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 > 0:00:13to 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 > 0:00:21Local councils, shops and businesses are fighting crime
0:00:21 > 0:00:23with their own tricks and traps.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26It's just unbelievable that she thinks she can get away with this.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29And the public are using secret cameras
0:00:29 > 0:00:32to make sure the crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:32 > 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 > 0:00:40And I 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 > 0:00:53Today, David used to work for the royal family,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56who were so fond of him, they gave him an award.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00But that doesn't matter at all to this carer,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03who just sees him as someone to steal from.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07My dad said, "That's my money. Get that back. She's got my money."
0:01:07 > 0:01:10I said, "We'll have to phone the police, Dad.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11"This is actually a crime."
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Despite being filmed raiding David's wallet,
0:01:14 > 0:01:19the woman pleads not guilty and the family's ordeal is far from over.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Also today, when Trevor opened a restaurant,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28he hoped to get customers interested in his rare cheeses.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32But it turns out, he also attracts a rat.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Or is it a snake?
0:01:35 > 0:01:38What I saw next literally made my skin crawl.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It's like something you would see out of a movie.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46And when Alan gets a job working the late shift
0:01:46 > 0:01:51at a local petrol station, he's expecting a quiet time.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54But then, one night, he's attacked by an armed robber
0:01:54 > 0:01:57and he has the fight of his life.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00He said to me, "Open your till or I'm going to stab you."
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I thought, "No, I'm not doing nothing.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04"You're going to have to force ME."
0:02:04 > 0:02:06The robber is so confused by Alan's resistance,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10he just grabs some beer cans and blunders off.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12And "blunders" is the right word.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22There are nearly 12 million people over the age of 65 in the UK
0:02:22 > 0:02:24and that number is growing every year.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Many pensioners rely on the help of carers
0:02:27 > 0:02:30and, whilst the vast majority of carers are honest,
0:02:30 > 0:02:31sadly, some are not.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42David Skerritt from Littlehampton once had a very famous boss -
0:02:42 > 0:02:44well, about as famous as it gets -
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Her Majesty the Queen.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50He was the royal family's television engineer,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52installing and repairing their TVs.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55The Queen was so impressed with David's work,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58she awarded him the Royal Victorian Medal
0:02:58 > 0:03:01at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 1991.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04It was a proud moment for David and his family,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06fondly remembered by his daughter, Joanne.
0:03:06 > 0:03:12It meant everything to Dad because he'd worked so hard
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and to be praised like that by the Queen, you can't get better.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18He was so proud of it.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24David was a self-made man, after the toughest of starts in life.
0:03:24 > 0:03:25Orphaned at an early age,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28he was brought up in a children's home in London.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32He was fiercely independent because of growing up in a home.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35He couldn't wait to have his own life.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38He became an electrical engineer
0:03:38 > 0:03:40and he met my mum
0:03:40 > 0:03:43because they worked in a shop two doors away from each other
0:03:43 > 0:03:47and mum was a hairdresser and they met, fell in love and that was it.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48They were inseparable.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Sadly, David recently passed away.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58His family have said, though, that they want us to tell people
0:03:58 > 0:04:01about him and the events that happened in his final weeks.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06He was generous, kind, really hard-working.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10I mean, he just never took a day off work in his life.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Anything you needed, he was there.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17As he neared retirement, David and Patricia decided
0:04:17 > 0:04:20to move to the south coast near Littlehampton.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23That was their dream, was to have a house by the sea,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27and that's when it became obvious she wasn't well.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31In 2006, Patricia was diagnosed with ovarian cancer
0:04:31 > 0:04:36and, after a long battle, she passed away at the age of 63.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Dad wouldn't talk about it,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40wouldn't talk about it at all,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43because I think that he didn't want to accept that she was ill.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46He certainly didn't accept she died.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49David later developed Parkinson's disease
0:04:49 > 0:04:51and struggled to look after himself.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56The Parkinson's took so much away from him -
