Jay runs his business from home.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Something of a tech expert, he fixes laptops for a living.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I do computer repairs.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Basically, I've been doing it for the last couple of years.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01I used to run pubs but there's no money in pubs these days,
0:14:01 > 0:14:07so I had to go to something else which I knew how to do. It works OK.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Not long ago, Jay helped his neighbours put up a CCTV system.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16Just recently, there has been a lot of break-ins on the area.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Jay's so impressed with the CCTV cameras
0:14:18 > 0:14:22he's put in for the neighbours, he decides to get some, too.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Mum thought it was a waste of time and money, basically.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27But I've seen the quality of it
0:14:27 > 0:14:30and I thought, "I'm going to get myself a system."
0:14:30 > 0:14:32And the cameras provide vital evidence
0:14:32 > 0:14:34when one day, the house does get raided.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38It's early on a Wednesday afternoon.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Anne and Jay have gone with their dog Poppy over to the grandparents'.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43We left my nan and grandads'.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46On the way back, Mum was running late for work,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49so she dropped me off at the top of the road
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and then, so I walked down the road.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Jay's been out for a couple of hours.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Since then, the bins have been emptied.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59I was getting next door's wheelie bin in and I've looked at my gate.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01I could see at ajar a little bit and I was like,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03"I haven't left my gate open."
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Pushed the gate and I've seen the back door glass smashed.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I was like, "No way."
0:15:08 > 0:15:09Shocking.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Jay rushes in.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13He has no idea if there's an intruder still inside.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15It was a bit of a nervous thing, really.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18But I am quite a big lad, so I think he would have
0:15:18 > 0:15:21come off a little bit worse than myself, personally,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24but it's not nice knowing someone's been in your house.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27But the burglar's disappeared.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Jay calls the police, then his mum.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31He says, "Mum, we've been broke into."
0:15:31 > 0:15:33I went, "You're joking."
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Like, you know, you do.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38And, "No, we've been broke."
0:15:38 > 0:15:43So I drove home. I don't know how I drove home because I was like...
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And as I come into the house, glass everywhere
0:15:46 > 0:15:49and then looking round the house, you could see my bedroom,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51all my drawers had been opened.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53All my underwear and everything,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57thrown out the drawers onto the floor. It's just horrendous.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Jay goes straight to check his CCTV footage.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Basically, see this chap walking down the road and you can see
0:16:06 > 0:16:09my bin's out so he knew nobody was in because you'd get your bin in.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Basically, he cuts across there with a piece of paper in his hand,
0:16:13 > 0:16:14like a flyer.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17The man knocks on the door and rings the bell.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Once he's sure no-one's home, he goes to the side gate.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Then he takes the jump over the gate. It's a six-foot gate.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Jumps straight over.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27Boom.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29The back door's locked
0:16:29 > 0:16:32so the man looks around for something to smash the window.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36First, he picks up a small garden trowel and tries that.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39He even picks up the recycling bag to shield
0:16:39 > 0:16:41the glass from cutting himself.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43But the trowel doesn't work.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46He decides to use a paving slab, instead.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49From then on, things go more quickly.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Then he tries to do his Jackie Chan impression by trying to break
0:16:52 > 0:16:54the slab in half.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55That's not having it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57And then whack, whack, whack.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Three smashes, he's in.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01You wouldn't believe that somebody could ransack
0:17:01 > 0:17:04your house in 12 minutes.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06It's just a horrible feeling.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The burglar leaves just a few minutes before Jay returns.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13When we calmed down and noticed things had gone,
0:17:13 > 0:17:18it was my laptop, my iPad, which my mum and dad had brought me.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20And my watch was stolen.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22It got no value to it, but it was
0:17:22 > 0:17:28bought for me by my late husband, so, that can never be replaced.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33The thief has also snatched Jay's laptop, some phones,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35cash and some of his customers' equipment, too.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39He stole two laptops that I was repairing.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42There was stuff on there that you think is going to be safe
0:17:42 > 0:17:46which you've lost it for life now if it's not backed-up anywhere.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51To make thing worse, Anne and Jay aren't insured against theft.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56You just think it's another payment so you let it go.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58"It'll never happen to me."
0:17:58 > 0:18:00The police arrive, but they find few clues.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Jay decides to start a campaign himself to try to discover
0:18:05 > 0:18:08the burglar's identity.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11He alerts pawnbrokers in the area to keep watch for the man.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13He then posts the footage on the internet.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16I thought, "Somebody's got to know who he is."
0:18:16 > 0:18:19And, basically, I thought I'd make him that famous,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21it'd be hard for him to sell the stuff
0:18:21 > 0:18:23and he wouldn't even want to go out the house.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26And within one week, it'd got over 10,000 views.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Various names are suggested.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31But then the police receive an anonymous phone call with
0:18:31 > 0:18:33crucial information.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36They got told who it was, they could ID him down to a T.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38So then they later arrest him.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41He said it wasn't him, to start with.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46They show him the CCTV footage and he went, "Can't lie no more.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48"It was me. Hands up."
