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 > 0:00:20The CCTV is gold dust.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23- Great evidence for the police. - Got to have him stopped.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Local councils, shops and businesses are laying some traps of their own.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29The eureka moment when you get that evidence.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30And the general public, too,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33can help unsuspecting crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35People 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's 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 > 0:00:53A gang of burglars raid over
0:00:53 > 0:00:5650 businesses and brazenly taunt
0:00:56 > 0:00:58their victims with a comic dance.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01To me, that's just an absolute insult.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03"Look - here we are, catch me if you can."
0:01:03 > 0:01:07But the police discover where the raiders have stashed a stolen safe
0:01:07 > 0:01:09and set a trap.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11We took the opportunity to remove the safe from the woods and
0:01:11 > 0:01:13replace it with a camera.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16They are dying to find out what is inside that safe.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Also today, when a thief steals from a launderette...
0:01:21 > 0:01:25It's... The split second, his face was embedded in my mind.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28The owner is determined to take him to the cleaners.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31My first instinct was, "Run, go get this guy."
0:01:33 > 0:01:37And the man in this tipper truck was paid to get rid of an entire tree
0:01:37 > 0:01:40properly, but he's decided to replant it,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43illegally, in the middle of the city.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Rural Devon, and small businesses are under attack.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58An organised criminal gang are breaking in and breaking up their
0:01:58 > 0:02:03victims' premises, stealing stock, money and valuables.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05They were committing offences all over the county,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08causing devastating impact on the owners of businesses.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10My whole world was just turned upside down.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12It was just heartbreaking.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15The burglars leave little evidence behind.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17They think they're untouchable.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19So we're even more determined to touch them,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21but it was a game of cat and mouse, really.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Four police investigators team up to set a trap.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Enough was enough. We needed to bring these offenders to justice.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Devon is a county with a high proportion
0:02:40 > 0:02:42of small towns and villages.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46And alongside its major industries of agriculture and tourism,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49the county has a thriving set of small industries
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and a network of small local traders.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Tony started up his own car repair workshop after his fascination with
0:02:58 > 0:02:59mechanics started as a child.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05I remember my mother took me down to a shop and I bought my first ever
0:03:05 > 0:03:09socket set and it cost £20, I think.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13And I spent a lot of time doing the hoovering and the dishes to save up
0:03:13 > 0:03:16all my money to do it. I just love taking things apart
0:03:16 > 0:03:19and seeing how it works and being able to fix things.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23At the age of 19, he took the plunge and opened up his own business.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26It was very hard at first.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Lots of late nights and...
0:03:28 > 0:03:30no money.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32I just had a tool box,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35a pair of axle stands and a trolley jack,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and then obviously every time you earn money from a job you put it
0:03:38 > 0:03:41back into the business. And that's how I just grew and grew and grew.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Ten years on and Tony's expanded the business.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46He runs it from a small industrial estate
0:03:46 > 0:03:48on the outskirts of South Molton.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50I've employed several people now.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Obviously, as we grow, I hope to employ more people.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Tony is proud of what he's achieved.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58It's what I've made it, even down to the paint on the floor.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03It means the world to me, really, my business.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05But then, one Monday night in August,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Tony becomes the victim of crime.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14A gang of burglars spent hours raiding four separate businesses
0:04:14 > 0:04:16on the industrial estate.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19They force open a fire door at Tony's workshop
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and steal his safes and other valuables.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Tony arrives in the morning to a scene of devastation.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30All the computers and all the laptops,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33all the equipment was all smashed over the floor.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I went upstairs and they'd gone through my personal belongings.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39A lot of it, it means a lot to me.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41The first ever MOT which I done,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I'd kept that. And I don't know where that is now.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47It was just heartbreaking.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Tony has CCTV and watches back the recording.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54On top of the theft and the damage that they caused,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57one of the burglars shows contempt for his victims.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01This guy here does a robot dance in front of the camera.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Now, to me, that's just an absolute insult.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07"Look - here we are, catch me if you can."
