0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cash, our cars, our valuables.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13But, 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 > 0:00:21Local councils, shops and businesses are fighting crime
0:00:21 > 0:00:23with their own tricks and traps.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27It's just unbelievable that she thinks she can get away with this.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32And the public are using secret cameras to 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 is up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47They might just get caught red-handed.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Today, while social-club manager Ian is on the phone,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56an intruder sneaks through his club's back door.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01And raids the safe,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04stuffing thousands of pounds down his trousers.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09I didn't know what to do, you know, and I was almost in tears.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12His face, he was as white as a sheet and he said, "There's no money,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14"there's no money."
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Also today,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19a burglar doesn't think twice about robbing this house in broad daylight.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23But then he meets his match at the foot of the stairs.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25I was absolutely horrified.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28"What the hell are you doing in my house?"
0:01:28 > 0:01:3373-year-old Margaret teaches him a lesson he won't forget in a hurry.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36"Get out, get out now!"
0:01:37 > 0:01:40And a man breaks into a garage.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44But doesn't watch his step and ends up having an early bath!
0:01:47 > 0:01:48In engine oil.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57A government campaign back in the '60s said, "Watch out, watch out,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59"there's a thief about."
0:01:59 > 0:02:01And nothing has changed.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04There are still plenty of thieves watching out themselves
0:02:04 > 0:02:06for easy pickings.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16West Byfleet is a small village in the Surrey stockbroker belt.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20At its heart is the social club and thanks to steward Ian,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22the club is now more popular than ever.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26We've got a really big mixture of, you know,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29from like 18-year-old members.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Our oldest one last year had his birthday party, 107,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36he turned round and he said, "You know what, this is the best party I've ever had in my life.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38"Can I book it for next year?"
0:02:38 > 0:02:39Everybody OK?
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Barmaid Nora likes the happy atmosphere Ian has built up at
0:02:43 > 0:02:45the club, both for the members and the staff.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Ian is my boss but also, we are good friends, you know, socially.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53We all quite like that in here.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55We do what we're told when we have to but we can also, you know,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57have fun together.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Working here is more than just a job for Ian.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It's a passion.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03It's my pride and joy.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05And I just love the place.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07To me, it's my home.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10But one day while Ian was on duty,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14his home from home was invaded by an unwelcome visitor.
0:03:18 > 0:03:24It's a Thursday morning and Ian is cashing up before he takes the club's earnings to the bank.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28But when a delivery lorry arrives from the brewery,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Ian has to leave the tills for a while.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I stopped counting the money,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I put everything to one side and I always lock up the cage, shut it,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40lock it up, because at the end of the day,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I wouldn't want to put temptation to anybody.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46But outside, this man is no stranger to temptation.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50He checks out the cab of the lorry,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53probably looking for something to steal.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56It's broad daylight but no-one spots his odd behaviour.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01The draymen are busy inside and Ian's dealing with delivery
0:04:01 > 0:04:04paperwork in the club's committee room
0:04:04 > 0:04:07but he knows the cash is safely under lock and key.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Once it's padlocked, basically, you need to break in to get into it
0:04:11 > 0:04:16and, while I'm around, I don't think anybody's going to do that.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18But the man outside has other ideas.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20He's been hiding behind the lorry
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and now he's looking to get inside the club.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Seconds later, the draymen walk back to their vehicle.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Somehow they don't see him as they leave.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36The intruder sees his opportunity and casually walks towards the
0:04:36 > 0:04:39storeroom. He finds the cage and sees the cash.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43As the delivery lorry leaves the yard,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Ian's still busy in his office.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49The main reason why I didn't go back to the tills immediately after the