0:04:56 > 0:05:00his perception, his mobility and his dexterity.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Joanne and her husband, Chris, would visit whenever they could.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But they lived over 100 miles away,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10so David's local social services set up a care package.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14A number of carers would visit him four times a day.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Carers coming into the bungalow was fantastic news for my dad.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22He really responded well. He used to look forward to the carers.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23He loved it.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27But David often had bad falls when his carers weren't there,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30so Joanne installed a CCTV camera,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33hoping it might help improve his safety.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Right, you had a fall then, let's go through.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Oh, that's where you had your fall and that's why, Dad.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46But that CCTV camera is to prove its value in a totally unexpected way
0:05:46 > 0:05:50when, out of the blue, David's money starts to disappear.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54PHONE RINGS
0:05:54 > 0:05:56It's a Wednesday morning
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and Joanne receives a worrying phone call from her dad.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02He phoned me to say that his wallet had been stripped
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and he had no money.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06David had just come out of hospital
0:06:06 > 0:06:08after a fortnight receiving treatment.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Joanne calls them to report her dad's missing money.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14They said, "No, all that was signed out of the safe
0:06:14 > 0:06:17"was an empty wallet with a card in it."
0:06:17 > 0:06:20While the hospital is investigating the missing cash,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Joanne and husband, Chris, go to see her dad,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and Chris takes a look at CCTV camera footage.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Chris went, "Oh, my God! What's she doing?"
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Chris is looking at a recording from three weeks earlier,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37before David went into hospital.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41One of his new carers has just arrived to give him a wash.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56David makes his way through to the bedroom.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02As soon as he walks past her, the woman starts looking round the room.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05She is actually looking for money she can steal.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09She checks the side of the chair where David keeps his wallet,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12then she stares at his trouser pockets.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24The woman keeps suggesting to David
0:07:24 > 0:07:26that he should sit on a commode,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29even though he's said he doesn't want to.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33She seems to want him out of the sitting room as long as possible.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37The moment his back is turned, she comes into the room
0:07:37 > 0:07:39and reaches straight for David's bag.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46She finds his wallet and takes out £130...
0:07:47 > 0:07:49..puts the notes onto the chair...
0:07:51 > 0:07:54..then rummages through his bag some more.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Not finding anything else, she stuffs the money into her bra.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03But she isn't finished yet.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06She starts looking under ornaments on a cabinet shelf,
0:08:06 > 0:08:11including an urn that contains the ashes of David's wife, Patricia...
0:08:12 > 0:08:15..all the while leaving David unattended in the bedroom -
0:08:15 > 0:08:18something his other carers have never done.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Realising there's nothing else to steal,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25she finally goes back into the bedroom to check on David.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Chris, Joanne and her dad can't believe
0:08:28 > 0:08:30what the camera has captured.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Shocked, completely, you know.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37We just all sat there and my dad said,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39"That's my money. Get that back. She's got my money."
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I said, "We'll have to phone the police, Dad.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43"This is actually a crime."
0:08:43 > 0:08:47As well as reporting her to the police, they inform her employers.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53The care agency sacked the carer immediately and she denied theft.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57The woman tells the police
0:08:57 > 0:09:00that David had said she could take £10 from his wallet.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03She decides to plead not guilty
0:09:03 > 0:09:05and the long wait before the court case
0:09:05 > 0:09:08proves highly upsetting for David.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14He completely broke down because we'd reported it to the police.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17He thought someone was going to come round, smash his windows in,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20beat him up. He felt vulnerable, really badly.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24It was the fragility of the situation he was in.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27He couldn't sleep. It made him completely paranoid.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31And two weeks after that, he went into hospital and never came out.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34David's health continued to decline in hospital
0:09:34 > 0:09:36over the next 12 months
0:09:36 > 0:09:40and, after succumbing to a chest infection, he passed away.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Months later, Joanne finds herself in court,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46facing the woman who stole from her dad.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49To be made to go through something like that
0:09:49 > 0:09:52when you've just lost your father as well was...
