0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cash, our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:07just 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 > 0:00:19- Great evidence for the police. - Going 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 > 0:00:29And the public are using secret cameras
0:00:29 > 0:00:33to make sure crooks get 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 > 0:00:53Today,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57a burglar who doesn't care whose flat he's breaking into.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01My drawers were wide-open, it just felt really creepy.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03I almost felt like there was a presence in there.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06But the villain made a serious mistake
0:01:06 > 0:01:08because Andrea is a criminologist
0:01:08 > 0:01:11and knows a thing or two about catching thieves.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Also today, just after Christmas,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19a callous intruder raids a pub and plunders its storeroom
0:01:19 > 0:01:22without a thought for anyone else.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Young bar manager Liam is left feeling he's the guilty one.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28It was just horrific, to be fair.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30I just can't believe I didn't hear anything at all.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36And a sports car driver slams on his brakes suddenly
0:01:36 > 0:01:39and for no reason at all.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43So, the innocent woman in the van behind can't avoid hitting him.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47It's exactly what the sports car driver wanted
0:01:47 > 0:01:50because this is no accident, this is crash for cash.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54To be a lone female in a tunnel and being shouted at
0:01:54 > 0:01:56is not a nice situation to be in.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Look down any street and you will see
0:02:05 > 0:02:08there are an increasing number of homes with CCTV.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12But there are also a lot of hidden cameras around that you can't see.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19The London Borough of Croydon.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Home to criminology lecturer Andrea.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26She lives in a block of flats with her teenage son
0:02:26 > 0:02:28who goes to a nearby college.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30I live in a nice neighbourhood.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33You do kind of look out for each other.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37If anything does happen, we all come out in support.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40And when, one day, Andrea's neighbours complained about
0:02:40 > 0:02:42someone smoking in the communal hallway,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44their landlord sent round some men
0:02:44 > 0:02:47to secretly install a camera disguised as a smoke alarm
0:02:47 > 0:02:49to help him catch the culprit.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53There were two guys out there and they were doing
0:02:53 > 0:02:57a little bit too much work for it to be a smoke alarm.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59So, I said, "Is that a smoke alarm?"
0:02:59 > 0:03:03And they said, "Yes, it's a smoke alarm, definitely a smoke alarm."
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I was like, "No, it's not, it's a camera.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07They said, "No, no, it's definitely a smoke alarm."
0:03:07 > 0:03:11When we came in, we'd dance in front of it and smile and wave at it
0:03:11 > 0:03:14because we thought it was quite entertaining.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Not much gets past Andrea.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18That's a criminologist for you.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21She originally decided to study the world of crime
0:03:21 > 0:03:24after landing a job in a solicitor's office.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29I ended up going to my local college, where I met this teacher
0:03:29 > 0:03:34who told me about criminology and encouraged me to go to university.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36I thought, "OK, well, you know,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39"I'm pretty smart, let me go and do it."
0:03:39 > 0:03:40So, I ended up doing criminology
0:03:40 > 0:03:44and I was inspired by one of my lecturers to become a teacher.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46But little did Andrea know,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48she'd soon have her very own crime case to study.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54It's 10am on a week day,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and while Andrea is out teaching about crime at college,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01there's a burglar trying to break into her home.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Even though Andrea's door is reinforced, he doesn't give up.
0:04:09 > 0:04:1220 minutes later, he's in, and along with an accomplice,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14looting her possessions.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19At college, Andrea is in the middle of teaching
0:04:19 > 0:04:21and normally, mobile phones are banned in class.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I was quite shocked when my own phone started ringing.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27I made a bit of a joke at first and I said,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31"That's one of you lot's phone, I'm not going to tell you again."
0:04:31 > 0:04:32And we all chuckled about it.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36But the laughing stopped when Andrea finds it's her son calling
0:04:36 > 0:04:39to tell her they've been burgled.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I just felt my legs buckle, I felt as if...
0:04:43 > 0:04:45I just didn't get it.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47It was almost as if somebody had taken my breath away
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and I just didn't know what else to do.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Andrea races to her house, dreading what she will find.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56I just don't remember the car journey home.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I was still quite dazed,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00so I was quite glad that my neighbour was there.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04She records the scene of devastation on her phone.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08I just thought, "Well, what's gone on here?"