0:04:49 > 0:04:53brewery had been is that when the phone rang, I went to answer the phone.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57The intruder is just a couple of feet away from a week's worth of takings,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01thousands of pounds, but there's a padlocked door in the way.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05The man searches for a key.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08He could be spotted at any moment.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11He's just round the corner from the room where Ian is on the phone.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14He's found a key.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18But it doesn't fit.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19So he tries another.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23That doesn't fit either.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28The intruder searches the bar again and finds a tool box.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31He's going to use a screwdriver.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34And a bit of brute force.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43He's got to the cash.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44Ian's still on the phone.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47He's totally unaware he's being burgled.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I've not heard anybody.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52The committee room is the other end of the building.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55The intruder goes for the notes,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58grabbing fistfuls and stuffing them down his trousers.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Then he finds more money in the cash box.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08For a moment, he worries about fingerprints.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14But then continues to clear the till drawers.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20He's taking the risk of being discovered,
0:06:20 > 0:06:25but this thief's greedy, because he's noticed the safe below.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Again, he searches for a key.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Then realises the safe is open.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38When he can't fit any more money in his clothing, he leaves,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40quietly closing the cage door.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46He exits the same way he came in and no-one is any the wiser.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48But not for long.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57A few minutes later, Nora arrives at the club for her shift.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Ian still hasn't had a chance to get back to the tills.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04I came early because I was helping out, because the cleaner was away.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05I did see Ian.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08He was busy doing bits and pieces.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12I got all my stuff together and went out into the bathroom area.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Ian gives Nora a hand with some cleaning.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20While I was helping her, the tills had just totally gone from my mind.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It's not until the cleaning is done that Ian remembers
0:07:23 > 0:07:25he has to get the cash to the bank.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I just glanced at the clock and said, "Oh, my God,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29"I haven't done the tills yet."
0:07:29 > 0:07:33He goes back down to the storeroom and when he reaches the cage,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35he gets a shock.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I went to grab the lock and it just fell on the floor.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39I looked and all the money had gone.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44It had gone from the tills.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47I then opened the safe and I thought, "Oh, my God,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50"I forgot to lock the safe." Although I had padlocked the cage.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53It was like, what the hell has happened? I've not heard anybody.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58We've been here. I just could not imagine how I've left all the money
0:07:58 > 0:08:01there and everything there locked up in the cage and now it's gone.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Ian rushes to ask Nora if she's seen anything.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09His face, he was as white as a sheet and he said, "There's no money,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- "there's no money."- I said, "I didn't know what to do, Nora."
0:08:12 > 0:08:15You know, and I was almost in tears.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18And Nora just grabbed hold of me and we both, well,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21we both just hugged one another and, you know,
0:08:21 > 0:08:22we just didn't know what to do.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Despite clearly remembering locking the cage,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Ian starts to blame himself.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32The club will struggle to cope with the loss of a week's takings.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33I just thought, "Hold on a minute, you know,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36"there's over £5,000 here of the club's money
0:08:36 > 0:08:39"and I've let it go."
0:08:39 > 0:08:41You know, I've lost it. What am I going to do?
0:08:41 > 0:08:43And I just really kept trying to reassure him,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45"Ian, it's not your fault. It's not your fault.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48"Obviously, we've been burgled. Something's happened."
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Without having somebody there, I don't know how I would've coped, to be honest.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Ian calls the club treasurer and then the police.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59They tell him to check the CCTV recording.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03It's the only chance Ian has to find out how the money has vanished.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Because it's something that we don't use all the time, I just couldn't...
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I had looked at it once before but my mind just wouldn't work,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16and I'm thinking, "Oh, my God, how does this work? Please be working, please be working."
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Ian and Nora go together to check if the cameras provide any clues.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24We was looking and Nora's behind me and all of a sudden, she just said,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27"Oh, my God! "Oh, my God. Look at him.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29"Look what he's doing.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31And I just turned around and I says, "Thank the Lord."
0:09:31 > 0:09:35I just thought, "Oh, my gosh." I can't believe this has actually happened in broad daylight
0:09:35 > 0:09:40when you're at work, so early in the morning and just...
