0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cash, our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12But now the police are using cutting-edge technology
0:00:12 > 0:00:14to catch the bad guys.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16CCTV is gold dust.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Great evidence for the police.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19Got to have him stopped.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Local councils, shops and businesses
0:00:21 > 0:00:24are fighting crime with 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 > 0:00:33get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35It makes me feel so angry.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37He's paid the price. He's been dealt with.
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 > 0:00:45They might just get caught red-handed.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56Today, brave Elena survived one of Italy's biggest earthquakes,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00but finds herself in even more danger on the streets of Manchester.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04I started a new life in another country that doesn't shake.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I didn't think that actually something could happen to me here.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12No earthquakes in Manchester, but Elena suddenly fears for her life
0:01:12 > 0:01:16again at the hands of a vicious street robber.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19The violence involved in it, it could have killed me.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Also today, Robin runs a thriving tourist centre.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31His pedal powered go-karts are one of the most popular attractions.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37Until late one night, £1,500 worth of the go-karts go missing.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41These kids are out on the rampage. Where do they live?
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Why weren't they missed?
0:01:43 > 0:01:46But Robin's go-karts certainly are missed.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48He needs to track down the thieves.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56But first, 84-year-old Diana has raised thousands of pounds
0:01:56 > 0:01:57for charity.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02But while she's been doing good deeds,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05someone has uncharitably been stealing from her
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and husband Norman over and over again.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10I just felt sick.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12She held a job of trust.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14It's just unbelievable.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18But Diana's son Stephen wants to outsmart the thief
0:02:18 > 0:02:20who's deceived his parents.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23You see clips of my poor father shuffling into the kitchen to
0:02:23 > 0:02:28make this woman a cup of tea, while she's raiding my mum's handbag.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29That's really hard.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42The village of Oxspring near Barnsley is home
0:02:42 > 0:02:46to 84-year-old great-grandmother Diana and her husband Norman.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49They've been happily married for 63 years.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53I was born in Barnsley, bought up in Barnsley.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55My father was a policeman.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58He took a pub just down the road here
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and that's where I met my husband.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Diana took to life in the country,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05working hard with Norman to make a success of his
0:03:05 > 0:03:09local butchery business, whilst also bringing up their two sons,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Michael and Stephen, on the family farm.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Mum is a very bubbly character.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18She lives life and has lived life to the full.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21She's a person who makes things happen.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23When she and Norman retired,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Diana didn't want to just put her feet up and relax.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28I was very active.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Did a lot of charity work, especially for Bluebell Wood,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34the children's hospice.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35She's done some zany things.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I mean, she did a fancy dress at the Women's Institute.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41They went as calendar girls with the Yorkshire Post newspaper
0:03:41 > 0:03:44around them. She's that sort of person. She likes to have a laugh.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49Diana helped raise £87,000 for the children's hospice.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53With her heart set on reaching 100,000,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55poor health began to hold her back.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Mum's been in and out of hospital a lot of times.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59She's both false knees, hips,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02shoulders and she's got a back implant as well.
0:04:02 > 0:04:08It's made me lame, which has reduced me to that silly pusher.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Because I'm in the Isle of Man, we feel awkward, you know,
0:04:11 > 0:04:12we can't help.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Recently, Diana's health deteriorated to the point
0:04:17 > 0:04:21she needed to hire a carer, but the woman she trusted to look after her
0:04:21 > 0:04:23proved to be anything but caring.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30It's late summer, and at a charity lunch,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Diana is discussing her personal care needs with two women
0:04:33 > 0:04:36who have also come along to the function.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Diana's worried about the cost of care,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41but one of the women has a proposition.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44She says, "You know, Diana, don't bother with council carers
0:04:44 > 0:04:48"and other carers. We'll help you if you pay us."
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Oh, I thought, "That's lovely." You know?
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Diana hires both women on the spot to help her and Norman
0:04:55 > 0:04:56with general household tasks.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01We were very pleased when she told us that she'd got someone local.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05We thought, "That's great, and if Mum's happy, we're happy."
0:05:05 > 0:05:09For over 12 months, the arrangement works well for Diana and Norman.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13The women become not just carers, but companions, too.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Mum took them on holiday and paid for them
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and they were like family, really.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22But those happy times are not to last.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25In October, over a year after the arrangement started,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Diana begins to find her pension money,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30which she keeps in her handbag in the kitchen,
0:05:30 > 0:05:31is less than it should be.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37I said to a friend of mine, "I don't know what's happening to my money.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39"I don't seem to have any."
