0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cash, our cars, our valuables.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13But now the police are using cutting-edge technology
0:00:13 > 0:00:14to catch the bad guys.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17- CCTV is gold dust. - Great evidence for the police.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Got to have him stopped.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Local councils, shops and businesses are fighting crime
0:00:22 > 0:00:24with their own tricks and traps.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27There's a eureka moment when you get that evidence.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31And the public are using secret cameras to make sure crooks
0:00:31 > 0:00:35- get their comeuppance. - It makes me feel so angry.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39- He's paid the price. He's been dealt with.- Yes! 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 > 0:00:55Today, pub landlady Gill is so shocked that someone at work
0:00:55 > 0:00:58is deceiving her, she even suspects her partner.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I said, "Roy, you've got a key, you use the key."
0:01:01 > 0:01:03And he said, "Gill, what are you saying?"
0:01:03 > 0:01:05I said, "I don't know what I'm saying."
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I said, "My head's on fire, I just don't know what I'm saying any more."
0:01:08 > 0:01:11But then she finds out the truth.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Just really couldn't believe what I saw, to be fair.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20Also today, David's egg stall, which relies on honesty,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22gets a visit from a dishonest man.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25What he does next is just incredible.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I was lost for words, and I'm not normally lost for words.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31But David's an ex-cop and knows how to deal with "fowl" play.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Even the chickens are keeping an eye on him.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And when Jo and Matt's fish and chip restaurant is raided
0:01:39 > 0:01:42in the middle of the night, they race to the scene.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45It's a family business, I felt like they were taking from me.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47That's why I reacted like I did.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50But little do they realise what they're up against.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52We didn't know how dangerous these people were.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55We didn't know that they'd been attacking houses with
0:01:55 > 0:01:56meat cleavers and weapons.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13The Zetland Arms pub in Hull has recently come under new management.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14All right, Gill.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Landlady Gill has been in the licensed trade most of her life.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22She used to work for a company rescuing failing pubs.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Basically, pubs that people have let go and not bothered about,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29they need a bit of TLC. Do you know what I mean?
0:02:29 > 0:02:32We sort of go in and do that, clean them up,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34turn them around, basically.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Gill lives with her long-term partner, Roy,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40who had a career at sea before retiring due to ill health
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and severe breathing difficulties.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46You see public houses where you think, "Urgh, it's a bit,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49"a bit run down a bit," but it's not at all.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52The building might be, but the people aren't.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Gill first ran the Zetland Arms seven years ago, and now she's back,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58trade is on the up once more.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Obviously I knew everybody and they was all popping in as we
0:03:02 > 0:03:03were doing the refurb.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07And we had a big grand opening night, it was a fantastic night.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Gill is devoted to her loyal team of bar staff.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14They're like my kids, the staff call me mother.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18One girl that works with me, I'm mother number two. And it's lovely,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20because I've never had any children myself,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24- so it's really nice to adopt all these others.- She just loves people.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29Loves to help people. People in return love to help her.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Which makes for a good, happy pub.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36But that happiness is to prove short-lived
0:03:36 > 0:03:38when one of Gill's team betrays her,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40just when she needs her friends most.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Gill tends to put in long shifts at the pub, which can be tiring.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53But one day, she begins to feel particularly unwell.
0:03:53 > 0:03:59A week before my birthday, that's when I started having problems.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03I went to see a doctor, she sent me to see the consultant.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07The consultant sends Gill for tests, and a fortnight later,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- she gets the results.- They rang me, said, "Are you sat down?
0:04:11 > 0:04:14"Sorry, Gill, it's cancer."
