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 > 0:00:13But now, the police are using cutting-edge technology to catch the bad guys.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15We want to make sure we've got a concrete case.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Enough evidence to convict at court.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Local councils, shops, and businesses
0:00:20 > 0:00:23are fighting crime with their own tricks and traps.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Just unbelievable that she thinks she can get away with this.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29And the public are using secret cameras
0:00:29 > 0:00:33to make sure the crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Fair means or foul, I was going to get rid of him.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37I thought, we've got her!
0:00:37 > 0:00:39I was so happy, thank God!
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So anyone who's up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47They might just get caught red-handed!
0:00:50 > 0:00:55Today, Carolyn and the Gary's happy family home becomes a crime scene
0:00:55 > 0:00:57when burglars raid their house
0:00:57 > 0:01:01and then go on a shopping spree with their bank cards.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It affected Carolyn pretty badly, really.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07How can these people do such a thing?
0:01:08 > 0:01:11But the next day, a chance sighting of the thieves
0:01:11 > 0:01:13leads to a high speed police pursuit.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Left, left, left.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17A shocking crash.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Stand-by, he's crashed, he's crashed.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21And a frantic chase on foot.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Also today, a ram raid in the dead of night.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31But this isn't a bank or post office,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34it's Dawn and Roly's garden machinery workshop.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I just felt sick to the bottom of my stomach
0:01:37 > 0:01:39that somebody had been in here.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43But these two readers spend more time arguing than stealing.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46They just can't decide who's in the driving seat.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53Also later, a cheeky thief decides to help himself to two hanging baskets
0:01:53 > 0:01:57full of flowers but the baskets aren't the only things coming down.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58So are his trousers.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Because modern cars are hard to steal,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10thieves are increasingly breaking into people's houses
0:02:10 > 0:02:11to get their car keys
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and that means that the victims have got the emotional upset
0:02:14 > 0:02:17of a burglary, as well as losing their car.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28A suburban residential road in Hyde in Greater Manchester.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Married couple Gary and Carolyn decided this was a good spot
0:02:31 > 0:02:34to bring up their two daughters, Millie and Libby.
0:02:34 > 0:02:40I've lived here for most of my life, so I knew the area, nice and quiet.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42We love it here, we've got lovely neighbours.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45The children play on the front
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and it's where we thought that we'd be safe
0:02:48 > 0:02:50and that our children would be safe.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Carolyn and Gary both work full-time,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Gary recently started a new job and was handed a brand-new company BMW.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Never had anything as exotic as a BM before.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07I think he might like the idea of driving a nice sporty BMW car.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08Really chuffed to get that.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Last year, the couple organised a well-earned break for the family.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17We'd always planned to go away in the half-term holidays,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19so we decided that we'd go to EuroDisney.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21It was an important time for us,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24to have family time away together.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27And we're going off into the new car so that was exciting times.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31But the holiday they're so looking forward to
0:03:31 > 0:03:34is nearly ruined before it even started.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39It's late at night,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42a few days before their planned holiday
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and the family is fast asleep in bed.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Earlier in the day, Carolyn received two new bank cards
0:03:47 > 0:03:49in the post.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52They're safe inside her handbag downstairs.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53Or so she thinks.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00At 3am Carolyn suddenly woken by a text on her phone from her bank.
0:04:00 > 0:04:06It said "Cards declined, contact the fraud squad."
