0:00:02 > 0:00:04Thieves will steal our cars, our valuables -
0:00:04 > 0:00:07just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09To cut down on crime
0:00:09 > 0:00:11and antisocial behaviour... SIREN WAILS
0:00:11 > 0:00:15..the 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 > 0:00:22Great evidence for the police.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23Got to have him stopped.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Local councils, shops and businesses
0:00:25 > 0:00:26are laying some traps of their own...
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The eureka moment when you get that evidence.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31..and the general public, too,
0:00:31 > 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 > 0:00:39- Yes! We've got her. - SIREN WAILS
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 > 0:00:53Today, a pub landlord smells a rat
0:00:53 > 0:00:56when he finds his back door left open.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59This is the same door only seconds earlier
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and, in fact, there's two rats.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05They're burglars and the landlord's just missed them.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10They were very, very lucky that they got out before I caught them.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Also today, like a scene from a thriller,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16a burglar with a knife lurks in the dark.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18He's sitting, just, like, talking to the mirror,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20with a knife in his hand.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I imagine him saying, "You talking to me?" kind of thing.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24He's learning his lines
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and he's about to appear in a sinister role on camera.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32And here's a thief who really puts her foot in it.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34If you're going to steal someone's trainers,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37first check they've not been treading in anything nasty.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Starting from Harlow in Essex,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52two men set out on a pub crawl around the country,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54but they're not binge drinkers -
0:01:54 > 0:01:56these are binge burglars,
0:01:56 > 0:02:01stealing a total of around £20,000 in 60 break-ins.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06One day they committed eight in a three-hour period.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08The raids hit their victims hard.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12DC Kirsty Swan's determined to call time on their crime spree.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14You take it quite personally.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17You want justice for the victims, and that's why I do my job.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Harold took over the Phoenix pub in Harlow three years ago,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32after being made redundant.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34I've done 20 years in Royal Mail,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37and I ran a pub back in the '80s in East London,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and it was quite good days.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42It's somewhere to work, it's somewhere to live,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44so, I thought, "I'll give it a go."
0:02:44 > 0:02:47The Phoenix had few customers when Harold first started.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49It was cold. It needed atmosphere.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Hopefully we provided that by making people welcome,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53putting on functions for them,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55and we were happy that families came back into the pub,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57cos it is a community pub.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Harold lives above the pub with his own extended family.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Originally it was just me and the girlfriend,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05but now my daughter moved in and grandsons.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Erm, no, we have a good time upstairs
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and it's easier just to commute down the stairs to work.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14But one Tuesday lunchtime
0:03:14 > 0:03:17this welcoming pub faces an unwelcome intrusion.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Harold's served his 12 o'clock regulars,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and he's on his way to grab his own lunch upstairs
0:03:24 > 0:03:26when he notices something odd.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29I started to go through the private area
0:03:29 > 0:03:31and I saw my front door open,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33so I stuck my head out the front door
0:03:33 > 0:03:34and didn't see no-one.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37The rest of the family are out so it's a puzzle.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38He goes upstairs to investigate.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I saw the kitchen drawers were pulled out,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43so I went into the bedrooms and all the drawers were pulled out.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45My back went up, and I thought to myself,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47"Oh, someone has been in here."