0:09:40 > 0:09:42I just couldn't believe it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Ian hands the recording over to the police and they have an immediate
0:09:45 > 0:09:49result. Officers recognise the man.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52They track him down and arrest him two days later.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The camera footage helps them build a strong case against him
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and he realises the game is up.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07In court, the burglar pleaded guilty and was jailed
0:10:07 > 0:10:09for three years and four months.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Ian has now got over what happened.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Thanks to everyone at the club rallying round him,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21he no longer feels so guilty about the break-in.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25I always in the back of my mind think I could have stopped that happening
0:10:25 > 0:10:27but I'm here to tell the story.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31People say we're glad for what you did and what you do for the club.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33We don't think bad of you at all.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36So all in all, it turned out good but, you know,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39great thanks to the CCTV.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And now, the pitfalls of a life of crime.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01This man's broken into a garage but in the dark, he stumbles
0:11:01 > 0:11:05straight into the mechanic's pit that is filled with used engine oil.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10They call mechanics "grease monkeys" and this guy certainly looks
0:11:10 > 0:11:12the part as he clambers out.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14What he thought would be a slick burglary
0:11:14 > 0:11:18has ended up a pretty crude attempt!
0:11:18 > 0:11:19To add to his woes,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23this slippery customer's oily face is caught on a surveillance camera.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27And with this clip of his pratfall,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29his image is smeared over the internet.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34So it's easier for police to clean up the case,
0:11:34 > 0:11:39because, as burglars go, this one's been a bit of a dipstick.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53This Canterbury street was built just after the war.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56One of its residents, 73-year-old Margaret,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00hasn't been here quite that long but she and husband Les
0:12:00 > 0:12:04have lived in this street since they got married half a century ago.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09We decided, yes, it was the house for us.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11£3,050.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13That's how much it cost.
0:12:15 > 0:12:1952 years ago, mind you, and we're still quite happy here.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25Margaret and 82-year-old Les have been through a difficult time recently.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Last year, Les became ill with mouth cancer.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32He reacted well to treatment but is still recuperating.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35It was a horrible time.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Les is now fed by bags of food that have to be pumped through a tube
0:12:39 > 0:12:44in his tum and they are supposed to help him put on weight.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46As well as looking after Les,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Margaret keeps herself busy by volunteering at a local school
0:12:50 > 0:12:53and working hard to keep the neighbourhood clean and tidy.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I get a nice day and I think to myself, right,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58it's street tidying day.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02I weed it and sweep it, both sides.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Margaret's community spirit doesn't go unnoticed.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Neighbour Sam moved into the street a year ago and he quickly became one
0:13:10 > 0:13:13of Margaret's many local admirers.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Margaret's just the most lovely person. She's got a huge sense of community about her,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19which is really nice. She always says hello.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21She does stuff that I wouldn't even think to do,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24like cleaning the moss off the pavement and when you walk up and
0:13:24 > 0:13:26down the road, you really notice that kind of stuff.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Margaret's always working to improve the neighbourhood.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And, after a spate of vandalism, she had a CCTV camera installed.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39I did write a letter to all the neighbours to say
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I wasn't spying on them.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46I had put it in because I found that we were having damage done to our
0:13:46 > 0:13:49car, which is parked outside our house.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55And Margaret's security camera was soon to record a crime when she came
0:13:55 > 0:13:58face-to-face with a burglar inside her own home.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07It's lunchtime and Margaret has just finished her daily clean-up outside.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11I'd come back into the back door to start the washing up
0:14:11 > 0:14:16and I heard this thump, which I thought was from next door.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18What's that?
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I couldn't get up and look.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24I came through from the kitchen and there was a carrier bag in the hall.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Puzzled, Margaret asks Les about the bag.
0:14:27 > 0:14:33As I turned from speaking to Les, this man came down the stairs.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37I was absolutely horrified.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41So I immediately shouted at him and said,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43"What the hell are you doing in my house?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46"Get out, get out now!"