0:09:52 > 0:09:54I had to sit in court and watch that video.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58My legs went, I couldn't stand up.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02It was the worst thing I've ever had to go through in my life.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05She chose to take the witness box and stand and lie
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and everybody saw through her because she was lying.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The jury found the woman guilty.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18She was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22She was ordered to complete 260 hours of unpaid work
0:10:22 > 0:10:24and 10 days of rehabilitation.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32I just felt, thank God, you know. Yes!
0:10:32 > 0:10:36The woman may have been able to take David's money
0:10:36 > 0:10:39but she couldn't take away the wonderful memories
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Joanne has of her dad's life.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46Dad was amazing. The Queen Mum would call him David.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50He was part of the household and he was really, really proud of that.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Wow, you know.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Thieves can often go to extraordinary lengths.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But it's still a shock to see this man roll up outside a house
0:11:08 > 0:11:13in a wheelchair at 1.30 AM and start smashing its window with a hammer.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Nobody's in but a hidden surveillance camera is recording.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24The man finds a novel use for his chair's removable cushion,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26protecting himself from glass left in the frame,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28as he slides himself through.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31It's all rather awkward, which is no surprise,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35when it turns out this intruder only has one leg.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It dawns on him that he's going to have a lot of trouble
0:11:39 > 0:11:41getting around in here.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44His solution? To bring his wheelchair in as well.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53It turns out this man wants to wreak revenge on a landlord
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and, as well as stealing a large-screen TV, he takes time out
0:11:56 > 0:12:01to disconnect a washing machine to deliberately flood the place.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05But he's done this in full view of a camera
0:12:05 > 0:12:07and, for fairly obvious reasons,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11it isn't too hard for police to whittle down the list of suspects.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15The thief's soon arrested and for this and other offences,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19he has to wheel himself off to prison for 26 months.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29A late-night burglar wriggles, snakelike,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32to avoid activating a restaurant alarm system.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37He thinks he's quids in when he finds a safe.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41But he's been caught on camera and, when he opens the safe,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43he's in for an unpleasant surprise.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Westbourne is a fashionable suburb of Bournemouth that's well-known
0:12:55 > 0:12:58for its independent boutique shops and eateries.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Trevor came here three years ago to set up a restaurant with a twist -
0:13:02 > 0:13:07a cheese twist - specialising in a wide variety of cheeses
0:13:07 > 0:13:09from all over the world.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11It was his first dip into the restaurant trade
0:13:11 > 0:13:15and Trevor was nervous about how his new business venture would go.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18I literally cried.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21I lost weight, I was the most stressed I'd ever been
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and, leading up to the days of the opening,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I was like, "Why have I invested everything
0:13:26 > 0:13:28"into something like this? Nobody is going to come
0:13:28 > 0:13:31"and want cheese and wine. It's just a ridiculous idea."