0:05:07 > 0:05:09The cost of the damage done
0:05:09 > 0:05:12is even more than the value of the stolen goods.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17The value lost to the business was into the tens of thousands.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19I don't think that they realise
0:05:19 > 0:05:23the impact it has on someone's livelihood
0:05:23 > 0:05:24and future.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28The raid on Tony's car workshop
0:05:28 > 0:05:30is just one of a large number of similar burglaries
0:05:30 > 0:05:32being reported to the police.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37Detective Inspector James Tarr at Honiton police station investigates.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40There was a massive spike in burglaries at commercial premises.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43So I remember thinking, "Goodness, we have a real spree here,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46"a real problem." We weren't sure who was doing it.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Often, individual officers would be investigating
0:05:49 > 0:05:52on their own in isolation. So it was my responsibility really
0:05:52 > 0:05:53to kind of identify that problem
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and pull together a team to gather
0:05:55 > 0:05:58the evidence to try and catch the person who was doing it.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01James puts a team of four officers together.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03They scrutinise every piece of evidence
0:06:03 > 0:06:07and realise they're dealing with an organised gang that targets
0:06:07 > 0:06:09out-of-town businesses.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11They leave behind few clues,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15and they're not worried about being caught on CCTV cameras.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18PC Simon Aldred examines the footage.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21They are very forensically aware.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22So...
0:06:22 > 0:06:24they will use balaclavas
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and brand-new items of clothing
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and almost always wear gloves.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32The gang also avoids setting off alarms
0:06:32 > 0:06:35by breaking down doors that don't have sensors,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38or even breaking through walls.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41The gang are increasingly confident.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Due to the rural location of the premises,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45they had all night to commit the offence,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47so they were taking a sledgehammer
0:06:47 > 0:06:48to breeze blocks and it caused an
0:06:48 > 0:06:51immense amount of damage to get that safe out of that building,
0:06:51 > 0:06:56to empty it in the rural location to try and find what was in that safe.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Then James's team get a breakthrough.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03The burglars used Tony's own tools to smash up his equipment
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and one of them has left a clue behind.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08When they sledgehammered the safe out of the ground,
0:07:08 > 0:07:13they left some DNA on the handle of the hammer.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Skin cells found on the hammer
0:07:15 > 0:07:18are checked against the police DNA database. There's a match.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22They belong to 22-year-old Nicky Christian.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Police intelligence shows he associates with two brothers
0:07:24 > 0:07:27a couple of decades older -
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Reginald and Percy Soper.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31In the area where we work in rural East Devon,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34those names have been talked about for quite some time,
0:07:34 > 0:07:35and we were determined to try
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and make sure that if they were responsible,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39that we convicted them once and for all
0:07:39 > 0:07:41for the crimes that they've committed.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43James suspects the three men are behind
0:07:43 > 0:07:47a spate of business burglaries. But that's not all.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51The team widen their investigation to include five earlier jewellery
0:07:51 > 0:07:54shop raids. This CCTV footage
0:07:54 > 0:07:57was handed to the police by a shop owner who
0:07:57 > 0:07:59spotted two men behaving suspiciously.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02They are Nicky Christian and Reginald Soper.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07This shows two members of the gang recceing this shop.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09And you see the suspect here
0:08:09 > 0:08:12is standing right next to the alarm panel and you see
0:08:12 > 0:08:15he leans forward there and I think what has actually happened is
0:08:15 > 0:08:18that they have decided that the security in this shop
0:08:18 > 0:08:23is pretty good, so they didn't actually break into it.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26But two days later, a nearby jeweller's WAS burgled.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29After that, the jewellery shop raids end,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31but the business attacks pick up.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34They were very savvy, they knew what to do, how to get away with it.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37They absolutely thought they were untouchable.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Later... The team of investigators
0:08:40 > 0:08:44start to build a case against the gang of burglars.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47We needed to paint a watertight enough picture so they
0:08:47 > 0:08:50wouldn't be able to wriggle out of it.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54And the police launch a special operation to trick the crooks.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Footage showed another member of the gang trying to recover what he
0:08:57 > 0:09:00thought was a safe, but was actually a dummy safe with a camera.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Salford council knew they had a problem with people dumping waste
0:09:09 > 0:09:12illegally, but they weren't expecting this guy,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15who takes landscape gardening to the extreme.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22A secret camera records this driver
0:09:22 > 0:09:27adding to Salford's rubbish-tipping problem by the truckload.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30After dumping what pretty much looks like an entire tree...