0:04:14 > 0:04:16It was a bit of a shock.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19But it didn't stop her. She just carried on as normal.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23People said, "Gill, you've got to rest," but she wouldn't.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Gill starts to undergo chemo and radiotherapy.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28And if that isn't enough to cope with,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32she begins to suffer money problems at the pub, too.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35I used to do my tills on a Monday morning.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40And then there was large amounts of money going.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43There's a shortfall in the pub's takings.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46I thought we must have mislaid one of the bills or something like that.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49She said, "No." She's never usually wrong.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53I just couldn't get my head around it, and I let it go for a while.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55And then it happened again.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Gill pays out from her own wages to cover the loss.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01I'm on a percentage, but then I have to pay my staff
0:05:01 > 0:05:04out of my percentage, so I had to make that money right.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06So some weeks I wasn't getting any wages.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09In fact, I was owing it money.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13She starts to investigate why money might be missing.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18We went through every angle to try and say it wasn't one of them
0:05:18 > 0:05:21stealing off, because I didn't want to believe it was one of them
0:05:21 > 0:05:23stealing off me.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27But it put everyone under suspicion, and everyone felt bad.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28And it was breaking my heart.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32I just used to dread doing the banking on the Monday.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Gill checks the tills at the end of every staff member's shift
0:05:35 > 0:05:38but can't find a discrepancy.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41It's not going out of the till, so it had to be going out of the safe.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45She starts to suspect everyone.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49I said, "Roy, you've got a key, you use the key."
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And he said, "Gill, what are you saying?" I said, "I don't know what I'm saying," I said,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55"My head's on fire, I just don't know what I'm saying any more."
0:05:55 > 0:05:59It was awful. He said, "You think I..." I said, "Oh, I don't know," I said, "I'm so sorry."
0:05:59 > 0:06:02And then I was crying. I said, "Roy, I didn't mean to say that."
0:06:02 > 0:06:05He said, "I know you didn't, Gill. And I know what you're going through."
0:06:05 > 0:06:07And I was worried with the chemo.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12And I thought, "She doesn't need this on top of going through chemo."
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I did get days when I was ill, so the last thing you need is
0:06:15 > 0:06:17someone taking advantage when you're poorly.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22She's so strong-willed, she just battled on and battled on.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Gill keeps the keys to the safe in her handbag.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It had to be someone that had gone into my bag.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33I said to Roy, "What can we do?" He said, "We're going to have to get a camera, Gill.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36"And see what's happening."
0:06:36 > 0:06:40They call their friend Andy, who installs CCTV systems.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43He fits a camera in the office overlooking the safe.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49A week later, Gill finds money has gone missing.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I counted the money up. I said, "Oh, my God, it's down again."
0:06:52 > 0:06:56And it was down £610-£620.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Andy comes to check the security camera footage with Gill.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04I looked at the camera and I just went outside.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Erm... Sorry.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09SHE SOBS
0:07:10 > 0:07:14But just really couldn't believe what I saw, to be fair,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18because I treated this member of staff like one of my own
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and it was just such a shock.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27The camera clearly shows one of Gill's staff raiding the safe,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32stealing the £620 in a wad of £20 notes.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40It was a very sad day, sad day for Gill.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42She's put her trust in people.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45She'll always says, "If you put trust in people, you get trust back."
0:07:45 > 0:07:49You know, I've looked after the girl, I always looked after her.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52And when I was going for the chemotherapy and radiotherapy,
0:07:52 > 0:07:57she used to text me in the morning and say, "I hope everything's OK today.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59"Hope you're all right, love you lots."
0:08:01 > 0:08:05So, you know, that was difficult to get my head around as well.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Gill was so upset that somebody could do that,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10that she had helped repeatedly.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Gill wants to see the woman straightaway.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Roy rang her to come in and said I was ill
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and could she come in and do the shift.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24She was a little bit strange when she came through the door.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25She said, "How was Gill?"
0:08:25 > 0:08:27He said, "Go and ask her, she's through there."
0:08:27 > 0:08:29So she came in and I said,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33"I'm going to show you something and I'd like you to tell me why.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35"Why you've done this to me."
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Well, she came up with all kinds of excuses.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Gill did give them a chance to own up.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46I said, "Give me the money back and we'll say no more about it."
0:08:46 > 0:08:49And she denied it and denied it and then in the end, Andy,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52we've been friends for years, he lost his temper.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55He said, "I suggest you just get out my face."
0:08:55 > 0:08:57He said, "She's tried to give you an opportunity,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01"she's given you a lifeline. You've thrown it back in her face."