0:03:47 > 0:03:49He goes back downstairs to the bar to find out
0:03:49 > 0:03:51if the customers have seen anyone.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55The customers said they saw two guys
0:03:55 > 0:03:58shoot across the car park like Linford Christie.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00He checks his CCTV recording.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02And to my astonishment
0:04:02 > 0:04:07I saw these guys in my corridor and I was really, really fuming.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Harold's been burgled.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Two thieves have forced open the door lock.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15They head towards where Harold keeps his safes.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18His CCTV system is there too so they can see Harold,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22who's serving at the bar, just on the other side of the wall.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26It's frightening. One was monitoring the CCTV screen
0:04:26 > 0:04:30while the other one was attempting to get into the safes.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32But the burglars can't open the safes,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36so they decided to sneak upstairs and raid the flat instead.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Going through my personal stuff, looking for money.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Returning downstairs, the men try to open the safes again,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46but a moment later they hear Harold heading towards them
0:04:46 > 0:04:48and run out of the door.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52He misses seeing them by these few short seconds.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Oh, it just gets me, seeing this footage again.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58I wish I'd caught them actually in that corridor,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00cos the intrusion, it's unbearable.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03It really, really gets my back up. It makes me very angry.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Harold's daughter gets home
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and discovers her savings of £250 are missing,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11but apparently, nothing else.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15She was upset that people had been through her drawers
0:05:15 > 0:05:18and some personal things, but mostly she was angry.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Harold calls the police
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and Detective Constable Kirsty Swan takes the case.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25It was a routine day at work.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27I had a call in from the Phoenix pub.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30It came in as a burglary.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34I didn't initially think this would be part of a bigger investigation.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Kirsty visits Harold and his family at the pub.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Burglary is an awful crime.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43You know, your home is your castle and it's your personal space,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47and when somebody invades that personal space for their own gain,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50it's quite distressing.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51She looks at the footage.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54The CCTV was just brilliant.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57They didn't take any option of trying to cover their faces,
0:05:57 > 0:06:02so somebody out there would be able to identify these offenders.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Kirsty circulates still images of the two men around the force.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11Meanwhile Harold's daughter also puts the footage out on social media
0:06:11 > 0:06:15to find out if the burglars have been spotted in other local pubs.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Within an hour
0:06:16 > 0:06:20she's had replies that said other pubs had been affected.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Two landlords had discovered the men behaving suspiciously
0:06:23 > 0:06:26but didn't call the police because nothing was stolen.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Harold tells Kirsty.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31And you just started to see more offences coming to light.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Then there's a breakthrough -
0:06:33 > 0:06:36two of Kirsty's colleagues recognise the men.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41We got an identification on both suspects within a day.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44The two men are brothers - Warren and Wesley Linehan -
0:06:44 > 0:06:46and there's a further development.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Kirsty hears something that suggests their crimes may
0:06:49 > 0:06:51spread wider than Harlow.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53I just happened to be driving in my car,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55listening to the news on the radio,
0:06:55 > 0:07:00and they were saying about five burglaries that had happened in pubs
0:07:00 > 0:07:05in the south of the county of Essex, and I just thought,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09"That sounds really, really similar to what happened at the Phoenix."
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Harold's burglary could be just the tip of the iceberg.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Reports of more pub raids continue to come in.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Kirsty finds there are similarities between them.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Their MO was to come in the pub during opening times -
0:07:22 > 0:07:24they'd look like a normal customer -
0:07:24 > 0:07:26and then they would go towards the toilets,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30establish exactly where the private doors were,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and then make their way through those private doors,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35whether they'd be locked or not.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39If a pub is shut the pair will still try to break in.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41This is footage from the Old Ship in Aveley.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46While this suspect is searching behind the bar area,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50the other suspect disappears and goes up to the private residence.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Fortunately, on this occasion, they didn't get away with anything.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57The landlord at the Spread Eagle in Harlow isn't as lucky.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02They've stolen around about £1,300, £1,400 in cash,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04and the cheek of them, you can see then
0:08:04 > 0:08:08they leave with the cash in the victim's own bag as well.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10If they were confronted they would have a cover story
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and that's usually, "Oh, we were trying to find the toilets,"
0:08:13 > 0:08:17or, "Is this a hotel? Oh, I thought it was a B&B."