0:04:06 > 0:04:10But Carolyn hasn't used her new cards yet so she assumes the bank
0:04:10 > 0:04:13is making a mistake and goes back to sleep.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18But this is no mistake, her two new bank cards are being used,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20by someone else.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24This security footage from a nearby supermarket shows what has happened.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Two men have rushed to a cash point
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and withdrawn £500 with Carolyn's cards.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Then a little later another all-night supermarket camera
0:04:33 > 0:04:37shows these two men entering with an empty trolley.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39But it isn't empty for long.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Next we see them approaching a self-service till with a large television.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48But their attempt to buy the TV comes unstuck,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52it's judged to be unusual activity by Carolyn's bank's computer system
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and the transaction is declined.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58That's why Carolyn has received the alert from the bank.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03At 6am, she wakes up to get ready for work.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09I came into the kitchen and saw that the cupboard doors were wide open
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and my bag, some of the contents were just scattered on the floor.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Carolyn rushes upstairs to tell Gary.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19It was that point I then looked out of the window, checked the cars,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22mine wasn't there, so you're thinking,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25something's happened somewhere.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29They go back downstairs and the full horror hits them.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33The window had been smashed, we left the keys in the door,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36they'd reached through,
0:05:36 > 0:05:41got the keys and let themselves in, which leaves you a bit distraught
0:05:41 > 0:05:43knowing you made it very easy for them.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48They realised Carolyn's bank cards and Gary's car key and his car
0:05:48 > 0:05:49have gone.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52It's shock and disbelief, really.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57It's the thought that somebody had actually broken into our home
0:05:57 > 0:05:58whilst we were in bed.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02But I'm thinking I can't believe I've not heard it.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07I would have heard the glass smashing, I should've done more.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Gary phones the police and Carolyn calls the bank.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14She finds out about the £500 taken out of their bank account.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16We have no money to pay for the holiday now,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18as that's where the holiday money was.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20We have no way of getting there,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24we're booked onto the ferries, we're booked into hotels.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27You're just thinking, it's just all gone wrong at the wrong time.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34The case is passed to Detective Sergeant Roger Smethurst
0:06:34 > 0:06:38of the Greater Manchester Police serious and organised crime group.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It's important if you've been a victim of a burglary
0:06:41 > 0:06:43that you feel safe within your own house
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and part of that is knowing that the people
0:06:45 > 0:06:49responsible for it have been caught an are in prison and aren't going to come back again.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51And it is really something that I'm really passionate about.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53In recent years,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Roger has seen a worrying rise in the number of cases of car thieves
0:06:57 > 0:06:58breaking into houses.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Long gone are the days where cars are stolen off the street
0:07:01 > 0:07:05through just forcing a look and hot-wiring the ignition.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08And what we've seen is an increasing number of burglaries,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10where people will break into properties
0:07:10 > 0:07:13in order to get the vehicle keys.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14Roger believes Gary's new BMW
0:07:14 > 0:07:19is the reason his house has been targeted by organised criminals.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22The question is, can he find out who they are?
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Later, an eagle-eyed officer spots Gary's car
0:07:29 > 0:07:31on the streets of Manchester.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39The thieves realise they're being followed
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and recklessly try to escape.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42First by car.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47And then on foot.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02And now for a theft that could be called a basket case
0:08:02 > 0:08:04for more than one reason.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07This man striding up to the front door of a house
0:08:07 > 0:08:11apparently has a bit of a hang-up about hanging baskets.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14He unhooks not one,
0:08:14 > 0:08:15but two of them...
0:08:17 > 0:08:20..and runs down the road in a dainty fashion.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23To make the whole thing even more ridiculous...
0:08:24 > 0:08:27..his trousers start falling down.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Obviously, he can't pull them up
0:08:29 > 0:08:32because his hands are full with somebody else's flowers.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37But the police don't hang about identifying him,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40as these security cameras have captured his face.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43Also the house's owner,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47after wondering why on earth anybody would want to pinch his plants,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50puts the embarrassing footage on social media.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55It turns out this man is no budding criminal, he's got previous.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Ironically, being caught taking down hanging baskets
0:09:01 > 0:09:06meant he was actually in breach of a suspended sentence.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09He was given three months in jail, where, presumably,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12he'll have had plenty of time to weave a few baskets of his own.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Ram raiders attack a family-run garden machinery business.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29They've come to steal and when at first they don't succeed,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32they try again,
0:09:32 > 0:09:33and again.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38But these two amateurish raiders are in for a surprise.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Good afternoon. Can I help you, please?