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Because they took the whole door off, including the frame.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It was an awful feeling.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17This is my home, this is where I live and I love it here.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21And somebody has come in and they've taken that feeling of warmth,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23my community feeling away from me,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26because I felt this was no longer my home.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31A large television is missing from the lounge, and that's not all.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34A laptop that my previous employer had given me
0:05:34 > 0:05:37had gone and it had lots of memories on it.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40As Andrea walks into her bedroom, her heart sinks.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45I just felt really, really sick
0:05:45 > 0:05:48because I noticed my drawers were wide open.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Not all of my drawers, mainly my underwear drawer.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55My bed was just all dishevelled because they'd taken my quilt cover.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It just felt really creepy.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01I almost felt like there was a presence in there.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Andrea's jewellery box, containing a ring her mother gave her, has gone.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Every time I would look at that ring,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11it would just remind me of my mum.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13And that broke my heart.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15It was just so personal to me.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18If they had asked me, they could have had the rest,
0:06:18 > 0:06:19just not that one.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25But Andrea soon switches back into criminologist mode
0:06:25 > 0:06:27and remembers the hidden camera in the hallway.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I said to the police, "Oh, my gosh, that's a camera."
0:06:31 > 0:06:33He said, "It's a fire alarm."
0:06:33 > 0:06:35"No, no, it's a camera, it's actually a camera.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38"Look." He was like, "Well, where's the lens?"
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I said, "Look, it's right there," and I showed him.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42He said, "OK, who's got the footage?"
0:06:42 > 0:06:44I said, "My landlord's got the footage.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45"I'm going to phone them."
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Andrea's vigilance proves to be a breakthrough.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54The police get hold of the footage and can't believe their eyes.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58The burglar is caught in the act and so is his accomplice.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06The villain wears gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11The camera shows how he checks no-one's around
0:07:11 > 0:07:12that can hear him break in.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18He uses a crowbar to try to lever open Andrea's sturdy front door.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25DCI Mick Neville from the Met's forensic image team
0:07:25 > 0:07:29realises he's dealing with an experienced thief.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30What was unusual about this case
0:07:30 > 0:07:33was the determination of the burglar to get in.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Normally, the burglar will try and crowbar the door,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38and if that fails, may move on, but for whatever reason,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40he really did attack this door
0:07:40 > 0:07:44and took some substantial amount of time to access the premises.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46This is no casual criminal.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51He takes a full 20 minutes to rip off the door frame, piece by piece.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55It's rare for a burglar to go to such lengths.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03He forces the door open and heads straight for Andrea's belongings.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08The thief had gone through all the drawers in the victim's bedroom.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I think that's a real violation of privacy
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and it really does make people frightened.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15And this is why burglary is such a wicked crime.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19The thief uses Andrea's duvet to carry off his ill-gotten gains.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24The footage is sent to a special police video unit in Croydon
0:08:24 > 0:08:28where it is analysed and then dispatched to other boroughs.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30At the Metropolitan Police,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32we're very good at dealing with CCTV images,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and particularly passing them across police borders.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Because you can have the best CCTV image in the world,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41but unless the right officer, or member of the public,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44looks at it and makes an identification, it's little use.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50All over London, police officers examine the footage
0:08:50 > 0:08:52to see if they can identify the felon.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58At home, Andrea is struggling to come to terms with the intrusion.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02She fears she was deliberately targeted by the burglars.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06It was just really difficult for me to grasp the fact that
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I didn't understand why they'd gone into my room.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11I guess I thought it was personal at that point.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It was the fear of the unknown.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16But soon, Andrea will be able to rest easy.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19There's been a further breakthrough in her case.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22An officer in Lambeth has identified the crook
0:09:22 > 0:09:24and the police pounce.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27By the very next morning, they had a warrant,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29they raided his home address,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32he was quickly arrested and taken to Croydon Police Station.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35It's a massive relief for Andrea.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Finding out it was somebody completely random
0:09:39 > 0:09:41made me feel so much better about it.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45I realised that it wasn't personal.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50It was a burglary, and it happens to many people.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52But I had to come to that conclusion by myself.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54It didn't matter what my friends were telling me.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I had to feel it for myself.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01In court, the man pleaded guilty to burglary
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and admitted to 18 other offences.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06His sentence, four years in prison.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12His accomplice pleaded guilty to trespass and theft
0:10:12 > 0:10:14and received a youth rehabilitation order.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Andrea, working out that the smoke alarm was nothing of the sort,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and telling the police it was a hidden camera,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24was vital in cracking the case.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Without that CCTV evidence,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29it's very unlikely that the suspect would have been ever arrested.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31But just that chance of the camera there
0:10:31 > 0:10:34really did enable us to catch a quite prolific burglar.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38With the thief safely behind bars,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Andrea's been able to move on with her life.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Oh, my God. Oh, my gosh!