0:05:39 > 0:05:41We didn't like asking what she was spending her money on
0:05:41 > 0:05:43because it's none of our business, really.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45And she's with it enough to tell us that, as well.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48"It's none of your business what I'm doing with my money!"
0:05:48 > 0:05:49I thought I was going daft.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51You know, I thought there's something happening here,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53I'm losing my marbles.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56A month later, Diana's still noticing that money
0:05:56 > 0:05:58is going missing.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01So, for peace of mind, Stephen installs a hidden camera,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04disguised as a burglar alarm sensor
0:06:04 > 0:06:07to keep an eye on his mum's handbag.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11This process of putting the camera in was just one way of eliminating
0:06:11 > 0:06:14certain things. It could have been any visitor, couldn't it,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16coming in and possibly taking money.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18As Stephen lives on the Isle of Man,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22he sets up a large hard drive to record several weeks' worth
0:06:22 > 0:06:25of video that he can check next time he visits.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28It's like my eye, if you like, on this house.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31When Stephen returns to see his mum and dad,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35his wife's suspicions are raised before they even look
0:06:35 > 0:06:37at the CCTV recordings.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Carol happened to walk into the kitchen and she saw the carer doing
0:06:41 > 0:06:43something with Mum's bag.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Straight away then, it was red alert.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49But of course, have we got anything on this camera
0:06:49 > 0:06:51that's been quietly sat there?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56As soon as they get home, Stephen and his wife check the video.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Quite quickly we came across one clip showing the carer
0:07:02 > 0:07:05with her hand in Mum's handbag.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Stephen watches on, horrified, as the extent of the thieving unfolds.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I found another clip...
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and another...
0:07:16 > 0:07:17and another.
0:07:17 > 0:07:23And the monotonous regularity of this was incredible.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27He stays up all night viewing weeks and weeks of footage,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30determined to find every theft caught on camera.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35I finished on Saturday lunchtime, I had 60 odd clips.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37It's not opportunistic at all.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39It's very carefully thought out.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42She looked in the cheque book, so she knew how much money
0:07:42 > 0:07:45was coming in on a certain day and then she's there,
0:07:45 > 0:07:46counting, on her fingers.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51You know, and then, making an adjustment.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Then you see clips of my poor father shuffling into the kitchen
0:07:56 > 0:07:59to make this woman a cup of tea, while she's
0:07:59 > 0:08:01raiding my mum's handbag. I mean...
0:08:04 > 0:08:06That's really hard.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08That's really hard.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12With a heavy heart, he has to break the news to his mother
0:08:12 > 0:08:16that the carer she regarded as a close friend is nothing of the sort.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I said, "Mum, sorry, I've got some bad news for you.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21"Your carer's been stealing from you."
0:08:21 > 0:08:23But she didn't really believe me.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25She didn't want to believe me, really.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29"She can't be." I said, "Mum, just wait, I'll show you this."
0:08:29 > 0:08:33When she sees the video, Diana can't believe her eyes.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34I just felt sick.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36I just felt...
0:08:36 > 0:08:39that somebody had hit me.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40She held a job of trust.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45How she could do it, it's just unbelievable.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49What upsets Diana most is the cold, calculating way the carer
0:08:49 > 0:08:52pulled the wool over her eyes.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56She puts me in the shower, straight in, sat down,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58handbag, straight up,
0:08:58 > 0:08:59pocket...
0:09:02 > 0:09:04She is so slick.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07One day, she came back three times.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09She even went in on Christmas Day!
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Awful.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Stephen takes the video evidence to the police
0:09:17 > 0:09:18and the woman is arrested.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22After analysing the footage themselves,
0:09:22 > 0:09:28the police estimate that, all in all, she stole £3,600 from Diana.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33I think she should be made to watch it, to see what she did.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35That's something I feel really strong about.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I don't think she thought it were any thing wrong.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40She mustn't have done or she wouldn't have gone on
0:09:40 > 0:09:41doing it, would she?