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Kirsty needs to stop the brothers.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Armed with their pictures, she puts out a police bulletin
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and appeals on local news for help from the public.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Then she spreads her investigation even wider.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31You start looking at other forces
0:08:31 > 0:08:35and making inquiries with them to see if they've had similar offences.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40She discovers that pubs are being burgled across seven other counties.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45On one day they committed eight in a three-hour period.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49It's real paramount that we located them in order to arrest them
0:08:49 > 0:08:50and stop them.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54There's now a police manhunt for the brothers across a wide area,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56and they soon almost catch them
0:08:56 > 0:08:58after a burglary in the south of Essex.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00The brothers escape on foot
0:09:00 > 0:09:02after dumping their car during a chase,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05but they've left valuable evidence behind.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Within that car we found a hoodie and two mobile phones.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The logo on this hoodie is the same as clothing
0:09:12 > 0:09:15caught on CCTV at some of the pubs,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and the two mobiles hold some clues too.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20The phones were forensically examined
0:09:20 > 0:09:24and the DNA came back to one of our suspects.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Kirsty asks the phone service providers for data that
0:09:28 > 0:09:31shows when and where the phones have been over the past few weeks.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Once we've got that cell site data
0:09:33 > 0:09:38it tells us that that mobile phone was in that particular area
0:09:38 > 0:09:41at the relevant date and time
0:09:41 > 0:09:43of when those burglaries were committed.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45That was just gold dust to me.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47It was fantastic.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Kirsty has strong evidence but the burglars are still on the loose.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54She decides to make another appeal on local media
0:09:54 > 0:09:56for help to find the men.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57It pays off.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Somebody called in that they'd seen them in another pub
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and officers gave chase and apprehended them
0:10:03 > 0:10:06and I was just so relieved.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08I thought, "Finally, we've got them."
0:10:08 > 0:10:11The brothers' criminal pub crawl is over.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14They've stolen around £20,000 in just six weeks.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17The total number was 60 burglaries.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20My drive was to make sure that I got justice for
0:10:20 > 0:10:22every single one of those victims.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Kirsty is able to charge the brothers with a serious offence -
0:10:26 > 0:10:28conspiracy to burgle.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31It carries the same maximum sentence as burglary.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Now she needs to show the brothers are responsible
0:10:34 > 0:10:35for the whole crime spree.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The evidence was different for every single offence -
0:10:38 > 0:10:40some we had CCTV,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42some we had the phones,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45some, you know, we just had descriptions,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47but when you overlaid everything,
0:10:47 > 0:10:52it was easy for me to look at them as one bigger conspiracy.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55The weight of Kirsty's evidence is overwhelming.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57The brothers decide to plead guilty.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04In court, they are both sentenced to five and a half years in prison.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Kirsty is pleased, for the victims' sake,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11that the brothers have been brought to justice.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14The reason I became an investigator was this kind of investigation.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16You know, you take it quite personally.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20You want justice for the victims and that's why I do my job.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23That's what I love about it is that when you can get all of this
0:11:23 > 0:11:28evidence, bring it together and put these people behind bars.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Back at the Phoenix, Harold hears that the men have been jailed.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36DC Kirsty Swan, I love her.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39She is brilliant.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42She helped us immensely, cos, erm...
0:11:42 > 0:11:44it's a shock...
0:11:44 > 0:11:47of having these people intrude on your privacy,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49and she helped us through it.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51A big thank you to the police.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58To truly understand someone
0:11:58 > 0:12:01they say you need to walk a mile in their shoes.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Well, I wouldn't try that with this next thief.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11It's the early hours when this woman strolls down the street
0:12:11 > 0:12:16and starts suspiciously trying car doors.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Nope, locked.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Giving up on the idea of a grand theft auto,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23she then set her sights a little lower.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Creeping into this front garden, she disappears from camera view
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and comes back with a pair of trainers.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33Seeing they'd gone missing,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35the owner couldn't help but see the funny side
0:12:35 > 0:12:39because the trainers had been left outside for a month
0:12:39 > 0:12:42as they were covered in cow muck and stank.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46She may think she has this stealing thing down pat
0:12:46 > 0:12:49but she's about to discover she's DUNG the wrong thing.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53The owner decides not to bother reporting the theft.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Let's face it, nobody's going to be keen on sniffing this thief out.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02That thief, like many others,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05was initially looking to steal from cars.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Opportunistic car crime is very common,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12so how can we best avoid being a victim ourselves?