0:10:44 > 0:10:48And regard that traumatic time as a valuable learning opportunity.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53It gave me an insight into the experience of the victims of crime.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56And I guess, in a sense, it enabled me to teach that particular subject
0:10:56 > 0:10:57better to my students.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09A lot of people's favourite meal is a big Sunday roast.
0:11:09 > 0:11:10Looks like this fella agrees.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15But if this rather juddery CCTV footage is anything to go by,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17his eyes are a little bit bigger than his belly.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27This guy has taken himself down to the supermarket
0:11:27 > 0:11:28to get the Sunday joint.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31But as we're about to see, he isn't too keen on paying for it.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36It also looks like the security camera is a bit faulty.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Either that, or this chap is an expert break dancer.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Or maybe he's about to do a belly dance for the cameras,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48because this beef thief chooses the biggest portion in the store...
0:11:49 > 0:11:51..shoves it up his jumper...
0:11:52 > 0:11:55..and skedaddles out of the joint, or with the joint.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And before the security staff can catch him.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01But the police are hot on the trail of this man,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05who decided to risk it for some brisket.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07They've got a bone to pick with him.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14We'd all feel terrible if we drove into the back of another motorist,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and our natural reaction would be to take the blame.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20But what if it was no accident in the first place,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22but a case of crash for cash?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30The City Of London Police Headquarters
0:12:30 > 0:12:32is in the centre of the capital.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Based here is Detective Constable Kate Sibley.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Kate's investigated fraud for over two decades.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44She works in a department specially set up to deal with insurance scams.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Insurance fraud is on the increase.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50That makes a big difference in the insurance world
0:12:50 > 0:12:54and at the end of the day, it adds money onto policies.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58The insurance industry has estimated that premiums in general
0:12:58 > 0:13:02go up by at least £50 a year because of fraudsters.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04We are all victims of this crime.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06That's £50 out of your personal pocket
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and that's per insurance policy.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12And we all hold a number of insurance policies at home.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Bogus claims can yield millions of pounds.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19So, it's no surprise organised criminal gangs are in on the act.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23And one type of scam known as crash for cash
0:13:23 > 0:13:25can be especially profitable.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Crash for cash is basically an induced accident.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31So, you're driving along quite happily as a member of the public,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34suddenly someone in front of you slams on their brakes
0:13:34 > 0:13:36for no reason whatsoever.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39You then hit the rear end of that vehicle.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Claims are then made by the vehicle in front, for personal injury,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44which amounts to quite a lot.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Bogus passengers suddenly appear, putting in claims.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50You have credit hire, ie hire of another vehicle.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Storage for that damaged vehicle.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54And the list goes on and on and on.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Kate's recently dealt with a case that even she finds shocking.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02This traffic camera footage is from an underpass
0:14:02 > 0:14:04in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08At first, everything seems normal.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13There was traffic ahead, it's moving quite well, it's not braking,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15it's not stopping.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18But Kate points out a black Porsche sports car,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20whose driver is up to no good.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Suddenly, he slams his brakes on, for no reason.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26And that van then hits the rear end.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29Ouch.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33The driver of the white van is a female council worker,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and an ideal victim for the fraudster in the flashy car.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Anybody committing this sort of crime
0:14:40 > 0:14:42will tend to go for company vehicles,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44because they know they are insured
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and they will be covered by insurance.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50The sports car and van ease onto a cycle path to allow traffic
0:14:50 > 0:14:51to pass more safely.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Then the man gets out and aggressively blames
0:14:55 > 0:14:57the totally innocent van driver for the collision.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01The victim kept get shouted at by the driver,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04"Didn't you see the brake lights? Didn't you see the brake lights?"