0:09:45 > 0:09:49In court, the woman pleaded guilty to theft
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and was jailed for ten months.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Diana no longer keeps cash in the house
0:09:58 > 0:10:02and has put her trust in new care providers.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I'm really happy with the new carers.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06They're very, very nice.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09They see to me and help me and they're very good,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11very kind and very good.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13That's what you need.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Mum's a determined person.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17You know, she's had a lot of problems with her health
0:10:17 > 0:10:20and battled through that, and so she's stayed strong through this.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I've put it behind me now,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24and I look forward to each day as it comes.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40A lot of couples like to go shopping together,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42but this pair set about it in a devious way.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46They spot a mirror they fancy outside a shop.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49A few minutes later,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53the man returns without his walking stick,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56and looking as fit as a butcher's dog, he pinches it.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Another security camera shows how he then stashes it in the car park
0:11:00 > 0:11:02behind the very shop he's stolen it from,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06while his girlfriend waits for him, stick in hand.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14Next, he calls a cab to take them and their stolen mirror home.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18But in the end, all this reflects rather badly on the thief,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22as his crime and his face have been caught on camera.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25The police simply call the taxi company to get his address
0:11:25 > 0:11:29and next thing, he's in court being sentenced to four years in prison
0:11:29 > 0:11:32for multiple counts of theft and other offences.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Now, that should give him ample time to take a long, hard look
0:11:35 > 0:11:37at himself.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Being robbed is a horrendous experience,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48made even worse if physical assault is involved.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51But sometimes, there are good Samaritans on hand
0:11:51 > 0:11:53to help bring the thief to justice.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Manchester's city cameras show the moment an Italian woman,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03who's made the city her new home, is violently attacked, mugged
0:12:03 > 0:12:05and hurled to the ground.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10The attacker's made sure that his defenceless victim can't fight back.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13But he hasn't reckoned on these two burly witnesses
0:12:13 > 0:12:14and what happens next.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17It was amazing.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21They ran after him in a very dark road.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23The guy could have been armed.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Like most major cities, Manchester has problems with violent crime,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39but that didn't deter 31-year-old Elena from leaving rural Italy
0:12:39 > 0:12:42to live here seven years ago as a student.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Manchester is my second home.
0:12:46 > 0:12:52This city has given me everything I could possibly ask for.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56But one of Britain's largest cities is a far cry from the quiet life
0:12:56 > 0:12:57she left behind.
0:12:57 > 0:13:03I come from a little city in Italy called L'Aquila.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08Everyone knows each other, it's virtually crime free.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13It may be safe from crime, but Elena's hometown is prone
0:13:13 > 0:13:17to natural disasters, and in 2009, when she returned to L'Aquila
0:13:17 > 0:13:20to visit her family, a massive earthquake struck.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23I was in the house where I grew up.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26The symbol, for me, of safety.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29And the actual house crumbled on me.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33I didn't have the time to realise what was happening.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35It was just survival mode.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38You need to leave the house, you need to leave your belongings,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40you just need to survive.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It wasn't just Elena's hometown that was left in ruins.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Her family lost their house and savings too.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51When she came back to Manchester,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53she needed to finance her studies herself.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00I had to find a job to support myself and study and, you know,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04build around me from nothing.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07And I did. A new life in another country that doesn't shake.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12And a lot of good things have happened to Elena since then -
0:14:12 > 0:14:15starting a part-time job with an airline, getting married,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and, three years ago, having a baby boy.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22But then, on the streets of her new hometown,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26she suddenly had to face the second terrifying ordeal of her life.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35It's a dark night in January
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and Elena is at a colleague's leaving do
0:14:38 > 0:14:40in the centre of Manchester.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46It was probably just after midnight that I decided to leave
0:14:46 > 0:14:48because it was getting late.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Elena begins the short walk towards the bus stop.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54On the way, she pulls out her purse to find the fare
0:14:54 > 0:14:58and her phone to text her husband that she's on her way home.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03At that point, some random guy approached me, offering me a nut.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07She's very wary of this strange man.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10I thought, "Leave me alone!"
0:15:10 > 0:15:15And carried on, just minding my own business.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Elena crosses the road and is now just yards from her bus stop,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20when the man suddenly pounces.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26The city's CCTV cameras show what happens next.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Elena is mugged and violently hurled down onto the pavement.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37I was attacked by a man who would steal all my things
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and threw me on the floor.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44The man makes off with Elena's purse and mobile phone,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46leaving her dazed on the pavement.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49It was just completely state of shock.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55While one passer-by rushes to help Elena,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58two doormen from a nearby pub set off after the robber.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06In half a second, the bouncers made the call to run after the guy.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08It was amazing.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12The mugger proves no match for the two burly bouncers.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14They soon catch up with him,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18dragging him back to face his victim at the scene of the crime.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22When the bouncers came back with the offender,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24they handed me my stuff back.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29It highlighted that there are people out there that are...
0:16:29 > 0:16:33incredible and...