0:09:01 > 0:09:03So he said, "Gill, just leave it and stop getting yourself upset.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06"We'll get the police."
0:09:06 > 0:09:09The police arrest her, but despite being caught on camera,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12she continues to deny stealing from the safe.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14There's not a lot I can say about the actions
0:09:14 > 0:09:18of somebody who does that to someone that's been so good to you.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21You've got to have reached the low of the low to do that.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28In court, the woman was found guilty of theft and sentenced to
0:09:28 > 0:09:33a 12-month community order to do 160 hours of unpaid work.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36She also had to pay a £60 surcharge
0:09:36 > 0:09:39and repay the £620 she stole.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Finding out it was one of her staff,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48someone she regarded as family, was tough for Gill.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51You've got to dust yourself down and pick yourself up, haven't you?
0:09:51 > 0:09:56One of them things, it's gone now. Just get on with your life.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59That side of the book's closed for us.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01We just crack on for tomorrow.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07But Gill soon found out who her true friends are, and there are many.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11They came to a celebration at the pub after she received some
0:10:11 > 0:10:13very good news at the hospital.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16She's been given the all-clear from cancer.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18I rang my sister when I came out and I said,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20"I must have had the luck of the Irish because it's gone."
0:10:20 > 0:10:24She was absolutely buzzing and all my kids were ringing me,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27her children and their daughters and sons.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30And it was fantastic, I couldn't believe it.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34We were so happy, we both cried. Obviously.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38It was just marvellous, just to see what people thought of Gill.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Everybody was absolutely over the moon, you know,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43that I'd got through it.
0:10:56 > 0:11:02This man is trying to steal a car, but he's in a sticky spot.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06He's a large thief and this is a very small vehicle.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11It's a little Smart car, but this guy clearly isn't so smart,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14because his every move is being caught on camera.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Someone has spotted what's going on and
0:11:16 > 0:11:20has started to film the would-be thief on his phone.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24He's also called over other people to surround the car
0:11:24 > 0:11:27so the thief can't get out.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31The man tries to get out of the passenger's door,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33but that's not happening.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37He jumps over to the driver's side, but that's not happening either.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Sunroof, maybe? Well, it might be a Smart car,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45but it isn't smart enough to have an ejector seat.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47For some reason, he's holding a screwdriver.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Perhaps he's realised how much he's screwed things up.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55A policeman soon arrives,
0:11:55 > 0:12:00arrests the man on the spot and releases him from captivity.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02But not for long.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06The thief has a string of previous convictions and ends up
0:12:06 > 0:12:09swapping one small space for another
0:12:09 > 0:12:12as he is jailed for 32 months.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Charities receive billions of pounds of donations from the public.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27And charity tins are a quick and easy way for that money to be
0:12:27 > 0:12:29collected. But unfortunately,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33they're also a quick and easy target for cold-hearted thieves.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39A retired copper finds himself with a new crime to solve.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I couldn't believe it, the charity box was gone.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44It's like the lowest of the low.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47But it doesn't prove to be an easy case to crack.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00Marske-by-the-Sea, a picturesque village on the edge of the North York Moors.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05The ideal spot for a bit of rest and relaxation, and a perfect place to
0:13:05 > 0:13:10retire for ex-police officer David after 27 years fighting crime.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15I love the area. Nice, honest, straightforward people.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19It's just a nice place to live. Everyone's down to earth.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Everyone is just nice and friendly.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24David isn't one for a pipe and slippers retirement.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29He makes gourmet Scotch eggs, which he sells in a local farmers' market.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33And he also looks after 50 rescued animals.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36We have two Shetland ponies,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40we have a number of commercial Exley hens.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I've got geese, I've got ducks, and people just come here
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and they end up dropping me them, the birds,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and I just look after the birds until their end of days.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52David's feathered friends provide him with
0:13:52 > 0:13:55a daily supply of fresh eggs, which he sells from
0:13:55 > 0:13:59a stall outside his house, even when he's not there.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04We have an honesty box, and people come along, drive up, they'll