0:09:45 > 0:09:50On an industrial estate in Hampshire there's a garden machinery workshop
0:09:50 > 0:09:54run by Roly, his wife Dawn, and their son, Sam.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56It's a local business, family-run, servicing,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00repairing, sales, of equipment used in the garden.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Roly was working at the company 17 years ago when the owner,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06who was retiring, offered him the chance to take it over.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Roly came home and said, "Do you want to buy a lawnmower company?"
0:10:11 > 0:10:14And I guess the rest is history!
0:10:14 > 0:10:17They found running a garden equipment business
0:10:17 > 0:10:19was no bed of roses.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Early days, life was pretty tough.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25All our savings, everything went into it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28I was working with Roly during the day.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I was working nights at Sainsbury's.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Young Sam kept busy as well.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I was servicing motors at, like, ten years old.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Obviously, accompanied by my dad.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40I was just kind of having a bit of a vibe that, you know,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45this is what I want to do when I'm older and, 17 years later, here I am.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49As the business grew, the family could relax a little bit more.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53They've even found time to put their expertise with small engines
0:10:53 > 0:10:54to use having some fun.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58They go mower racing.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02The lawn mower racing is a charity run club.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05We all pay money to race and any local charities
0:11:05 > 0:11:06benefit from what we do.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09I help do a lot of the time scoring.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14It's having fun but also raising good money for the charities
0:11:14 > 0:11:15that we do.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20But then, after all the years of working hard and raising money for
0:11:20 > 0:11:23charity, the family suddenly and dramatically
0:11:23 > 0:11:25become victims of crime.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33Early one morning in January, the family are driving to the workshop.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36They have been woken by an alert from their alarm system,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39but they've had false alarms before, and when they arrive,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41everything seems OK.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Checked, obviously, outside, couldn't see anything.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46We've gone through and having a look,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49there isn't really any sign of any break in.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Sam was in front of me and then suddenly Sam was just like,
0:11:53 > 0:11:54"Oh, my goodness."
0:11:55 > 0:12:00It hit me very hard because we see a hole in the middle of the wall
0:12:00 > 0:12:01and it's a double-skinned wall.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Somebody's taken a lot of time to get through that wall.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08It's a shock to see the extent of the damage to their building.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11I just felt sick to the bottom of my stomach,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13that somebody had been in here.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Sam calls the police.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Having a little deep breathe in and out and having a look,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20that was then when you start to notice, right, this is missing,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22that's gone missing.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Oh, my goodness, we've been wiped out of chainsaws.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I was just devastated beyond words, really.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32£9,000 worth of equipment has been stolen.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33It makes me really angry,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36because we've put everything into this and when somebody does that,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40it takes everything away from what you've, you know, worked for.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45The police arrive and look at the shop's CCTV recording.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Though it's captured one of the burglars stealing some chainsaws,
0:12:50 > 0:12:51it doesn't provide any leads.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Unfortunately, they were masked.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59They came equipped, they knew what they were doing, there was no trace.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01They even took the bricks with them as well,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03from the hole in the back of the workshop.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04It's very frustrating.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08I mean, you can see on the CCTV the person that's done it,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12but there's no evidence to suggest who it is.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16The police investigation makes no headway and, in the following weeks,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19the family has to try and put the burglary behind them.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22But then, two months later,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Dawn receives another alert in the early hours.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Every night I'd been checking my phone,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31just making sure the property's fine.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33So when the alarm had gone off,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37it was just disbelief and I couldn't pick my phone up quick enough.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43The workshop CCTV system sends a live stream to Dawn's phone.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48She's horrified to see a car ramming into their workshop.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52My heart just drops.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55I couldn't believe that we were being targeted again.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I dialled 999 straightaway.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00My mum was watching this car burst its way into
0:14:00 > 0:14:02the front of the workshop.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It was happening right now.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05I'm down and out the door.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07My old man, Roly,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10he jumps in the car with me and we didn't really know what was
0:14:10 > 0:14:13going to happen, but we were going to do whatever was necessary.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16As Sam races to the shop with his dad,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Dawn continues watching the ram raid on her mobile and keeps the police
0:14:20 > 0:14:21updated on a landline.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24I was sort of relaying everything that was happening.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29There are two men in the car that's rammed the building's