0:09:31 > 0:09:35..the driver gets out to inspect his handiwork.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Yep. You wouldn't want to leave any in the van, would you?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40He then drives off.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44But a nice clear shot of his tipper truck's numberplate tips off the
0:09:44 > 0:09:47council, and they are able to root him out.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52Apparently, he's been paid £20 to clear somebody's garden and has for
0:09:52 > 0:09:56some reason driven 30 miles to dump it here, illegally.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Taken to court, he's ordered to stump up nearly £600
0:10:00 > 0:10:02in fines and costs.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06So all in all, that's a pretty rubbish result for him.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Hopefully, he has twigged not to do this sort of thing again.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15Coming up...
0:10:15 > 0:10:16A slippery customer in a pub
0:10:16 > 0:10:19does something most of us would find unthinkable.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24So the regulars brew up a campaign to call time on this crook.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Now, you could call him a money-launderer -
0:10:32 > 0:10:35a thief who steals cash from a launderette,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37but then finds himself in hot water.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Enniskillen in Northern Ireland,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and it's such a busy day at Veronica's launderette
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and dry cleaner's, the shop's till is left unattended for a moment,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and outside, a thief has noticed.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56He just decided to come in and chance his arm.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58He found out he was dealing with the wrong person.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Veronica gives chase.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02She definitely wanted to get justice.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Panicked, the thief takes off into the town.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Veronica's outrun, but not outsmarted.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15She's going to make sure that this thief gets his comeuppance.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Surrounded by water, Enniskillen is known as "the island town".
0:11:25 > 0:11:29It's grown to be the largest town in County Fermanagh
0:11:29 > 0:11:31and is a popular tourist spot.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Veronica came here for a holiday and ended up staying.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Enniskillen is lovely. I initially came for two weeks.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41And that was 23 years ago.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45And I've ended up staying and making Enniskillen my home.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47For the past 3½ years,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Veronica has been running her own dry-cleaning business.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I've built it up day by day.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56A job I thoroughly enjoy. Fantastic staff who work alongside me.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58And it's more of a team effort than anything else.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01The clock just flies in here every day.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02It's a friendly place to work.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06We endeavour to know the customers' names.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08And every customer has a story to tell.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09We've heard them all.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12But one Thursday in August,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Veronica ends up with her own tale for the customers.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20It's just gone noon on a hot summer's day.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22The shop door is open to let in some air.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Veronica and her staff are in the back room.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29For a few moments, there's no-one at the counter.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32And I heard the till opening.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And I knew all my staff was in the back, so I thought that was strange.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39So I just pushed the door open and noticed this guy standing there.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41And I thought, "You shouldn't be there."
0:12:41 > 0:12:44And then there was just this hand that was in the till.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49The man grabs a handful of £20 notes, then he makes a run for it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52My first instinct was, "Run, go get this guy."
0:12:52 > 0:12:55He turned left, so I followed him.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Back then, I was a little bit heavier than I currently am.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00He was fitter. But I was pounding,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04and I was just going for it with my eyes focused solely on him.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07It seems the thief meets up with another man,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09and the two of them race off,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12passing the forecourt camera of a neighbouring hotel...
0:13:12 > 0:13:14closely followed by Veronica.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18In my head, I knew they would be caught on CCTV with the hotel.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22The two men run across the hotel car park and disappear.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Veronica dashes into the hotel reception
0:13:24 > 0:13:28to tell staff what's happened and asks them to call 999.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30They were startled because, of course,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33they weren't used to any of this happening either.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Veronica heads back to the staff at her launderette who have been left
0:13:36 > 0:13:38wondering why she suddenly ran out.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41I told the girls exactly what had happened and there was a few tears
0:13:41 > 0:13:45amongst them as well. Then, as they say, the show must go on.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47We had customers coming in.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50They discover the man has stolen around £100.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53The police combed the area, searching for the thief.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Detective Constable Tara Malone investigates the case.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59The offender is still out there.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01He still has the stolen property on him.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04He's more than likely still wearing the clothes that he was seen in at
0:14:04 > 0:14:07the time, so it's important police catch these people quickly.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12Veronica's able to give the police a detailed description of the thief.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14When something like this happens to you,
0:14:14 > 0:14:16and you've seen their face and you've seen those eyes,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18you'll still remember the face.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Hoping to recognise the man quickly,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23officers immediately check the hotel CCTV.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Because the police officers are local, they were able
0:14:25 > 0:14:29to identify more or less straight away who the offender was.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32He's a local 21-year-old who's been in trouble before.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Officers scour the street, hunting for the man in the blue shirt.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41And they decided to search the town, and as they were driving down,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43they saw a known associate of this offender
0:14:43 > 0:14:44go into the Social Security offices.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48The police go inside the building and are surprised to see
0:14:48 > 0:14:51the suspect himself coming out of the gents' toilet,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53though he's wearing different clothes.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55On CCTV, when the police viewed it,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59you can see he is wearing a blue top and he's also carrying what looks
0:14:59 > 0:15:02like a jacket. When police apprehended the suspect,
0:15:02 > 0:15:03he was wearing a jacket.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Police went into the toilets and found a blue top in the bin.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11The thief's attempt to hide his distinctive clothing has failed.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13But there's no sign of the cash he's stolen,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and back at the station, he denies everything.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Tara knows Veronica's a good eyewitness,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22so she decides to set up an identification parade.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25And I was able to identify him straightaway,
0:15:25 > 0:15:26without a shadow of a doubt.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31It's... The split second, his face was embedded in my mind.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35But the man continues to claim he's innocent, so the case goes to court.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37It's Veronica's word against his.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40But they also have the key evidence of the CCTV.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Veronica, ultimately, she gave evidence in open court, which is...