0:15:04 > 0:15:06And she felt quite intimidated by him
0:15:06 > 0:15:10because he was putting the entire blame on her
0:15:10 > 0:15:11when it wasn't her fault.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13And I think she believed it wasn't her fault,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15she knew it wasn't her fault.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17But to be a lone female in a tunnel
0:15:17 > 0:15:19being shouted at by a Porsche driver
0:15:19 > 0:15:21is not a nice situation to be in.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Surprisingly, the sports car isn't as badly damaged as the woman's van,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28which has a cracked radiator.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31So, the driver sets about wrecking his own car some more.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Saying he wants to get away from the bend in the road,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40he careers into the tunnel wall, scraping it along the concrete.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41Unbelievable.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46The driver of the Porsche stopped and she said to him,
0:15:46 > 0:15:47"What are you doing?"
0:15:48 > 0:15:50And he said, "You've knackered my steering.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52"My steering is knackered
0:15:52 > 0:15:54"because of when you hit me in the rear end of the vehicle."
0:15:54 > 0:15:56The crook in the car takes the van driver's details
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and then makes a rapid exit,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01miraculously overcoming his knackered steering.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05But little does he realise,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08the entire incident has been caught on camera.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11This is why it is so important, these cameras.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13It could be seen this car was driveable,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15he was driving it perfectly fine out of the tunnel.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Soon after he gets home,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21the sports car scammer starts a sizeable insurance claim.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26And sends the van driver's insurers an engineer's report
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and photos of his car.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31It now looks like it's been hit by a ten-ton truck,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35and surprise, surprise, it's a write-off.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38That does not compare to that.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41That, to me, looks like somebody's taken a sledgehammer
0:16:41 > 0:16:46to the rear end of the car after the accident and caused severe damage,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48because there is no way
0:16:48 > 0:16:51that was caused from the accident in that tunnel.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55The fraudster also sent a £22,000 bill
0:16:55 > 0:16:57for hiring a replacement vehicle,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01even though his doctored report states he can't drive
0:17:01 > 0:17:03because he's so badly injured.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09But thanks to Kate and her camera evidence,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11the swindler in the sports car
0:17:11 > 0:17:14is about to get a crash course in justice.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18The suspect was summoned to court and he decided to plead not guilty.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21So, he was sent to the Old Bailey for trial.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24But on day one of the trial, he decided to plead guilty
0:17:24 > 0:17:26to the charges put before him.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30And at a later hearing,
0:17:30 > 0:17:35he was ordered to pay the insurance company £34,000 in compensation
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and more than £7,500 prosecution costs.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44The fraudster was sentenced to six months in jail,
0:17:44 > 0:17:45suspended for two years,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and 140 hours of unpaid work in the community.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54To us, it was a good result.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Everything was stacked against him.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59He didn't really have a leg to stand on.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02His sneaky scam to get banged in the back
0:18:02 > 0:18:04ended up with him being banged...
0:18:05 > 0:18:07..to rights.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Any motorist could be a victim of crash for cash,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21so what should someone do if they're involved in an accident which, well,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23doesn't seem very accidental?
0:18:24 > 0:18:29Anybody involved in a crash is going to be traumatised or upset.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31If somebody looks really calm,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33you have to ask yourself, "Why is that?"