0:14:04 > 0:14:08put the money in the box and then take the eggs and they'll drive off.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13I get the occasional short-change, but 99.9% of people are honest.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Next to David's honesty box,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19there's a charity tin for a cause close to his heart.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21My mother-in-law, who's 83,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25is recovering after six bouts of chemo for lymphoma.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29And what we decided to do when she first got diagnosed,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33we decided to get some collection boxes.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37But after years relying on his customers to do the right thing,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39David's trust is betrayed,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and he must use his police skills once more.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51It's a spring morning and David is tending to his animals.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53It was a normal, every day.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57I feed the ducks first, and then I go do my ponies. Let the birds out.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59As I'm walking back from the chicken house,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02I find a chain on the floor next to the table.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06I couldn't believe that, that the charity box was gone.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10David wants to find out what happened, and he can,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13because he's installed CCTV cameras.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Scanning through the recording,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21he sees a suspicious-looking man loitering near the table.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24I'm just watching him and I just thought, you know,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26he's up to no good, this one.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28David's instinct is spot-on.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33The man grabs some eggs and then checks out the honesty box
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and charity tin on the table.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42He seems to consider stealing them,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45then changes his mind and returns to the van.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53It's like he has, as people say, an angel on one shoulder
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and a devil on the other, but which will he listen to?
0:15:57 > 0:16:01He's thinking long and hard there about the honesty box.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Just checking his conscience, "Should I or shouldn't I?"
0:16:08 > 0:16:11It looks like the devil's won the debate.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15He covers his hand with his sleeve to avoid leaving fingerprints
0:16:15 > 0:16:19and nabs the cash customers have left in the honesty box.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22I was lost for words, and I'm not normally lost for words,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26and I couldn't believe what he'd done.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29He looks straight at the camera, but doesn't clock it.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Obviously he hasn't got a clue about the CCTV.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Even the chickens are keeping an eye on him.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Now he's getting confident,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40he thinks he can steal the eggs with his right hand
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and the charity tin with his left, but it's chained to the table.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Unbelievably, he tries to kick it off
0:16:48 > 0:16:50and has a second thought about it
0:16:50 > 0:16:56and goes and puts the eggs which he's stolen into his car,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59so he's obviously made a decision now what he's going to do.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And this uncharitable man isn't giving up.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05And then, what he does next is just, it's just incredible,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09he went back over to the charity box and snapped it,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11all within about three minutes,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15and I just couldn't believe what this person had done.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19David realises the crime took place when he was with his mother-in-law
0:17:19 > 0:17:22in hospital as she was undergoing chemotherapy.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I was absolutely gutted, I really...
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I was angry, I was, erm...
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I just didn't know what to think.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33But this thief's about to find out that stealing from
0:17:33 > 0:17:36a former copper is not a good move.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40David posts his footage on the internet with an appeal
0:17:40 > 0:17:42for information about the thief.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44When I put it on social media,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48the response from everybody was absolutely fantastic.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51There was people from the area where he was from,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54they were acting... Total, total disgust.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58The theft strikes a chord with the general public.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01When I checked, it was over 43,000 hits.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04It had gone absolutely viral.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Dozens of people identify the man
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and some extraordinary things start to happen.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13David receives an unexpected phone call
0:18:13 > 0:18:14from a friend of the thief,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18asking him to remove the incriminating footage from the internet.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I was very surprised that this had happened, because...
0:18:21 > 0:18:23I think it was just cos he was got bang to rights
0:18:23 > 0:18:25and the CCTV was so good.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29And the next day, David gets a surprise visit from someone
0:18:29 > 0:18:32he believes to be a friend or relative of the thief.