0:18:48 > 0:18:52I really was glad when they said that they'd arrested him.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It was like, "Yes!" Definitely.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02In court, the burglar is sentenced to four years in prison.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Fortunately, Anne's tablet is recovered,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10although their other valuables are still missing.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Jay has now splashed out on a house alarm and even more cameras.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20If it wasn't for the cameras, he would have been walking free,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22doing other people's houses.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24The chap doesn't think about who he's actually hurting.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Could have been an elderly person, yeah.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30So it's a good thing that he's banged up now.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33And Anne's now a camera convert.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37When he first brought the CCTV, I thought, "What a waste of money."
0:19:37 > 0:19:40But, oh, my God, it does help.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42It was the best thing he's ever brought.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47As we've seen,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50some burglars will go to great lengths to break into a house.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53But most thieves are opportunistic.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56There are some simple things we can do to help keep our homes secure.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58You need to look at your own home
0:19:58 > 0:19:59through the eyes of the thief,
0:19:59 > 0:20:00or the burglar.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02So, look at it and think,
0:20:02 > 0:20:03well, if I had a gravel drive,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05would the burglar actually want
0:20:05 > 0:20:06people to hear them coming up the path?
0:20:06 > 0:20:08There are certain things that
0:20:08 > 0:20:09you can do relatively cheaply,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11that means the lights will come on,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13they'll stay on,
0:20:13 > 0:20:14it looks like your house is occupied.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15As well as lights that
0:20:15 > 0:20:17you can get on a timer switch,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19you can also get something that's
0:20:19 > 0:20:20a fake TV light and it offers
0:20:20 > 0:20:25a flickering light so the person outside thinks that your TV's on
0:20:25 > 0:20:26and someone's home.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29A burglar will look for any opportunity to pick up items
0:20:29 > 0:20:33in your garden that'll help them to force entry to your property.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36The last thing they want is to be stopped en route to your home
0:20:36 > 0:20:39with the tools to do the job before the crime's been committed.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41They will be arrested for going equipped.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45What they'll do, is they'll often break into your workshop
0:20:45 > 0:20:47or your shed, use the tools from that,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50or anything you leave in the garden to break into your property.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52So don't give them that opportunity.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Thieves don't just target towns and cities,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01they can strike in the countryside, too.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Which is why police and farmers are getting together to use
0:21:04 > 0:21:07technology to crack down on rural crime.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Gwent, South Wales.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19This man on a push bike is a burglar.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23He's riding round the countryside stealing from farms.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Maybe he thinks a remote rural area like this means easy pickings.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31But he's about to find out how local farmers
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and the police have joined forces to fight crime.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36The intelligence coming from farmers,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39it's like having 1,000 extra pair of eyes out there.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44Andrew has had a tip-off that his farm is the burglar's next target.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Obviously, he has come in with the intent of causing some trouble.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I'm always nervous about my own safety when you come face-to-face
0:21:50 > 0:21:51with someone you don't know.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53But Andrew has Benson as backup.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56And together, they are going to try to stop the intruder
0:21:56 > 0:21:58before he strikes again.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08The peaceful countryside of Gwent is where local farmer Andrew
0:22:08 > 0:22:12grew up, and he has worked on this land most of his life.
0:22:12 > 0:22:13Love being outdoors.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16The opportunity of a job in the countryside came locally
0:22:16 > 0:22:17and I jumped at it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Eventually bought the grounds about six years ago
0:22:21 > 0:22:23and just never looked back.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Absolutely love it here.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Andrew's love of the Welsh countryside isn't the only
0:22:28 > 0:22:30thing that runs in his blood.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33His family also has a history of law enforcement.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36His father was once part of the security team that protected
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Prince Charles.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41My father was a policeman and my grandfather was
0:22:41 > 0:22:44one of the bosses in the Flying Squad in London.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48So, we don't like our robbers in our family.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Crime can be a problem in rural areas, not just big cities.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57So, some farmers have invested in CCTV and other security systems.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Andrew has trained his dog, Benson, as extra protection.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Benson is a lovable character, but walking around on your own,
0:23:04 > 0:23:05you're quite vulnerable.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08So if I'm threatened or anything, Benson is there.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10He's going to look after me.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13And extra help with security is at hand from local
0:23:13 > 0:23:15community support officer Allan Mills.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18He has a special understanding of rural crime
0:23:18 > 0:23:20because he lives on a farm himself.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25Living in that background, I can see what's happening on farms.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Now, I can get anything from trout being stolen overnight,
0:23:28 > 0:23:33being poached, to a JCB worth £100,000 being stolen.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35It could be anything.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37It's difficult to police such vast areas,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41so the Gwent force has brought in a system called Farm Watch