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Crash for cash investigations have shown that it's not just about
0:18:37 > 0:18:39the car in front jamming on the brakes,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42there are circumstances and cases
0:18:42 > 0:18:46where a vehicle has rammed the victim from behind,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48or alternatively, they've been sideswiped
0:18:48 > 0:18:50as they've gone round a roundabout.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Usually with expensive cars,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54people are quite protective of their asset.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56If they are driving in an unusual manner,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59perhaps swerving in front of you or braking harshly,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01then they're not really doing a good job of that,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03so alarm bells might start to ring.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07If you do feel that you're a victim of crash for cash,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10then it's important you call the police as soon as possible.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12But there are other, a few things you can do
0:19:12 > 0:19:14while waiting for police to attend,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18and that could just be recording the mannerisms of the person involved,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21or it could be recording any witness details
0:19:21 > 0:19:23if they can't wait for police to attend.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25If it's a tiny bump
0:19:25 > 0:19:27and then somebody suddenly starts falling about
0:19:27 > 0:19:30as if they're desperately, badly injured,
0:19:30 > 0:19:31you need to wonder what's going on.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34If they look like they're acting, they probably are.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46The Horse & Jockey pub in Pontypool
0:19:46 > 0:19:49has served thirsty locals for hundreds of years.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Its latest owner is experienced landlord Leighton,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57who also has another pub close by.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59I've been in the pub trade all my life.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02A second pub was a challenge I wanted to take on,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04and when it was The Horse & Jockey that came up,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07it was certainly something I wanted to look into.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It's been a personal favourite of mine since I was old enough
0:20:10 > 0:20:11to frequent the premises.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15I'm led to believe it's a 15th-century building.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17We've got a resident ghost, apparently.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Leighton hired a barman, Liam, who lives above the pub.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Liam isn't scared of ghosts,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24and when Leighton asked him to become manager
0:20:24 > 0:20:27of The Horse & Jockey, he jumped at the chance.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29We sat down and we had a chat and he said,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31"Would you like to go up to manager?"
0:20:31 > 0:20:34So, I said, "Yeah, I'll have a go."
0:20:34 > 0:20:36He's given me a massive opportunity
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and massive responsibility of the pub.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41It's nice to live upstairs,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44it's just walk down the steps and you're in work.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48But Liam's managerial career almost fell at the first fence.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57It all starts with a somewhat weary Liam waking up at around 10am
0:20:57 > 0:21:01on New Year's Day after a big pub party the previous night.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05My girlfriend was upstairs with me, so she said,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07"Can you go get my handbag?"
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Liam goes downstairs to fetch the handbag she left next to the till,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14but it isn't there.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I was like, "Your handbag's not behind the bar.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18"It's nowhere to be seen."
0:21:18 > 0:21:20She was like, "I left it there last night."
0:21:20 > 0:21:22They both go downstairs to look.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25She came round and said, "Your fire exit's open."
0:21:25 > 0:21:27And my stomach sank a little bit.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30I was like, "It shouldn't be."
0:21:30 > 0:21:31Before going to bed,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Liam had checked the fire exit and shut all the windows.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38But now, two of the back windows are open.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40I just felt physically sick.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Of all days, New Year's Day, we've just got broken into.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45It was just going through my head,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47thinking, "What do I do, what do I do?"
0:21:48 > 0:21:51He checks the pub's CCTV recording.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57As I was going through it, it went to daylight, more or less.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00So, I was like, "Surely no-one could come in here in the daylight?"
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Next thing I see, the guy's out the back.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Liam phones his boss to break the news.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10The first thing was to make sure Liam was OK
0:22:10 > 0:22:12because it's not a good experience to go through.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Then it was, "Jump in the car and just get up here."