0:18:32 > 0:18:38Somebody turned up here in a car and put £100 through the letterbox.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41What they'd done, apparently, they had dropped off the person
0:18:41 > 0:18:44who'd been here and stolen the money at the police station,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47which isn't too far away, dropped the money off and then
0:18:47 > 0:18:51they'd gone back round to see them at the police station.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55An anonymous note posted with the £100 said £70 of it
0:18:55 > 0:18:57was to replace the stolen money
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and £30 was an extra donation to the charity.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03They wanted to do the best that they could,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07and I suppose that's the best they could do in the circumstances.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13In court, the man received a 12-month conditional discharge
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and was ordered to pay costs and charges.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25The way the case was solved restored David's faith in human nature.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I'm really, really pleased with the public response,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30I think the public, fantastic, all credit to them.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33They don't want to see people stealing things like this,
0:19:33 > 0:19:38so, you know, people are good, people are good, you know.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Social media is increasingly being used to help solve crimes,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51but how can victims of crime use the internet to best effect?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55My advice would be contact the police officer,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58show them the evidence that you have and explain to them what
0:19:58 > 0:20:00you would like to do, because it may well be that in fact
0:20:00 > 0:20:02the police can do that on your behalf.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06We feel it's really important that victims work with us
0:20:06 > 0:20:09before they think about putting them on social media.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13One of the main reasons for that is it might impact on
0:20:13 > 0:20:17the ongoing investigation and stop us bringing offenders to justice.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20It could be that you alert the criminal as to what you know
0:20:20 > 0:20:23and the fact that police are looking for them and they could get rid of
0:20:23 > 0:20:27the property that they've stolen, or change their appearance in some way.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30It's really important that if you think you've got CCTV footage
0:20:30 > 0:20:34of an offender committing a crime, you share it with the police.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Amongst Yorkshire folk, there's a firm belief that their county's
0:20:48 > 0:20:50fish and chips are the best in the world...
0:20:53 > 0:20:57..which is why 14 years ago Jo's uncle John decided to open
0:20:57 > 0:21:00his fish and chip restaurant in York.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03It just took off from there, it was massive.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05We've always been a close family, and I got
0:21:05 > 0:21:08a phone call off John asking me if I wanted to come and be manager,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11so I handed my notice in, been here ever since.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Nearly half the 30-strong staff, including Jo's partner Matty,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19are family members.
0:21:19 > 0:21:2280% of their customers are loyal regulars.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26It is all about quality. John never skimps on anything.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31The family doesn't skimp on security measures, either.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37There are 12 CCTV cameras and silent alarms which are linked to a local
0:21:37 > 0:21:41security company where operators are alerted if there's an intruder.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45The monitoring station can watch every camera, so as soon as
0:21:45 > 0:21:49the cameras are activated, they'll see 12 big screens of exactly what's
0:21:49 > 0:21:52happening, they'll know who's in what room and whereabouts they are.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Jo and Matty live nearby,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and they receive a call if an alarm is triggered,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01which does sometimes happen if trespassers wander onto the site.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03It's always like panic, really, like there's someone,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05yeah, summat not good.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10But one autumn night, the family gets an alert which turns out to be
0:22:10 > 0:22:14far more dangerous than anything they've experienced before.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It's four o'clock on a Tuesday morning in November
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and the fish and chip restaurant's CCTV cameras
0:22:24 > 0:22:26are about to earn their keep.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31An outside light is triggered at the back of the restaurant
0:22:31 > 0:22:34by three men in hoodies.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38They cut the building's phone lines, believing it will stop
0:22:38 > 0:22:42the alarm alerting the police, but the system has another way
0:22:42 > 0:22:44of contacting the security company,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and their operator calls Jo and Matty.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49As soon as they're phoning at ten to four in the morning,
0:22:49 > 0:22:50you know there's a problem.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54It was the alarm company saying there's three lads round the back.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57We thought it was just some young lads,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00so I just jumped in the car and came down as quick as I could.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04It just sort of went, I was on the phone to the alarm company,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06I was on the phone to the police at the same time,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08I was telling my kids to get dressed.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12One of the intruders uses a spade to break a window.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19At home, Jo gets continuous updates from the security company.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21I was trying to tell the police what he was telling me,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23so they knew what to expect when they got here.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26An intruder climbs through the window.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30In the darkness, he throws a computer to the floor
0:23:30 > 0:23:33and stamps on it, thinking it controls the CCTV.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38He then turns the light on.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40The computer's badly damaged,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44but live pictures are still being fed to the security company.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Another burglar joins him
0:23:46 > 0:23:48and they start rifling drawers for money.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54But Jo always locks any cash in the safe before going home at night.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56I don't know what they thought they were going to get,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59they were never going to get into the safe. I mean,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01it's a combination safe that's built into the floor,
0:24:01 > 0:24:02it was impossible.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06One man heads through to the takeaway area
0:24:06 > 0:24:08to see if he can access the tills.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14He tries levering the cash drawer open with a sharp kitchen knife...