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I could just hear her having a good go at somebody.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Fair means or foul, I was going to get rid of him.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56I, as the man of the house, should have been doing that.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57But I couldn't.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00As he got to the bottom of the stairs,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02I physically got hold of him.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Helped him down the stairs a bit more and slung him out of the door!
0:15:06 > 0:15:12Margaret's CCTV camera captures the moment she ejects him from her home.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16I manhandled him out of the front door,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20pushed him out of the porch door and start yelling my head off.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23The man runs off.
0:15:23 > 0:15:29He's running up the road and these items start falling out of his pockets
0:15:29 > 0:15:34and I suddenly realised, it was my jewellery that he had taken.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38The intruder has stolen some of Margaret's most precious possessions,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40including her engagement ring.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Her neighbour Sam hears the shouting and rushes out to the street.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47She told me that she'd been burgled.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49It was just a sense of panic, really.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51She just seemed really, really shaken up,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55so it come across me that I just needed to help her.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Witnesses in the street point out which way the man went.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Sam's girlfriend Sophie picks him up in her car
0:16:02 > 0:16:04and they drive off in search of the man.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09We drove around the corner and then we saw a lot of Margaret's possessions
0:16:09 > 0:16:11that he'd obviously thrown out on to the corner,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15so Sophie stopped and picked all that up and I ran after the guy.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17But the man's disappeared.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Sam goes back to check that Margaret's OK and hands over the
0:16:21 > 0:16:24items he's found, including a laptop and some jewellery.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29Amongst the tangle of beads that Sam retrieved
0:16:29 > 0:16:34was my engagement and my ruby anniversary ring.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37I was really thankful that they...
0:16:37 > 0:16:39At least I'd got those back.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43It was a nice moment. I could see a sense of relief on her face and I
0:16:43 > 0:16:46could see that she was, you know, slightly more relieved but however,
0:16:46 > 0:16:47she was still in shock.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51But one of Margaret's most cherished possessions is still missing.
0:16:51 > 0:16:57It's a charm bracelet that Les had bought me the charms for over the years.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59She was very, very upset.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03The police are called and scour the area
0:17:03 > 0:17:05but it looks like the burglar has got away.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Back at the house, officers look for clues and they find some important
0:17:11 > 0:17:14evidence upstairs in Margaret's bedroom.
0:17:14 > 0:17:20The forensics man found fresh blood on the jewellery wardrobe.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24The intruder must have cut himself while stealing Margaret's jewellery.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Samples of the blood are sent to the forensics lab for DNA testing.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32The case is assigned to Detective Constable Peter Frampton.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38It was an alarming burglary because he knew that somebody was in the
0:17:38 > 0:17:42house, so it was very important to catch this chap.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46The DNA results from the blood sample come through and Peter gets a
0:17:46 > 0:17:48valuable lead.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51The DNA's been matched on the national database and it
0:17:51 > 0:17:55gives me a name and we've got an address, which is absolutely fantastic.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57The police go round to arrest the man.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01These officers found him hiding in a rear bedroom
0:18:01 > 0:18:05in the same clothing that he was caught on CCTV.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09The fact that the suspect's clothes matched those worn by the thief on
0:18:09 > 0:18:14Margaret's security camera helps Peter build the case against the suspect.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20The man pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced
0:18:20 > 0:18:22to a year and eight months in prison.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Following the incident, the neighbourhood's admiration for
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Margaret has grown even more,
0:18:32 > 0:18:37for the way she single-handedly threw the burglar out of her home.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43My neighbours were absolutely amazed that I'd struggled with this man
0:18:43 > 0:18:46to evict him from the house.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49They also said, he could have had a knife,
0:18:49 > 0:18:54he could have injured you but you get this adrenaline surge,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and I just wanted him out.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Margaret didn't manage to get all her jewellery back,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03but she hasn't lost her positive attitude to life.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Les has now been declared cancer-free
0:19:08 > 0:19:13and I think that I've got quite a long time left yet to live
0:19:13 > 0:19:17in this house and hopefully, it will be happily ever after.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Now you've got to admire Margaret's spirit but sometimes,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29confronting a burglar face-to-face can be the worst thing we can do.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33So what action should we take in the unlikely event of finding an
0:19:33 > 0:19:35intruder in our home?