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Everything's racing through your mind, thinking what's been stolen
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and what's been damaged.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21When Leighton arrives,
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Liam tells him the pub's storage units have been ransacked.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30A considerable amount of food stock, spirits, wines, ciders had gone.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Liam's bedroom window looks over the storage units.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Knowing he slept through the burglary has hit him hard.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41I just can't believe I didn't hear anything at all.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I was like, "I've just taken this role on,"
0:22:44 > 0:22:48I think the responsibility is too much for myself, so, to be honest,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50I was just going to call it all a day.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54It hurt me that badly, it was just horrific, to be fair.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59It's a serious blow so early in Liam's pub management career.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02His girlfriend is also shellshocked.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03Her expensive handbag
0:23:03 > 0:23:07had been one of her favourite presents on Christmas Day.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09She was so upset.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12She had £200 worth of make-up in there.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14And for a Christmas present to be gone
0:23:14 > 0:23:16five days after you've had it ain't nice.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Leighton knows the burglary has knocked Liam's confidence
0:23:20 > 0:23:22but is convinced they can find the intruder.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24After alerting the police,
0:23:24 > 0:23:29he calls an IT expert friend, James, and asks his advice.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It was a shock because I'd been there the night before
0:23:32 > 0:23:37for New Year's Eve and seen what a great success it was.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41James rushes round to the pub and closely examines the footage.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I saw the perpetrator drive in initially
0:23:44 > 0:23:46with a dark-coloured vehicle.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50The burglar enters the car park at 7:50am.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55The CCTV cameras only record when they sense motion
0:23:55 > 0:23:59and they pick the man up a few moments later in the back yard.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02He's arrived with the largest pair of bolt crops
0:24:02 > 0:24:04I've seen in a long time.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07The intruder seems to know what he's doing.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10He was very careful not to make a noise.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15The way he used his head to stable the cold storage door.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18But the thief makes a crucial error.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21He doesn't notice the security cameras overlooking the yard.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Unaware his every move is being filmed,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30he starts to steal selectively from the storage unit.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32He clearly knew what he was looking for.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33He bypassed the chicken nuggets
0:24:33 > 0:24:36in order to go for the quite exotic foods.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39The thief then raids the second storage unit,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41taking more valuable stock.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The cost price to us, around £5,000 worth of food alone.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46It was a massive loss to us,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49as a new business trying to get our name out there.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51We didn't want people to go away and say,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54"I just went to The Horse & Jockey and they don't have any stock."
0:24:54 > 0:24:57The burglar then vanishes from sight.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02But minutes later, reappears inside the pub.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05He's got in through one of those small windows.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Immediately, he went straight for the bar.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Recognising the bar had had a big night, good night before perhaps,
0:25:11 > 0:25:12quite naively believing
0:25:12 > 0:25:15that anybody would keep any money in the till area.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The intruder spots Liam's girlfriend's handbag.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23As well as expensive make-up and cash, it contains her car keys.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28The burglar goes back to his own vehicle
0:25:28 > 0:25:30and drives up to the cars left overnight
0:25:30 > 0:25:32to see which one opens with the stolen keys.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Once he identifies the car, he looks inside.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41But there's nothing to steal, so he heads off with his ill-gotten gains.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47James and Leighton devise a plan to bring him to justice.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Gwent Police have got quite an active social media programme
0:25:51 > 0:25:53they call "caught and in court".
0:25:53 > 0:25:56And that gave me the idea that we should take advantage
0:25:56 > 0:25:59of social media to try and find him.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02James thinks he'll have more chance of success if snapshots of the thief
0:26:02 > 0:26:05are posted online straightaway.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08This was New Year's Day at 5:15
0:26:08 > 0:26:13and by 5:28, the first people had started to reply back.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Soon, there's an avalanche of messages identifying the burglar.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20The online feedback was incredible.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23By that night, we'd had more than 100 posts,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25mainly giving the same name.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28The phone didn't stop and it didn't stop the next day
0:26:28 > 0:26:31and it was just going and going and going.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33The police have the man's name,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36but the burglar becomes aware of the online campaign
0:26:36 > 0:26:38and goes into hiding.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It was only a matter of time before the police caught up with him.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45The suspect is finally found a few weeks later
0:26:45 > 0:26:47in a nearby town and arrested.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50For Liam, still haunted by the burglary happening
0:26:50 > 0:26:53while he's in charge, it's a big relief.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Really good feeling. It was always playing on your mind,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57just in case he came back.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01And now he's arrested, it's quite a weight lifted off the shoulders.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08In court, the thief pleaded guilty to a number of crimes
0:27:08 > 0:27:11including the burglary at The Horse & Jockey.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14He was sentenced to seven months in prison.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The pub's locals were crucial in helping crack the case.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25You can go around believing that you live in a nice place,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28but it's not until something like this happens
0:27:28 > 0:27:31that brings out the best in communities.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33And there's more good news.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Despite his early setback,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Liam's decided to continue holding the reins at The Horse & Jockey.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40I just had a sit down with my boss.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43We just had a chat and I thought, "I do want it.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46"I'll make sure everything is perfect
0:27:46 > 0:27:48"and I promise you, it won't happen again."
0:27:55 > 0:27:56That's it for today.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58And that's it for a few more criminals
0:27:58 > 0:28:00who've been caught red-handed.