0:15:43 > 0:15:45It can be very distressing.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47But she was a very robust and
0:15:47 > 0:15:50she definitely wanted to get justice.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53At the end of the day, nobody has the right to come in,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55to take my money
0:15:55 > 0:15:58that I've worked hard to earn.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02The man is found guilty.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06He is sentenced to four months in prison for the theft.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Tara is pleased by the outcome.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11It's a good result for the police,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14but it was more for the satisfaction of Veronica,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18particularly after how she'd conducted herself through the whole investigation.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Veronica's customers are impressed by her fight against crime.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24The customers have been coming in to congratulate me and telling me,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27you know, what a great job I did.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29And the support has been fantastic.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32My business is still growing from day to day in here.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34If somebody else wants to come through the doors
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and do the same thing to me, I'll be waiting for them.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It's rarely a good idea to chase a thief.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48But Veronica was also able to be a very helpful witness.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53What should WE do if we ever witness a crime in progress?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The police service can't survive without the support of the public,
0:16:56 > 0:16:57so if you witness something, please ring us.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01We just need people to tell us what they've seen and we'll do the rest.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03But we really do need your help.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06People think that clothing isn't important when offering
0:17:06 > 0:17:08a description of an offender. But it's essential.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09The reason for that is,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12even though they might have changed their clothing by the time we arrest
0:17:12 > 0:17:14them, we will conduct house searches.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16And we will find that.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18And forensically, we can link them back to the crime.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Even something that appears to be insignificant at the time
0:17:22 > 0:17:25can in fact be vital later on in the investigation.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I've recently had a case where a man's bald patch
0:17:28 > 0:17:32proved to be the key feature in identifying him as the offender.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35There's no detail too small for the police in conducting
0:17:35 > 0:17:37a crime investigation.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39If you see something, say something.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43You could provide us with that one piece of information that could help
0:17:43 > 0:17:45solve the entire crime.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Just how low could a thief go?