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and then resorts to brute force.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20There's nothing left in the tills on a night,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23all the float and everything's taken out of there.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27The man in the office keeps trying and failing to open the safe.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30He takes his frustration out on the computer.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33The computer's on the floor and they were jumping on it.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36They went through all the drawers, they found some keys
0:24:36 > 0:24:39in a drawer and they must've thought they were for the safe.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42He goes through to his accomplice by the tills.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45A third burglar climbs in and rushes to the others.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Then, outside, Matty arrives in his car
0:24:50 > 0:24:52and starts looking for intruders.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56I saw a car parked in the corner of the car park.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00I thought, it must have been summat to do with...them being here.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02As Matty turns the car round,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05his headlights sweep inside the restaurant.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08It spooks the burglars and they run.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17I go round the back to see...if there was anyone else here
0:25:17 > 0:25:20and saw somebody jumping over the fence.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Meanwhile, Jo's driving to the restaurant
0:25:24 > 0:25:26with her two children in the car.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29She couldn't stay at home any longer.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31It's a family business, I felt like they were taking from me,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35that's why I reacted like I did and I thought, the police will be here,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38so then, you feel some sort of safety.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40But the police haven't arrived yet,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and Matty doesn't know where the burglars are.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46He reverses up to tell Jo about the danger.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Jo pulled in and I told her that they were still here,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51so I just told her to... to get herself out of here.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53It was really scary.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It was not knowing where they were, for me.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59There was Matty in big danger, but there was another three of us
0:25:59 > 0:26:02that I was going to put in danger, so I had to go.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Jo drives off.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07A few minutes later, the police arrive.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It was a relief, yeah, when, er, the police turned up.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Jo takes the children to her parents nearby,
0:26:14 > 0:26:18then she returns to find the police searching the building
0:26:18 > 0:26:20and some land behind the restaurant.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23The police helicopter came, police dogs came,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26it was pitch-black dark going through Strensall Common.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28The burglars managed to get away from the site,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31but their freedom is short-lived.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34I sort of knew they'd get caught, they left too much here,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36there was blood on the till,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39they found things outside that they'd left.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I know they'd burgled somewhere before here,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44because we heard it on the police radios.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I always thought the police already sort of knew who they were.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50The police DO know who they are,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and what they told Matty and Jo comes as a great shock.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58They realise they may have been in greater danger than they thought,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00because the burglars were part of a five-man gang
0:27:00 > 0:27:04which had used weapons to terrorise victims.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06We didn't know how dangerous these people were,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08we didn't know that they'd been attacking houses
0:27:08 > 0:27:10with meat cleavers and weapons.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13We just thought we were walking into a load of kids round the back.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17The quality of Matty and Jo's camera footage helped to catch the gang.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21In court, the five men were sentenced
0:27:21 > 0:27:25to a combined total of more than 47 years in prison.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Looking back, Jo now thinks they should've waited for the police
0:27:32 > 0:27:35before going to the restaurant that night.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38We didn't know these people were dangerous and it wasn't till
0:27:38 > 0:27:41the police told us who they were, and it was in the paper,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45and you'd read the stories, what they'd done to other people...
0:27:45 > 0:27:47that it was really scary.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51It was a very dangerous situation that luckily ended well.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55And for the family's fish and chip business,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58it was back to work that same morning.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00My main thing was, we need to be open for half-eleven,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04we have 80% regular customers that want everything as normal.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Sort of shut the door to the office and opened as usual.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14That's all for today.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Join us next time to see some other villains, who've been caught...
0:28:17 > 0:28:18red-handed.