0:13:12 > 0:13:14It's daily business for a thief to go around trying every
0:13:14 > 0:13:18car door handle until they find the one that's been left unlocked.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19It's like going shopping for them,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22so they're going to look in your vehicle and see anything of value -
0:13:22 > 0:13:25it might be a jacket, it might be a laptop, it might be tools.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28If you're using a remote locking system,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31just make sure that you double-check that the car has actually locked.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34And criminals can be more sophisticated now,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and they've got products that can jam the signal between the fob
0:13:37 > 0:13:38and the vehicle itself,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40so you may think that you've locked the car
0:13:40 > 0:13:41when, in fact, is still open.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43So just make sure you do that double-check
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and it'll always remove that risk.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48It's not only high-valued vehicles that are at risk.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Often criminals will steal a low-value car
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and use it to commit a crime.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55The older cars tend to come with less security,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57so it's easier for them to be stolen.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58The car becomes disposable.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00It's not traceable back to them
0:14:00 > 0:14:02and they can just leave it around the corner.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Coming up... A chilling sight for a cafe manager
0:14:11 > 0:14:15when his security camera shows there's been a burglar with a knife
0:14:15 > 0:14:17waiting at the foot of his stairs.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19And that, for me, is the worst part of the entire footage.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22It wasn't absolutely a nice feeling to see that.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I mean, it's the place that I come to work every day,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and the place I lock up at night on my own.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Now, for a bit of dirty business in Buckinghamshire,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37and an ex-cop who follows his nose to track down the culprits.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48A quiet country lane near Burnham, Buckinghamshire -
0:14:48 > 0:14:52a car pulls over and a couple get out,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55but they're not stopping for a picnic or to enjoy the view.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57They're here to spoil the countryside
0:14:57 > 0:15:00with foul-smelling waste.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Oh, you could literally smell it from ten metres away.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05In terms of the stench,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07it was one of the worst ones I think I've ever been to.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10And this couple aren't the only ones to dump rubbish
0:15:10 > 0:15:12at this beauty spot,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15which is why ex-cop Chris Smith, from the council,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18has decided to drop something off there, himself.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20He's planting some cameras.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22It's a job that I feel passionate about
0:15:22 > 0:15:24and, when I do get my hands into a case that is detectable,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26I won't let go until I get the man.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38Rural Buckinghamshire,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42a few years ago, the council calculated that every year
0:15:42 > 0:15:44so much rubbish is dumped in the county
0:15:44 > 0:15:49it could cover an entire football pitch at a metre deep.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Ever since, they've been on a crusade to stop fly-tipping.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Chris Smith joined them as an enforcement officer.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00If you do not jump on fly-tipping, it will expand.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02If somebody sees a pile of rubbish,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05the chances are that they will add to it and make the situation worse.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Fly tippers beware,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Chris has been used to chasing and catching lawbreakers of all sorts.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13I was a police officer before
0:16:13 > 0:16:15and when the opportunity of this job came up I jumped at it
0:16:15 > 0:16:17because it's a job that I enjoy,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20that I feel passionate about in terms of the environment,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24but, also, it's using skills that I had and developed in the police.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27He investigates in three main ways.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29One is our covert camerawork.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33One is finding evidence amongst the waste and following up those leads
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and finally we have the public reporting incidents
0:16:35 > 0:16:37that they have eyewitnessed to us.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Chris puts hidden cameras in place
0:16:39 > 0:16:43when an area becomes a dumping hot spot,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47and recently a country lane near Burnham is targeted.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Adrian lives at one end of it.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Allerds Road is an idyllic little road.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It's very quiet and very peaceful, not too much traffic,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and a very nice place to go for a stroll.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58Just after moving here,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01he discovers that there's a problem with rubbish.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Within two weeks of moving in,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05one morning, it was literally, completely blocked,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09with furniture that had been tipped there overnight.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Adrian's shocked.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13The barricade of rubbish cuts off the lane,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17and Adrian has to find another, longer way to work.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19He's sad that the area has been blighted.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23And I just thought, "It's just such a shame on such a beautiful lane."