0:19:35 > 0:19:39If you end up in a confrontation with an offender, or suspect, that
0:19:39 > 0:19:42is unavoidable, try to keep things calm
0:19:42 > 0:19:45because sometimes being violent or aggressive
0:19:45 > 0:19:48can escalate the situation and put you at risk.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51One of the options you do have is obviously to run away and to
0:19:51 > 0:19:54create distance, so go to a safe part of the house,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57or if that's not an option, there may be a physical barrier,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59kitchen table, something like that,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01use that as an option to keep yourself safe.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Back off from them, be as reassuring to them as you possibly can,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08given the situation, that you don't mean them any threat or any harm.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Ask them to leave but be polite and you'll be surprised
0:20:10 > 0:20:13how many burglars will politely walk out of your house
0:20:13 > 0:20:15when challenged by a polite homeowner.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19People might not realise this, but you don't actually have to speak to us when you ring 999.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23So if you just ring the number and it's a silent 999,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26we can trace the call and we'll be there immediately.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Clothing and direction of travel of where they are going to after is
0:20:28 > 0:20:30really, really important
0:20:30 > 0:20:33cos we may capture it on CCTV leaving your address
0:20:33 > 0:20:35or a nearby address, as well.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Our thief eyes up a valuable vase in an art gallery.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46She waits until no-one is looking then hides it in her bag.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Next minute, she's out of the shop and away.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54But she's left behind a crucial piece of evidence.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06In the north of Cardiff, the suburb of Rhiwbina
0:21:06 > 0:21:10has a friendly village feel with a variety of shops
0:21:10 > 0:21:12that appeal to locals and visitors alike.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16This is where Victoria, an art entrepreneur,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20decided to set up a gallery 13 years ago.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23This shop popped up on the market,
0:21:23 > 0:21:28and I've never regretted deciding to come to Rhiwbina.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29It's lovely.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Victoria had learned how to design and make jewellery at
0:21:32 > 0:21:37university but it was her love for all art, and the need for a steadier
0:21:37 > 0:21:40income, that led her to open a gallery.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44I thought, let's bite the bullet and as well as making my own jewellery on the premises,
0:21:44 > 0:21:49I also had the income of selling other people's work as well.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53As her business grew, Victoria advertised for another member
0:21:53 > 0:21:56of staff and was delighted when she found Alison.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00I love art and I really enjoy it.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02It's the best job I've ever had.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Victoria exhibits work by artists from all over the country.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Every piece that is sold in the gallery,
0:22:09 > 0:22:14the gallery takes a cut and pays the artist.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16The arrangement works well for everyone.
0:22:16 > 0:22:22Unless, of course, one of the exhibits is taken by someone who doesn't pay for it.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26If a piece is stolen, then I still have to pay the artist
0:22:26 > 0:22:29and it's me personally that's out of pocket.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Victoria knows this only too well because a couple of unsold
0:22:33 > 0:22:36thefts in the past left her with large losses.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Because it's a small business and because Victoria's got a young family,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44every penny counts and it's not like a big business.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48It has a much bigger impact on a small business.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52So Victoria's dad installed some surveillance technology.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Hopefully, it's a deterrent.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59But unfortunately, it doesn't deter one particular thief,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03who clearly believes she has mastered the art of shoplifting.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09It's a weekday morning in the early summer.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14Victoria's opening the gallery after leaving it in Alison's capable hands the previous afternoon.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I come in, turn on the lights, I come straight through to the kitchen,
0:23:19 > 0:23:24turned round and noticed an empty space on one of the plinths.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27The plinth had been displaying an expensive vase.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33A very beautiful blue glass vase, worth £280.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I immediately panicked.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Victoria sees there's no mention of the vase in the items sold register
0:23:39 > 0:23:41so she calls Alison at home.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Victoria asked me if I've put aside the vase,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48which I hadn't.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50And at that point, your heart just drops.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54I was very panicked, especially as it was an expensive item.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I just didn't know what to say to Alison.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58I was in charge in the gallery,
0:23:58 > 0:24:03so I felt really frightened and guilty and worried.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06The vase had a camera pointing towards it,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10so Victoria begins searching to see what it had recorded.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14There's hours of footage to play back and then I realised that,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17"Oh, I've got this personal camera."