0:14:29 > 0:14:30front metal shutter.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32The driver gets out and looks inside.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Obviously it's dark, they can't see a thing.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40The driver goes back to the car and picks up a torch,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43then he stumbles back inside the pitch-black building.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48The other man stays in the passenger seat.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52The one inside then scrambles back to the car.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58It's just horrible watching it.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01They then appear to drive off - but not for long.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05They turn around to ram the shutter again.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10It seems their first ramming hadn't left them enough room to take
0:15:10 > 0:15:13anything, and it looks like they've bungled it again.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16I don't think they knew what they were doing.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19They had a little fight outside, you could see it on the CCTV.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24The driver gets out and the passenger jumps across into the driver's seat,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26but the driver's having none of it
0:15:26 > 0:15:29and angrily pushes the passenger back in his place.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32They ram the shutter again.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39The passenger opens his door so he can jump out,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41but the driver doesn't give him the chance.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46He rams the building so hard this time,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49he manages to get clear of the shutter and runs inside.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55But it seems his accomplice doesn't want to stick around.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58He shuffles over to the driver's side and reverses out,
0:15:58 > 0:15:59abandoning the mission.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06The other man runs after him, jumps into the car just in time
0:16:06 > 0:16:07and they head off.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Sam and his dad reach the shop seconds later.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16When we got down here, we'd only literally just missed them.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20I went straight for the office and went through the camera.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Soon after Sam starts watching the footage, the police arrive,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26closely followed by Dawn.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28I came down in my pyjamas
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and just absolutely couldn't believe what I was seeing.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34To see the shutter demolished,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37I was just totally lost for what to do.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39The police officers are impressed
0:16:39 > 0:16:42with the quality of the CCTV pictures.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45We got the number plate of the vehicle, we got the make,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48we knew exactly what car it was.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The officers with Sam radio an alert for colleagues to watch out
0:16:51 > 0:16:55for a blue car with those plates, and they don't have to wait long.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00All of a sudden, police officers are jumping in their cars and going.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01Five of them just darted off.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06Sam and Roly came out the office and say, "Don't worry", you know,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08"They think there's a bit of action happening".
0:17:08 > 0:17:11The suspect vehicle has been stopped by police officers
0:17:11 > 0:17:12in a patrol car nearby.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14They've got them on the side of the road, you know,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16just five or ten minutes up the road.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18It's a great relief to the family
0:17:18 > 0:17:20that the men have been caught so quickly.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24I can't even put into words how fantastic that felt,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28and straightaway they admitted what they'd done.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I think both of them were drunk.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33It turns out the men have committed a number of crimes,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36but there's no evidence to tie them to the previous burglary
0:17:36 > 0:17:38at the mower shop.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41That was a much slicker operation than this clumsy attempt.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45I understand they'd been on a little bit of a naughty spree
0:17:45 > 0:17:47of doing other things.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49With our quick response of seeing the issue,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52phoning the police and having them down as quick as we did,
0:17:52 > 0:17:53ended up with the arrest.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00In court, one of the men was sentenced to two years in prison,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04suspended for two years, while the other man got 14 months in prison,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06suspended for 18 months.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09They were both banned from driving for three years,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13ordered to undergo alcohol treatment programmes
0:18:13 > 0:18:15and to pay £140 in victim surcharges.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25The family was grateful for the support they received
0:18:25 > 0:18:27from friends and neighbours after the raid.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31You can see true people and true friends, family,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33in these very bad incidents.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37It's good to know that people have got your back and the police,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41I thank them greatly for the quick response that they gave that night.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45They have reinforced their defences with bollards
0:18:45 > 0:18:49to prevent further ram raids and a strong fence round the back,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51together with more cameras.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53We're not going to be beaten.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56We've got a healthy future and we're here to stay.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04There are millions of security cameras in the UK
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and they're proving highly effective in helping to catch criminals.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11But if you're thinking of taking the plunge and investing in CCTV,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14what are the dos and what are the don'ts?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17You need to think about what you want that CCTV to achieve.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Is it just an inside, is it an outside shot?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Does it need to be activated by motion?