0:17:23 > 0:17:25The council clear the waste away
0:17:25 > 0:17:28but for Adrian it turns out to be just the beginning of
0:17:28 > 0:17:32many unpleasant encounters with other people's rubbish.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34There would be literally one a week, two a week,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37then I think the worst week there was five incidences in one week.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38It's just a terrible thing.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42It's astonishing when you consider the local tip
0:17:42 > 0:17:43is at the other end of the lane.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46They take... Literally, everything that has been dumped in the lane
0:17:46 > 0:17:48could have gone there.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50There is no excuse for not being able to go
0:17:50 > 0:17:52during their opening hours.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56But now Chris is on the case, it's time for action.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59We've arrived here in Allerds Road and, as you can see,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02there's a fly-tip of green waste here at the side of the road,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04and it will just get added to if it's left.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Here we are at the household waste recycle centre.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12It's literally 400 or 500 yards away.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Chris hides one of his cameras in the lane.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Our cameras are very small, they're very covert,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and they're triggered by movement.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20We always deploy them at night
0:18:20 > 0:18:24and, trust me, you will not see a camera when we've deployed it.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27The public are warned that cameras are in use.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28I spotted there were some signs
0:18:28 > 0:18:30that say that surveillance was underway.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Adrian doesn't know where the cameras have been hidden
0:18:33 > 0:18:36but he's on hand to report any new piles of rubbish to Chris.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38It's a big help.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40He made us very aware which made our life easier.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43If he could say, "Well, there was a fly-tip overnight,"
0:18:43 > 0:18:44we would go in, get the card
0:18:44 > 0:18:46and we'd know that it was last night, you know.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49And very soon there is a new case of dumping overnight.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52The fly-tippers probably think the cameras can't see them
0:18:52 > 0:18:54in the dark, but they're wrong.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56I went down to have a look
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and there was a pile of household waste at the side of the road
0:18:59 > 0:19:03and it looked very promising that it was within the view of the camera.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Chris checks the footage.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09The camera is designed to record a series of still frames.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13It clearly captures the numberplate of the fly-tipper's van.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14When you do get a result like this
0:19:14 > 0:19:17it is very exciting and very encouraging.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18The van's interior light helps
0:19:18 > 0:19:21give a clear picture of the man's actions.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22This was brilliant.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It enables us to see the offender depositing stuff
0:19:25 > 0:19:27at the side of the road.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30The man dumps a variety of household objects,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32including an old ironing board and a chest.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38As he drives off, his headlights reveal the pile of rubbish
0:19:38 > 0:19:40he leaves behind.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42The council clear it away
0:19:42 > 0:19:45but Chris suspects there might be more rubbish dumped at that spot.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49We were happy that we had deployed the camera in a good location,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51so we decided to leave the camera in
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and not make any attempt to contact that offender
0:19:53 > 0:19:55until we removed the camera,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and lo and behold a few weeks later another offence occurred.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Once again, it's reported by Adrian.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03There was a red crate.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05It was exceedingly smelly.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07You could literally smell it from ten metres away.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08In terms of the stench
0:20:08 > 0:20:10it was one of the worst ones I think I've ever been to.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Again, Chris checks what the camera's recorded.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15Another very exciting moment,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and a good result for the camerawork.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20A couple pull up in their car.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23It must have been a smelly ride over.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26They put on gloves and open the boot.