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Well, stealing money that's being saved for disabled children
0:17:56 > 0:17:59is about as low as it gets.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Norwich.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07This children's charity relies on donations from the public.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Any money that people donate via a charity box is essential.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15But this thief doesn't care about that
0:18:15 > 0:18:18when he callously takes one of the charity tins from a local pub.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24But the pub's angry regulars take a very uncharitable view of what he's
0:18:24 > 0:18:29done. Pub power mobilises an army of helpers in a campaign to catch him.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32It was upwards of 20, maybe 30,000 people
0:18:32 > 0:18:34had been reached by the video.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36The hunt is on to name and shame the man
0:18:36 > 0:18:38who'd stoop to steal from charity.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49The Hamlet Centre in Norwich helps children and young adults
0:18:49 > 0:18:50with disabilities.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56The charity was set up in 1972 by an inspirational disabled couple,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Jack and Margaret Wymer,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02who believed by improving support offered to people with disabilities,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04they could become more independent
0:19:04 > 0:19:06and have a better quality of life.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I think it's a massive support to the families who use us.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14The feedback we get from families is wonderful.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17It makes such a positive difference to their lives.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Rachel is a fundraiser,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23and is keenly aware the charity relies on the kindness of strangers.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25We have some brilliant supporters
0:19:25 > 0:19:27who go above and beyond and do lots of
0:19:27 > 0:19:29amazing things for the charity,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32like jumping out of planes or holding tea parties.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36The charity also has collection tins throughout the area.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38And one of their tins sits proudly on the bar of a pub
0:19:38 > 0:19:40called the Lollard's Pit.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43And the cheerful atmosphere in the pub
0:19:43 > 0:19:46means the charity box is regularly filled.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Liam is assistant manager.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50All the charities that the pub has chosen to support
0:19:50 > 0:19:53are all local charities. The Hamlet Trust helps children,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55so any little bit of change
0:19:55 > 0:19:57the customers give towards the charity box.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02But one evening, Liam finds out not everybody is so kind-hearted.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06It's late on at the end of a busy Saturday night.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Captured on the pub's CCTV system,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12some of the last customers are drinking up.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13We were all cleaning up,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15getting ready to go and these two men had been
0:20:15 > 0:20:17in the pub for a good few hours.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20The charity collection tin for The Hamlet Centre
0:20:20 > 0:20:22is sitting near them on the bar.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Minutes later, the man in the grey top sidles closer to it.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30He starts untying the security string
0:20:30 > 0:20:32that fixes the tin to the counter.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Then he pushes it over to the other man and walks away.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41The man in the pink shirt doesn't seem to want to look at the tin.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43But over at the doorway,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46the man in the grey shirt can't keep his eyes off it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51A couple of minutes later, he sneaks back and takes the tin.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54Liam's shocked when he finds out.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56I was quite disgusted, really,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59that someone would think to steal a charity box,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01especially from a children-based charity.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Everybody involved with the charity
0:21:03 > 0:21:05was really sad to hear about the theft.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09On average, a full collection box might get us about £50.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12The pub reports the crime to the police.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16They also show their regulars the CCTV footage of the theft.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Nobody knew who they were, of the customers.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20And they were quite shocked, really,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23that they'd come into their pub and stolen a charity box.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26It's almost like stealing from the customers as well as the charity.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29The pub decides to launch a campaign
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and posts the video of the crime
0:21:31 > 0:21:34on social media to try to identify the man.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37They're surprised at the size of the response.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Lots of people trying to help out,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42also sharing the post to make sure as many people could see it as possible.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Word quickly spreads across Norwich.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49It was 20, maybe 30,000 people had been reached by the video.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52The response from the public was great.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55It featured in the local paper, it was on the front page,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57which was unbelievable.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00They begin to get suggestions as to the identity of the thief.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03One name kept coming up, which we forwarded to the police.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07And in less than two weeks, the thief is tracked down.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12A 28-year-old man's convicted for the theft.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16He's sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for a year,
0:22:16 > 0:22:17and has to pay costs.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26The size of the public response to the crime gives the pub an idea.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28We thought with that much attention,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31we would be able to do something good for the charity,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33so we set up an online giving page.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37And as a result, donations have flooded in for The Hamlet Centre.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And the nice comments that the charity received
0:22:40 > 0:22:41as a result was fantastic.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43So we were really, really delighted
0:22:43 > 0:22:47with the way that the Lollard's Pit turned a negative into a positive.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Back to rural Devon,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01where an organised gang has been raiding out-of-town business parks.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Tony's car workshop was smashed up
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and hundreds of pounds' worth of valuables stolen.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10My whole world was just turned upside down.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12It was just heartbreaking.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Detective Inspector James Tarr has put together a team
0:23:16 > 0:23:17to stop the burglars.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22The prime suspects are known associates, Reginald Soper,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Percy Soper and Nicky Christian.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27DNA evidence links Christian
0:23:27 > 0:23:31and some CCTV footage links in Reginald Soper.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34But there's no evidence yet his brother Percy is involved.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36They planned meticulously each break.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39They'd got away with it so many times, they felt they were invincible.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42The suspects have been stopped and searched several times,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45but nothing's been found linking them to the crimes.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47The gang members were arrested on a number of occasions,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and each time made "no comment" to any question we asked.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53And there's never enough evidence to hold them.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56And literally the following day, we get a report of more burglaries.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58So it was a bit of a game of cat and mouse, really.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00James decided the best way to approach the case
0:24:00 > 0:24:03is to build a picture of all the crimes together
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and charge them with the serious offence of conspiracy.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09We chose to investigate this as a conspiracy case,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11based on the fact that had they been charged individually for
0:24:11 > 0:24:14the burglaries, we wouldn't have succeeded.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17So by piecing together small pieces of evidence, be it CCTV,
0:24:17 > 0:24:18be it footwear impressions,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21be it DNA, we could build an overall picture,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24which demonstrated that that gang committed all those offences.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27The team piece together the small clues and circumstantial evidence,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30which have more meaning when combined together.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34And they notice some startling similarities between the crimes.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37This CCTV showed the quite distinctive shape
0:24:37 > 0:24:40of some of the members of the gang.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45And a person of that build is seen on almost every occasion.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49The crimes appear to be committed in identical ways.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52The gang seems to be becoming increasingly confident.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Often they intended on stealing a vehicle from one premise
0:24:54 > 0:24:57to then take a safe from the adjoining premise
0:24:57 > 0:24:58at that same location.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01From one of the businesses that they stole a vehicle,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03one of the members of the gang
0:25:03 > 0:25:05actually left a message on the board.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06And it was this message.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09And it reads, "Thanks for that car."