0:23:41 > 0:23:45where police and farmers connect via e-mail and text,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48sharing information about local crime and criminals.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Allan is its coordinator.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53I think I've got nearly 1,000 farms on Farm Watch.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56It's like having 1,000 extra pairs of eyes out there.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Like having an extra 1,000 officers out there on the beat.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04And recently, Andrew, Benson and Allan found out
0:24:04 > 0:24:06how useful Farm Watch can be.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Early one January morning,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15a stranger arrives at a farm near Andrew's.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19He rides in on what turns out to be a stolen bike.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22He's unaware the farm has CCTV.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25And believing there's no-one around, he takes his time,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29spending several minutes looking for valuables in these cars.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Finding nothing, he heads towards a stable block,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38but that's a mistake because it means he gets noticed.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42These cameras, they actually go through to the farmer's phone,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45as well, so he can look at this actually live on his phone.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48On the other side of the field, the farmer checks his phone
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and sees he has an intruder.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55He calls 999 and then he sees the man walk out of the stables
0:24:55 > 0:24:59wearing his wife's expensive fluorescent riding coat.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02This is the part that infuriated the farmer more than anything else,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04because he's now got personal.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07He's now taken something from his wife.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08The burglar leaves,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11but a few minutes later, the farmer confronts him off-camera.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13The farmer grabs hold of the jacket,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15the farmer's got the jacket, then.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17The offender makes off.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20But the farmer's noticed the thief is heading towards the land
0:25:20 > 0:25:22belonging to his neighbour, Andrew.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25And Farm Watch goes into action.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Obviously, he'd phoned 999 already.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29I need to get in touch with my colleagues.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I need to coordinate them to go to the correct area
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and I know he's got to go past Andrew's land.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Allan warns Andrew there's a burglar on the way over.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Obviously, he's not coming to wish you well.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44He's coming with the intent of causing some trouble and damage.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Andrew takes Benson with him and goes to investigate.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51And his suspicions are confirmed.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53He catches the thief in the act of stealing
0:25:53 > 0:25:55from one of his outbuildings.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56So, at that point I'm thinking,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59"Right, how am I going to approach this? What's going to happen here?"
0:25:59 > 0:26:01The guy's made an advance towards me,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Benson's pulled out of my hands.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06He doesn't want to bite the guy, he wants to make his feelings known.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08He can bark, he's got a loud voice.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Confronted by Benson, the burglar spins round
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and heads towards Andrew.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I'm a big lad, I used to play rugby at Pill Harriers
0:26:16 > 0:26:20which is a real good old club.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21Some interesting characters.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23So, I've been trained well
0:26:23 > 0:26:25and I knew I could get this guy on the floor.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29He takes the intruder down, but the thief's not giving up easily.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33He's well-built and he's already escaped the clutches of one farmer.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37He's got up again and he's run over into this area here.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Back to the old rugby days, I rugby-tackled him onto the floor
0:26:40 > 0:26:43and we both ended up in this spot here.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44He's kicked off again
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and we've both gone over this drop here, 20 foot down.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49He's ended up at the bottom with me on top.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Andrew has the man pinned down.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53When a colleague arrives on the scene,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Andrew tells his friend to ring Allan and describe exactly where they are.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00As minutes go by, Andrew desperately tries to keep hold of the man.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03This guy had ten years on me and I was feeling the pace a little bit.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I was trying to puff and blow, but, obviously, I'm a physical
0:27:06 > 0:27:10outdoor worker, so I just used my strength just to hold the guy down.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Thankfully, help soon arrives.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The police came, handcuffed the guy.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18I've been able to relax and catch my breath back a bit
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and I feel everything's in control, then.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Andrew and the burglar are bleeding
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and muddy after fighting on the rough ground.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Andrew took a risk, but, thankfully, neither of them
0:27:30 > 0:27:31has ended up badly hurt.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34What Andy done, although it's highly commendable,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I don't condone it, but he's a physical man with
0:27:36 > 0:27:39the benefit of having a guard dog on site.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42I know 99.9% of the farmers would do the same thing.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50In court, 39-year-old Carl Letman is found guilty of burglary
0:27:50 > 0:27:54and theft is and is sentenced to two years, eight months in prison.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00The rural crime figures in Gwent have improved after two years
0:28:00 > 0:28:02of the Farm Watch scheme.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03It's an excellent result
0:28:03 > 0:28:06because what it does is shows everybody working together.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10We reduced crime now by 27% on rural areas
0:28:10 > 0:28:14and this was the main aim, and it just shows what can be achieved.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Andrew's awarded a commendation for his action.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20Something his father,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23the police protection officer would be proud of.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27He'd have thought, "Good, good. Good job done."
0:28:30 > 0:28:32That's it for today.
0:28:32 > 0:28:33Join us next time when police
0:28:33 > 0:28:37and the public catch more criminals red-handed.