0:20:26 > 0:20:27Then the woman backs up the car
0:20:27 > 0:20:30while the man looks up and down the road.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32We see their, sort of, furtive behaviour,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35where he goes up and down to make sure that nobody's looking.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39It just convinces me that they know what they're doing is wrong.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42They dump the crate of rotting rubbish and leave.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Chris has the evidence he needs.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49He traces the owners of the vehicles.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51It's then that I write to the owner of the vehicle
0:20:51 > 0:20:53and ask them for an explanation.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55The couple reply straight away.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Bizarrely, they say that they dumped this waste
0:20:59 > 0:21:01because they thought it was too smelly to take to
0:21:01 > 0:21:04the recycle centre, and that they were going to get turned away.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06I don't understand that, I really don't,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08but that's... that was their explanation.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Chris discovers the night-time fly-tipper used a rental van
0:21:12 > 0:21:15but Chris gets his details from the hire company.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18We invite him into a local police station
0:21:18 > 0:21:20and we conduct what's called a voluntary PACE interview,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23in which he did admit what he had done.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28In court, the man pleads guilty
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and is ordered to pay £600 in costs and fines.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36The couple also plead guilty.
0:21:36 > 0:21:43Their combined total of fines and costs is £1,554.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Chris and his colleagues have a high conviction rate
0:21:45 > 0:21:47and the word is spreading.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48In the past few years,
0:21:48 > 0:21:53fly-tipping in Buckinghamshire has reduced by nearly 90%.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56We're proud of that performance and we always publicise it
0:21:56 > 0:21:59to try and remind people that they're committing a crime
0:21:59 > 0:22:02at the end of the day, and we think it's acting as a deterrent
0:22:02 > 0:22:04to other would-be fly-tippers
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and deterring them from committing offences in Buckinghamshire.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Guess who's coming to dinner?
0:22:13 > 0:22:16A couple of men arrive at a restaurant without a reservation
0:22:16 > 0:22:20and it turns out they've no reservations about stealing, either.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24In fact, just about anything they can lay their hands on.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Ayr, Scotland -
0:22:29 > 0:22:31it's a Monday evening
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and these two men are checking out the town's new vegetarian cafe,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38but the cafe closed hours ago and they're not customers.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45When the manager arrives at the scene, he finds the door smashed in.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47I didn't know, was someone in here?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I got a really horrible feeling of dread.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50For good reason.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53CCTV shows the men are burglars
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and one of them is ready with a knife for anyone who disturbs them.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59He's clearly intending to use it if he needs to.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Ayr is a major port on Scotland's West Coast,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11great for shopping and dining out.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Just off the high street
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Euan is the manager of a new basement bistro.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18So, when we took this building on, it had been a coffee house,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21so it wasn't a million miles away from what we were doing,
0:23:21 > 0:23:22but that was pitch-black.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24We spent probably about the best part of a month
0:23:24 > 0:23:27preparing the building before we opened.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29But Euan and his team are taking a risk -
0:23:29 > 0:23:34theirs is the first cafe in Ayr to serve only vegetarian food.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36You get your usual people who's like,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38"Oh, I don't eat vegetarian food."
0:23:38 > 0:23:43You know, ignoring the fact that, that salad is vegetarian.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Early on, it looks like their gamble may not pay off...