0:25:09 > 0:25:11With a little smiley face.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14It just shows how brazen these people are.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17For the victim, it adds insult to injury.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20But that sketch later proves to be important evidence,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22as another very much like it
0:25:22 > 0:25:25is found on a piece of paper in Nicky Christian's home.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28And there's another breakthrough.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30A dog walker spots an unopened safe
0:25:30 > 0:25:33in remote woodland and reports it
0:25:33 > 0:25:35to the police. It's a stolen safe
0:25:35 > 0:25:38that's been stashed by the gang in the undergrowth.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42It's likely the gang will return to try to open the safe.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45So now James and his team can set a trap.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48So we orchestrated a little sting operation.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52We took the opportunity to actually remove the safe from the woods and
0:25:52 > 0:25:54replace it with a camera and a dummy safe.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57They are dying to find out what's inside that safe.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So we knew that they were likely to come back.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04And they do. The next day, the camera catches a face
0:26:04 > 0:26:07looming out of the trees. But he notices there's something different.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10You can see he's a little bit mystified.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Footage showed another member of the gang.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15It's the third man, Percy Soper.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16It's a key moment.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21And we were able to trace him from mobile phone and telephone records
0:26:21 > 0:26:24making contact with other members of that team
0:26:24 > 0:26:26because he'd been abandoned.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28The detectives map out the movements of the gang from the
0:26:28 > 0:26:33seized mobile phone data and from number plate recognition cameras.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35They pull together all the information
0:26:35 > 0:26:37to paint a picture of the crimes.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Then finally, they have what they need.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I remember it vividly, actually. One Friday evening, myself and my
0:26:42 > 0:26:44colleague thought to ourselves, "Enough is enough.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47"We have enough evidence here to charge them with conspiracy."
0:26:47 > 0:26:50The Crown Prosecution Service agrees.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Christian and the Soper brothers are arrested.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56It was a particularly satisfying day for us and all the victims that we
0:26:56 > 0:26:59notified of their charge for the offences.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02An astonishing 54 burglaries were committed
0:27:02 > 0:27:05in less than six months.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08With the gang in prison awaiting trial, the burglaries stop.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11A fact not overlooked by the police.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18The jury finds the three gang members guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Reginald Soper is sentenced to 8½ years in prison.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Percy Soper and Nicky Christian
0:27:27 > 0:27:29are both sentenced to 6½ years.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33After all their hard work,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36the investigators are pleased with the result.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37We couldn't quite believe it.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42We have been able to paint a picture from pieces of evidence, where taken
0:27:42 > 0:27:45on their own, they don't amount to anything very much.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50It was a very satisfying moment, and it's one that I won't ever forget.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Really pleasing, for myself and all the team,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55but obviously the victims are the most important thing for us -
0:27:55 > 0:27:56to be able to send them a letter
0:27:56 > 0:27:59and tell them that we've caught their burglars was really,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01really satisfying for us all.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Tony's improved his security,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06adding door and window bars and a new alarm system.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09He's looking forward to a bright future.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13It had a massive impact at the time, but now I've pulled through it,
0:28:13 > 0:28:18especially with the help of local people, and friends and family.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22It's made me a stronger person, it's made me more determined to succeed.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27That's it for today.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Join us next time, when police and the public
0:28:30 > 0:28:32catch more criminals red-handed.