0:13:31 > 0:13:33And I was wrong.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Renoufs is an extension of my home.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41It's very family, close feel to it,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and Westbourne is a fantastic suburb.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49The business owners in the area are a close-knit group.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51John runs a coffee lounge and chocolate shop
0:13:51 > 0:13:53a few doors down from Trevor.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56We all know each other and we chat to each other during the day
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and we can solve little issues that we have.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01They call it the Village, the village community,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03which is lovely, really. Got a good feel.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09But one night, the Village is left with a nasty taste in its mouth,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12when a burglar targets Trevor's restaurant.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19It's a Sunday morning, and Trevor's taking a day off at home.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22But his neighbour, John, has come in early
0:14:22 > 0:14:24to open up his coffee shop nearby.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I was on my way to say hello to all the other shopkeepers and that
0:14:29 > 0:14:30and I was walking past Renoufs
0:14:30 > 0:14:34and I noticed the window on the door panel had been broken.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38John calls Trevor to let him know about his broken door
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and Trevor drives straight down to investigate.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44There was lots going through my mind in that five-minute journey.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47When Trevor arrives, he's faced with a mystery.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50The restaurant alarm hasn't been triggered
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and everything looks normal, apart from the broken panel.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57He comes to the conclusion it's a case of vandalism.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00It's just some mindless thug that's smashed the window
0:15:00 > 0:15:01and he's done a runner.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04But then he sees that the broken glass has been moved
0:15:04 > 0:15:08away from the doorway and carefully put into a neat pile.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Determined to solve the mystery, Trevor checks his CCTV recording.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17What I saw next literally made my skin crawl.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Trevor copies the recording onto his mobile phone.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The security camera has picked up a man
0:15:25 > 0:15:28slowly squeezing through the hole in the smashed door panel.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33Trevor has a smart alarm system that has movement sensors,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36but the intruder thinks he can outsmart it by staying low,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41slithering across the floor like a snake to avoid triggering the alarm.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46It's scary. It is quite a scary vision of this guy,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48like something you'd see out of a movie.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52The intruder crawls behind the bar,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56goes to a cupboard in the corner and flashes a cigarette lighter.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01At first I think he's in the corner to set fire to the place.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05He's got a vendetta for some reason and it's quite mortifying.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09But the man is actually trying to light up the dark room,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11so he can find cash to steal.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14And bingo - he finds a safe.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18I don't think he's realised that this safe just acts as a cupboard
0:16:18 > 0:16:20to store our vouchers in.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Probably thinking it contains the entire weekend's takings,
0:16:23 > 0:16:28the burglar slowly pushes the safe back towards the door.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30It brought me a little bit of satisfaction,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33knowing that this guy is going to be hacking away at a safe all day
0:16:33 > 0:16:37to end up with some vouchers to come and buy some cheese and wine.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Trevor calls the police, who soon arrive.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44They examine the CCTV pictures and dust for fingerprints
0:16:44 > 0:16:47but there isn't enough evidence to identify the burglar.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50They were going to contact the council,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52ask for the street CCTV footage,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56see if they can tie anything in there and they would be in touch.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00The next day, the emptied safe is found nearby.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Trevor may have got his safe back
0:17:02 > 0:17:05but he still finds it hard to come to terms with the burglary.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08When you've been a victim of this kind of crime,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11it creates a sense of paranoia.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14You're looking at people, you're looking at everybody,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18and it really sends you into this paranoia of,
0:17:18 > 0:17:23is this a safe place to be? When you set out originally, it was,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25and it really knocks you back.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Trevor's determined to fight back.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30He installs new alarms and cameras
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and then turns his attention to try to identify the burglar.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I thought I'd make a little video myself.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39I posted it on Facebook and it went viral.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Over the next two days,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45local business owners, customers and friends share the video.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Trevor putting it on social media
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and getting everyone involved was a really good thing.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54It puts a warning out there that we do look out for each other.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58A fortnight later, Trevor gets some good news.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Although his CCTV didn't actually reveal the thief's face,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04it was put together with evidence
0:18:04 > 0:18:07from council street cameras outside, which did,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11and the police have recognised the burglar.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15The police were really good. They positively ID-ed the burglar.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18They told us to remove the footage from Facebook.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22They didn't want this burglar to see the footage on Facebook
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and then not return home, so we took it down.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29A few days later, Trevor gets more good news.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31It was the most refreshing thing I'd heard.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35They'd made an arrest and this guy's been taken off the streets.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36It's the end of his reign.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42It turned out that breaking into Trevor's business
0:18:42 > 0:18:44wasn't this man's only crime.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48In court, he pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and was sentenced to two years in prison.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Trevor is delighted with the result
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and is now well and truly over the burglary.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04From receiving the phone call from John
0:19:04 > 0:19:06to the response on Facebook,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08it's all about people getting involved
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and hoping, in the long run, that justice is done.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20There's a growing trend to post CCTV of criminals on social media.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24But sometimes that's not always the best thing to do,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28especially if it tips off the crook they've been caught on camera.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32So, when is it best to post and when is it best to avoid?