0:16:33 > 0:16:34Sorry.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39The bouncers hold the man until the police arrived to arrest him.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43After taking her statement, the officers escort Elena home.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47My husband came to open the door
0:16:47 > 0:16:50and I just broke down in tears.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Even though she's now safely back home, in the days that followed,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Elena struggles to cope with the emotional trauma of her ordeal.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05I didn't realise straightaway how much of an impact
0:17:05 > 0:17:07that this whole thing had on me.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11When I walk in the street and suddenly I can feel
0:17:11 > 0:17:15my heartbeat racing and racing and racing,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18and then I start nervously to look around myself,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21like something is going to happen now.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23Ten weeks after the assault,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Elena decides to try to conquer her fear by attending the hearing at
0:17:27 > 0:17:28Manchester Crown Court.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33I wanted to look the guy that attacked me in the eyes.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35I had to do that for myself.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39It's painful, but I think that it's really, really important
0:17:39 > 0:17:44that the victim takes active part in the whole process.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Elena had bravely faced her fears and she saw justice served.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56The man pleaded guilty to robbery and was sent to prison
0:17:56 > 0:17:58for 18 months.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Elena has now put her ordeal behind her
0:18:07 > 0:18:11and she can even bring herself to watch the CCTV recording
0:18:11 > 0:18:13of the attack.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Look at that. This is the actual offender
0:18:16 > 0:18:21and that's when we have this kind of fight between us.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25It isn't real.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Elena may have been a victim of crime on its streets,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32but she has no regrets making Manchester her second home.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36This is not what Manchester is.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The people here are so lovely and so friendly
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and I always felt at home in Manchester.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45It's my city. I love it to bits.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Nearly two million people are victims of street crime every year.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00So, what can we do to increase our chances of not falling prey
0:19:00 > 0:19:04to the bag snatchers, the muggers and the pickpockets?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07If it's dark, or perhaps you're in a vulnerable area and you don't quite
0:19:07 > 0:19:10feel so safe on your own, and you haven't got anybody else
0:19:10 > 0:19:14to walk with, perhaps tailgate with another group of people
0:19:14 > 0:19:16so that there are some people around you,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20because a wannabe thief would be put off by this.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22The other thing to do is to make sure that you're sticking to
0:19:22 > 0:19:26well-lit areas and walk closer to the road at night.
0:19:26 > 0:19:32Because, obviously, you want a wide berth of alleyways or dark corners.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Put your shoulders back, look confident,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36look as if you know where you're going to,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40and I think you're less likely to be targeted by an offender.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42We all like to listen to music and wear headphones,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45but just have a think about how that leaves you.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47People can sneak up behind you,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50you don't know what's going on, headphones can be distracting.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Having your phone out on show can immediately make you a target,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57so think about the circumstances you need to use your phone.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Is it a must?
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Can it wait till later on?
0:20:01 > 0:20:03And if so, then tuck the phone away somewhere safely
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and obviously reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19If you think there's something odd about these two women, you're right.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22That's because it's actually two men in drag.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23This isn't a joke, though.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It's more like a scene from a horror film
0:20:25 > 0:20:27because these are armed robbers.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33But the cross-dressing criminals are so unconvincing,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35other customers turn and stare, and soon realise
0:20:35 > 0:20:39they need to scarper fast when the men whip out weapons
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and demand money from the postmaster.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47After stuffing their handbags with cash, the robbers make a run for it,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49but outside, they get a dressing-down
0:20:49 > 0:20:52from members of the public who bravely tackle them.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57The robbers abandon the cash and are later caught by the police.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03It turns out that the men posing as mother and daughter are actually
0:21:03 > 0:21:04father and son.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Dad's in the wheelchair, with an imitation shotgun
0:21:07 > 0:21:09hidden under his blanket.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13For this robbery and other offences,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16the man is sentenced to 18 years in prison.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21His son gets eight years in a young offenders' institution.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22They must be sitting in their cells
0:21:22 > 0:21:25regretting the day they dressed in drag.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29It really was a harebrained scheme because it was DNA taken from
0:21:29 > 0:21:31their wigs that helped convict them.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It's late at night in a popular Scottish tourist centre,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46when youths break in and make off with five go-karts.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49But the centre's director sets out on the track
0:21:49 > 0:21:51of getting his go-karts back.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Having CCTV gives us a good chance of solving the mystery.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Almond Valley Heritage Centre is based in Livingston,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11one of Scotland's newest towns.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15It was set up by the community to preserve links to the past.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18They saved the local mill from demolition and built a centre to
0:22:18 > 0:22:20commemorate the early oil industry
0:22:20 > 0:22:22that originally made the area famous.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Robin has been the director here since 1990.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I'm passionate about heritage and industrial heritage particularly,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35so I was privileged to be the first member of staff taken on here.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36And I'm still here.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Over the years, Robin has watched the centre grow into one