0:23:46 > 0:23:48At the start we had a lot of quiet days.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51We'd be lucky to serve a handful of coffees.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52..but over the next few months,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56word-of-mouth means they slowly build a loyal following.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58My favourite thing is the customers.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01We get to develop a real relationship with them.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05The cafe is in a basement, with its entrance at street level.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07They use CCTV cameras to look out for customers
0:24:07 > 0:24:10coming through the door.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Security wasn't really the aspect that we got it for.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15When you've got all these great intentions for your business,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and great visions, you don't really think about
0:24:17 > 0:24:19the bad things that'll happen.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23But the business has been open barely three months
0:24:23 > 0:24:25when Euan get a nasty surprise.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29When he arrives to open up one Tuesday morning,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31he finds the door's been kicked in.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33He's been burgled.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35And the till was forced open, wedged open,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and everything was lying all over the place.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39I looked at the kitchen - the doors were hanging off.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41The fridge was broken, the food was everywhere
0:24:41 > 0:24:44and it obviously started to sink in what had happened.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46At that point, I didn't know, was someone in here?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And I didn't want to find out, you know.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50There's sharp knives in the kitchen.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52I got a really, kind of, a horrible feeling of dread,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54so I just, kind of, left the building.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Euan waits for the police to arrive,
0:24:57 > 0:25:02and then he replays the previous night's CCTV to see who's caused
0:25:02 > 0:25:04all this damage to the new business.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08The cameras show that at 7.20pm the night before
0:25:08 > 0:25:11these two men approach the entrance.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Checking the coast is clear, they prise open the metal shutter
0:25:16 > 0:25:18and then batter down the door.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23It's totally dark inside but the burglars don't realise
0:25:23 > 0:25:26that the cafe's cameras are infrared and are seeing
0:25:26 > 0:25:28and recording their every cautious move.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Forcing open the till, they find only small change
0:25:33 > 0:25:35as the day's takings have been banked.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41The pair start searching the rest of the cafe.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Then one produces a large kitchen knife.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45It's a frightening image.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48He's walking around the building with an extremely sharp knife,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51clearly intending to use it if... if he needs to.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54No-one carries a knife unless they would use it.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58The men take their time ransacking the bistro for valuables
0:25:58 > 0:26:00for over three quarters of an hour,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02and then, standing in front of a mirror,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06the knifeman's behaviour takes a sinister turn.
0:26:06 > 0:26:07This is the weirdest part.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10He's sitting, just, like, talking to the mirror
0:26:10 > 0:26:11with a knife in his hand.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I imagine him saying, "You talking to me?" kind of thing.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18It looks like he's rehearsing a possible confrontation.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Suddenly the man hears a noise.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23He darts over to hide by the stairs with
0:26:23 > 0:26:25the knife at the ready in his hand.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27It's a chilling sight for Euan.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29It's the place that I come to work every day,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32and the place I lock up at night on my own most nights.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I don't know, it just wasn't the nicest feeling in the world.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40Satisfied no-one is there, the man grabs his stuffed bag and leaves.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45The thieves have stolen food, knives and some money,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48but all the remaining food in the kitchen has to be thrown out
0:26:48 > 0:26:50for fear of contamination.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54The clean-up operation means the cafe has to close for two days
0:26:54 > 0:26:57and loses nearly £2,000.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59You're kind of dejected about the whole situation
0:26:59 > 0:27:01because it's everything you've been working on,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05is all of a sudden, just, you know, flung up in the air,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08just because some idiots decide that their needs outweigh yours.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Euan worries about the cafe's future,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15but, thanks to the high-quality cameras,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18at least the police can clearly see the burglars' faces,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and more than that, they recognise them.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22They were impressed.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25They said it was, like, the best CCTV footage they'd seen.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29I put it on for, I think, all of 30 seconds, and they knew who it was.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32The police track the men down and they are arrested.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38In court, pleading guilty to charges of housebreaking
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and malicious mischief,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44One of the burglars is sentenced to a year's imprisonment.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The second man, who carried the knife,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52is jailed for 18 months.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57Since the burglary
0:27:57 > 0:28:02Euan's vegetarian cafe has not only survived in Ayr - it's thrived.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04We got shown a lot of support.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Our customers became more dedicated to us, you know,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11in sort of a small level of defiance perhaps, I don't know.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14The local press featured the story and that's helped the cafe.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17The amount of people we've just got coming down for a coffee.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19"So, is this the place that got broken into?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21"Is this the place in the papers?" It was quite funny.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24It was quite good, as well, cos it got us new customers out of it,
0:28:24 > 0:28:25so I can't complain about that.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29That's it for today.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Join us next time when police and the public
0:28:32 > 0:28:34catch more criminals red-handed.