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Social media is a great way of reaching out
0:19:34 > 0:19:36to a large number of people very quickly, but talk to us.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Let's work out what's the best thing we can do together
0:19:39 > 0:19:42to identify the individual who may have committed a crime against you.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47Wide circulation of CCTV on social media can severely weaken a case
0:19:47 > 0:19:50because you may get multiple identifications,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52a number of suspects identified,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56and that can weaken the case against the actual suspect in the long run.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59If an image has been circulated on social media,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01the defence solicitor could argue
0:20:01 > 0:20:03that their client cannot get a fair trial
0:20:03 > 0:20:05because so much information is already in the public domain.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08If they think that the image has been circulated widely,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12they might suggest that the person recognising the offender
0:20:12 > 0:20:14is recognising them from social media
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and not from the actual crime itself.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Unfortunately, we have seen cases in the past,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21where the wrong person's name has been linked to a photograph
0:20:21 > 0:20:25and people have come to harm, as a result of that mix-up.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Contact your local police force.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30That way the police can release the images over social media
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and the police will have management of that crime.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39A robber thinks he has
0:20:39 > 0:20:43his late-night raid on a petrol station planned to perfection.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47But he reckons without an uncooperative cashier,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49an uncooperative door...
0:20:52 > 0:20:55..and an uncooperative plastic bin.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09The coastal market town of Hythe in Kent.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Alan moved here from the Greater London area a few years ago
0:21:12 > 0:21:16with his wife, Karen, and their pet dog, Nala.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Life hasn't always been easy for Alan.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23After a career on the railway, he suffered a spell of unemployment,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26so he came to Hythe to get his life back on track.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30We came down here and I wasn't actually looking for shop work.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34I just got friendly with one of the local grocery shops
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and, bit by bit, I ended up doing little jobs.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Work was difficult to come by,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43but Alan also managed to get a job at a petrol station.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47I was originally employed to stock shelves but the till work,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I took to that like a duck to water
0:21:50 > 0:21:53and, within a week, I ended up doing night work.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Alan worked alone from 10.00 PM to 6.00 AM.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I thought, "It's going to be a long night,"
0:22:00 > 0:22:02but it goes, cos you've got so many things to do.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05The good part, you do meet lots of people.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Alan's fresh start in Hythe was going well,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12but then, one night, it suddenly came under threat,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15when an armed man tries to rob the store
0:22:15 > 0:22:19and Alan must decide between fight and flight.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28It's 1.30 AM and the security cameras at the garage are showing
0:22:28 > 0:22:32no cars on the forecourt and Alan is on his own inside.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34We had a very quiet spell.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39It was about quarter to two and a customer just walks in.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42The man enters the shop and goes to the counter.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45He asked for a bottle of vodka.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Alan sells this customer the vodka, just a normal transaction.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52But there's nothing normal
0:22:52 > 0:22:55about the next man to arrive at the garage.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58At first I thought it was just a customer coming round to the drinks.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Most people buy drinks at about two o'clock in the morning.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03But this man wants more than booze.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07As he enters, he pulls his hat down over his face.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10It's a type of balaclava that must restrict his vision
0:23:10 > 0:23:13because he bumps into a cabinet.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14It's almost comical,
0:23:14 > 0:23:19but this situation is about to become far from amusing.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23The man goes to a door behind the counter where Alan is standing,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25then suddenly bursts through it.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30I looked around and I see the customer with a knife
0:23:30 > 0:23:32and a baseball bat in his arms.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35The man brandishes the knife in Alan's face.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39He had a big black facemask on. All you could see was his eyes.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42And he said to me, "Open your till or I'm going to stab you."