0:22:43 > 0:22:46of the area's most popular tourist attractions.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51We're here to promote understanding of the local heritage,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54but not in a way that's obvious and like being at school.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59People are here to have fun and enjoy themselves as family groups.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04And one of the things families most enjoy is the pedal-powered go-karts.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It's one area where people are quite willing to queue up for a wee while
0:23:07 > 0:23:09to actually get their turn.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12And certainly with the older children,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16it's one of the most favoured areas of the whole site.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17But as Robin will soon find out,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21his go-karts aren't just popular with law-abiding locals.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31It's 2am on a summer Sunday morning.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34The centre's long since closed for the night.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37But suddenly, it has some unexpected visitors.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Two figures can be seen on CCTV.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The first of them pedalling one of the centre's go-karts.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Then another appears, then even more.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54And these intruders are well off the go-karts' beaten track.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56This concourse leads to the centre's exit.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01The gang is raiding the charity's prime attraction.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04One, two, three,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06four, five go-karts in total.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13A few hours later, Robin comes in to open up the centre
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and notices signs of disturbance around the go-kart compound.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Finding a litter bin in an odd position,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22where perhaps it had been used as a step stool or a ladder,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25immediately struck me as being odd.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Then Robin looks into the enclosure and sees the go-karts have gone.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32There's big spaces there.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33There's obviously a lot of them missing.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39In total, the five go-karts are worth £1,500.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Stealing them would have been far from easy.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45The thieves were clearly determined and well-organised.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47The compound is right in the middle of our site,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50so people would have to climb over fences and go quite a long way
0:24:50 > 0:24:53before they actually approach the compound.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57And the compound itself is surrounded by a high fence.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00As the gate was locked, the thieves must have manhandled
0:25:00 > 0:25:02the heavy go-karts over the top.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05These are big, heavy, steel frame things.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07It must have taken quite a lot of coordination
0:25:07 > 0:25:09and quite a lot of effort.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Robin is even more shocked when he checks the CCTV footage and realises
0:25:13 > 0:25:17the young age of his unwelcome late-night visitors.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21They're obviously not fully grown adults.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24There's some very sort of slender figures there.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27And we thought that one looked like a girl.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30But certainly these aren't burly burglars.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34This was two o'clock in the morning, or there afterwards.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37These kids are out on the rampage.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38Where do they live?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40What were their parents doing?
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Why weren't they missed?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45The youths might not be missed,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but the centre is definitely missing its £300 go-karts.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52We would need to replace those go-karts.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55But in the meantime, not having those go-karts there,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58which would be a bad thing for our visitors.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03The day after the theft, Robin puts the CCTV video online,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08asking for help tracking down the thieves and the go-karts.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Having that CCTV gives us a good chance of good folks
0:26:12 > 0:26:15getting back to us and solving the mystery.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19The response from the Livingston community is astonishing.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22People were sharing these things with their friends and asking their
0:26:22 > 0:26:26friends whether they knew anything about it, and...
0:26:26 > 0:26:28it was just really outstanding.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33Within 24 hours, the video is viewed over 100,000 times.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Locals launch an intensive search all over Livingston
0:26:36 > 0:26:40and it rapidly pays dividends.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43It seems these go-karts sort of took a devious route through bits of
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Livingston and many were found in different places,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49so they all had their little stories to tell.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Somebody saw go-karts being pushed past the hospital
0:26:52 > 0:26:54very early in the morning.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57One of the members of staff here saw a go-kart suspiciously
0:26:57 > 0:27:01sitting out of a bush on the way to work.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04That was the first one that we actually went out to recover.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06I think many of the others were recovered the next morning
0:27:06 > 0:27:10when there were folks out walking dogs in parks.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13It looks like Robin's successful internet campaign has encouraged the
0:27:13 > 0:27:16youths to get rid of their stolen goods in an attempt
0:27:16 > 0:27:18to avoid detection.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19But they don't.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Soon, the police track down the offenders.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27They looked at the social media and all the comments
0:27:27 > 0:27:32and I think they had got a good idea who had been behind it,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and it was very satisfying to know that people had actually been held
0:27:35 > 0:27:37to account for what had happened.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43For the theft of the go-karts,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47eight young people were charged and referred for supervision.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Robin now secures the go-karts by chaining them together overnight.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56And the local support he received has reassured him
0:27:56 > 0:28:01that the Heritage Centre is also secure in the town's affections.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06Really heart-warmed by the response that we got back from everybody.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09A real triumph of people power, I think.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12People are good people and people want to help
0:28:12 > 0:28:13in this sort of situation.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15We're very grateful for that.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23That's all for today.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Thousands of criminals are captured on camera every year.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Make sure you join us next time to see more villains
0:28:29 > 0:28:31who have been caught red-handed.