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Do you need to be able to see in the dark?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26The best type of cameras to get fitted nowadays are those that have
0:19:26 > 0:19:29got remote viewing through smartphones,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32which means that people can be away on holiday, abroad.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35We sometimes get offences reported in Darlington,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39whereby people are in Spain, for example, and they'll report
0:19:39 > 0:19:42suspicious activity or burglaries at their home addresses.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45If you've got a CCTV system, you need to maintain it.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47You need to keep it working and in best order.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Keep the cameras clean.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50If you've got remote cameras,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53they may even require batteries that need changing.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55When positioning your CCTV cameras,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57it's always important to do a trial run.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Have a look at the footage that you capture and is it what you want?
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Just by having some CCTV cameras and some signage up around your
0:20:05 > 0:20:09property, could be enough of a deterrent for a potential offender
0:20:09 > 0:20:11to actually move on from your property.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21We're back in Greater Manchester,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25where there's been a break-in at Gary and Carolyn's house.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Gary's company car and Carolyn's bank cards have been stolen,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31just before a family holiday to Disneyland.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35It's frightening, intruders coming into your home.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Yes, they've taken the car, but you're thinking,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40"Well, what more could they have done?"
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Our daughters were fully aware what had happened
0:20:44 > 0:20:49and I really felt that I had to sort of stay strong and hold it together
0:20:49 > 0:20:54for them, so I did my crying away from them.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00The burglars had used the stolen bank cards to withdraw £500 from a
0:21:00 > 0:21:05cashpoint and had then tried to buy expensive items from a supermarket.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08At Greater Manchester Police,
0:21:08 > 0:21:13Detective Sergeant Roger Smethurst spots similarities to other recent
0:21:13 > 0:21:17break-ins and believes the same gang could be responsible.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21At the outset, we'd started to look at each individual burglary as it
0:21:21 > 0:21:24was reported and see what clues we could pick up through it.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28And we found that, A, there were jobs that were happening overnight.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30B, the similarity was that there were cars were being stolen
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and also we were a similarity in the MO,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36in that we were getting windows smashed at a ground floor level,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40usually with items that had been left within the victim's garden.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43It led us to believe that it was the same people who were committing
0:21:43 > 0:21:44these offences.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Roger and his team examined footage from roadside surveillance
0:21:48 > 0:21:51cameras and find that after they are stolen,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55the cars are always driven to the same area of Greater Manchester.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57The footage also gives them another clue.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01It became apparent that every time we saw a stolen car go through
0:22:01 > 0:22:05a camera, we were also seeing a hire car go through the camera.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Roger believes that the thieves are using hire cars
0:22:08 > 0:22:10to get to each burglary.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I think the hirer of the vehicle was working on the theory that by
0:22:13 > 0:22:17changing cars regularly, the police wouldn't be able to catch up
0:22:17 > 0:22:21with him and wouldn't realise that he was actually involved.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25But one of those hire cars is about to give the burglars away.