0:23:42 > 0:23:45But Alan doesn't follow the man's orders.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Showing great courage, he decides to stand up to the armed robber.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53I thought, "No, I'm not doing nothing.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55"You're going to have to force ME."
0:23:55 > 0:23:58I think it gobsmacked him.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00I think he was expecting me to open the till willy-nilly.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03The armed man starts to become angry.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07He just said, "You ARE going to open the till."
0:24:07 > 0:24:09But I ain't, and I won't open for anyone.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12He was definitely on edge and I thought,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14"This is going to get worse before it gets better."
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Alan makes a split-second decision.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20I just grabbed my moment.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24He snatches the balaclava from the robber's head,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28so he and the CCTV cameras can see the man's face.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30But the robber retaliates.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32I was struck on the head about here.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I didn't feel no pain.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I suppose the adrenaline just took in, but I was still standing,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and I think I shocked him to the point where he said,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42"I've got to get out of here."
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Alan's brave resistance does the trick
0:24:44 > 0:24:48and the man runs out in panic, trying to hide his face.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51But he still can't resist nabbing some beers on the way out,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and then promptly runs straight into the door.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01And even more comically, outside, he drops a can, picks it up,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04and then runs headlong into a bright green rubbish bin.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10He hits it with such force
0:25:10 > 0:25:14that he rebounds several feet and spills the beer.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19The man who earlier bought the vodka is still at the petrol station
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and calmly grabs the opportunity
0:25:22 > 0:25:25to help himself to several cans as he leaves.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Alan continues to protect his garage,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32bravely coming out to chase the armed robber away,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34while on the phone to the police.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38After his attacker has fled,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Alan suddenly realises the extreme danger he's been in.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I just cried my eyes out.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48It only lasted about a few seconds
0:25:48 > 0:25:51but I suppose it's the relief it's all over.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53The police arrive
0:25:53 > 0:25:58and Detective Constable Carl Evans analyses the CCTV recording.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00That must have been terrifying for Alan.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02He's within less than a metre of him.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06I suspect Alan was pretty scared, terrified in fact.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Alan gives the police the balaclava
0:26:09 > 0:26:11that he snatched from the robber's head
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and remembers an important detail.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17I said, "His saliva will be on the face bit, around here."
0:26:17 > 0:26:20There's a chance that the man spat on the balaclava
0:26:20 > 0:26:22when he was shouting at Alan.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Saliva's a good source for DNA evidence.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Whilst we can't condone that victims put themselves in danger,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Alan's actions in grabbing the mask was able to secure us
0:26:34 > 0:26:35key evidence in this case.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40Although there are glimpses of the armed man's face on CCTV,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44the images on their own aren't clear enough to identify him.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47But soon Carl and his team get a tip-off from locals,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51who'd seen a man acting suspiciously in town that night.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54That leads to a possible name for the robber.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59We checked that name on the police database
0:26:59 > 0:27:03and it was a known offender, so our investigation took that path.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06The man goes into hiding but, after a fortnight,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09he surfaces and he's arrested.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Whilst he was in custody,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17we received the results back from the lab on the balaclava,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and there was DNA of the offender on there.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24With DNA evidence clearly placing him at the scene,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27the man had more than a rubbish bin to worry about.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35In the Crown Court, the man pleaded guilty to attempted robbery
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and threatening a person with a blade in a public place.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42He was sentenced to seven years in prison.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Despite the trauma of that night,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Alan's new start in Hythe continues to go well,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52and when he attended the robber's court hearing,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57his courage during the ordeal was recognised in a very special way.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59When I got the High Sheriff's Award,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03everyone in the courtroom just stood up and clapped
0:28:03 > 0:28:05and I just...
0:28:05 > 0:28:09I just started...started crying a bit.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12It was a really proud moment. My family were with me.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Just one of those moments in your life you look back on.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Just happy.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24That's it for today.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26And that's it for a few more criminals
0:28:26 > 0:28:28who've been caught red-handed.