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Victoria's spellbound as she watches a woman and a man enter the gallery.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28The man walks back out but the woman goes up to the vase that's missing.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Alison was distracted at the till.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35She was selling a raffle ticket at the time.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38The woman looks closely at another vase,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41glances at her bag then goes to the front of the gallery.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44She just walks away for a second
0:24:44 > 0:24:48whilst she's possibly checking that Alison's not watching her.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Then the woman goes back to the vases again.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55She seems to take an age deciding what to do.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Then she takes the vase and quickly hides it in her bag,
0:25:02 > 0:25:03before leaving the gallery.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10It's very shocking when you see somebody on camera taking something.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It makes me feel angry,
0:25:12 > 0:25:17because I work so hard to keep this gallery going and to have somebody
0:25:17 > 0:25:21come in and steal something, it's just terrifying.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Victoria calls the police.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Officers arrive and look at the camera recording.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29They're delighted.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Not only is the woman's face visible,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35the footage also clearly shows her touching another vase.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It could yield valuable forensic evidence.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42That's the vase that we took the fingerprints off.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45We were lucky to have had that.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48It's something that you can't deny.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52The police leave with the fingerprint and camera evidence.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Meanwhile, Victoria decides to launch her own investigation.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01She films the CCTV with her phone and posts it on the internet,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03hoping someone will recognise the woman.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06I was so cross that it had happened
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and I didn't want people to think that we're a pushover.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I knew that I had to put it on Facebook to show people
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I'm not prepared to let this go.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18She is staggered by the reaction.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22It was amazing, the response I had from people.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Everybody was sharing it,
0:26:24 > 0:26:30friends and family and people who weren't even in Rhiwbina, or Cardiff.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Everyone wanted this person to be caught.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Before the end of the day, I'd had several phone calls
0:26:36 > 0:26:41with a name and I was lucky enough to be able to pass that information on to the police.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Officers go to arrest the woman.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47They went to her house and she wasn't there.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52I think she knew, because it was on Facebook, that she was,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54she was going to get a knock on the door.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57They catch the woman several days later.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01She denies the theft during questioning but they can prove
0:27:01 > 0:27:02she isn't telling the truth.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08They then took fingerprints which matched the fingerprints they'd
0:27:08 > 0:27:11taken off the vase which she'd left in the gallery.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Faced with this, the woman changes her plea to guilty.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24In court, she was ordered to pay £515 in fines and costs,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27including compensation to Victoria for the value of the vase.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36Victoria's pleased the woman received a criminal record.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41It's hopefully a deterrent that we as a small business
0:27:41 > 0:27:44are not going to just let people walk all over us
0:27:44 > 0:27:46and come in and take what they want.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Victoria and Alison haven't let the experience spoil their enjoyment of
0:27:50 > 0:27:52running the gallery.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Everybody was so, so supportive of Victoria
0:27:55 > 0:28:01and the loyalty to the gallery was very heartening.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04This experience has made me a stronger person.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08I feel confident in what I can do
0:28:08 > 0:28:13and I would like to continue doing as best as I can.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- Thank you very much.- Thank you. - Bye-bye.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22That's it for today.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26And that's it for a few more criminals who've been caught red-handed.