0:22:25 > 0:22:2812 hours after Carolyn and Gary's break-in,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33officers in an unmarked police car notice a hired vehicle that raises
0:22:33 > 0:22:34an alert.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38We've got officers deployed whose job is seeking stolen cars,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41when they spotted one of these hire vehicles.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44The hire car is the black one waiting at the lights
0:22:44 > 0:22:45in front of the red car.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49It's been flagged up by the Police National Computer because the man
0:22:49 > 0:22:52who's hired this car is one of their suspects.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58In hiring the cars, obviously you're expected to provide identification,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01all the hire car companies have CCTV in place.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04The car was hired by this man.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Previous vehicles that he's hired have been seen alongside stolen cars
0:23:08 > 0:23:10on numerous occasions.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Police think he could be involved in this series of burglaries.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17So the officers stay on his tail.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23As they went to stop it, they then noticed the red BMW.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26This BMW seems to be following the hired vehicle.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30It's the same make and model as Gary's car that had been stolen
0:23:30 > 0:23:32overnight from outside his house.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34The officers did a bit more research
0:23:34 > 0:23:37and realised it was on false number plates.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42As a result, the officers then decided
0:23:42 > 0:23:44that they would then try and stop the BMW instead.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51The officers need to wait until it's safe to bring it to a halt.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54The police officer, he's got to consider the weather,
0:23:54 > 0:23:55the volume of traffic,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59the frequency of pedestrians and other members of the public,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02but, ultimately, if it's come from a burglary,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06it's a serious crime and something that the public would expect us
0:24:06 > 0:24:07to do something about.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10But the suspects must realise they're being followed.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13They suddenly accelerate and the cars split up and speed off in
0:24:13 > 0:24:15different directions.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25The BMW is reaching dangerous speeds.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27The officers have to continually weigh up the risks
0:24:27 > 0:24:28of trying to stop him.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39The suspect starts going through red lights and driving on the wrong side
0:24:39 > 0:24:41of the road.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45These people are prepared to go to any length
0:24:45 > 0:24:47in order to remain at large.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51The BMW has been reaching speeds of around 70mph.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05While the driver sprints away,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09this camera in another police car films officers trying to apprehend
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- his passenger.- Do it, do it, get the door.- Stay there!
0:25:15 > 0:25:18His passenger is going nowhere.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Now, officers go to look for the driver.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25He was found and he was arrested.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Back at the scene of the crash, paramedics are called to tend to
0:25:31 > 0:25:34the shocked occupants of the people carrier hit by the stolen car.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Thankfully, none of them suffered
0:25:37 > 0:25:40any serious injuries as a result of the collision
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and shock was really the main thing that everybody suffered from.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45The two men in the BMW
0:25:45 > 0:25:48are taken to a police station for questioning.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The man in the hire car is still at large, but not for long.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Officers find him back at his house and they arrest him, too.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Interestingly, when we examined the phone of the hire car driver,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05he also had some footage on there of other burglaries
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and other stolen cars.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10The police find other incriminating evidence, too.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15The real number plates of the BMW are inside the stolen car.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20A piece of paper is found at the hire car driver's house
0:26:20 > 0:26:22with the same registration written on it.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25CCTV from the supermarket shows
0:26:25 > 0:26:29he was one of the men trying to buy goods with Carolyn's bank cards.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35And CCTV from the hire car company clearly shows his face
0:26:35 > 0:26:37as he picks up the vehicle.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41His involvement turns out to be the main link between the crimes.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Over a period of time, we were able to establish that this male had been
0:26:44 > 0:26:48involved in up to ten other burglaries, and that's ten other
0:26:48 > 0:26:52members of the public who have been distressed and upset.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Roger and his team are able to build a watertight case
0:26:56 > 0:26:58against the burglars.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04In court, the driver of the hire car was sentenced to
0:27:04 > 0:27:06five years and eight months in prison
0:27:06 > 0:27:08for conspiracy to commit burglary.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15The thief in the BMW was sentenced to just under three years.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23There wasn't enough evidence to convict the man in the passenger
0:27:23 > 0:27:29seat, but Roger still has good news for the victims of the two burglars.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It's so rewarding to be able to go back to those ten people and say,
0:27:32 > 0:27:33"We've caught the person
0:27:33 > 0:27:36"who's responsible for breaking into your house.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39"There're in prison and you can now sleep safely in your beds".
0:27:39 > 0:27:42That made me feel a little bit more safer,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44knowing that they were behind bars.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48And the family did manage to go on their trip to Disneyland.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50The company did have a spare vehicle,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53so we were able to go on the holiday.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56The bank replaced the money that was stolen out of the accounts.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59The girls loved Disney, and we did.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01You know, we were looking forward to this trip.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03It was fantastic, to be honest,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06which was just what the doctor ordered after what we went through.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16That's it for today, and that's it for a few more criminals
0:28:16 > 0:28:18who have been caught red-handed.