Robert and Dorothy Crime Scene Rescue

In the UK, there's a burglary every 45 seconds.

But right across the country, dedicated police teams

are on the offensive,

waging war against the criminals who steal from local homeowners.

Police! Come and open the door,

otherwise entry's going to have to be forced.

For the victims of these crimes, it can take months,

even years, to come to terms with what's happened.

You just hope one day it happens to them.

But in this series, we're about to show them and you

how we can all beat the burglars.

This is Crime Scene Rescue.

There are around 700,000 burglaries in Britain every year,

and it can traumatise even devoted couples like Robert and Dorothy.

I couldn't have found anybody better.

She's looked after me a treat.

In fact, I'm very lucky she condescended to marry me.

Together for 44 years, they thought they'd seen it all,

but then they were burgled.

Did you mention on the phone that possibly there was

-a jewellery box that you had?

-Yes. On top of the... It was on here.

-So, is that something that's gone?

-Yes. The whole thing's gone.

And while the police hunt for the thieves,

we take on the huge challenge of making their house

more secure than ever.

There's a little extra that we've done inside.

Hello, West Yorkshire Police. How can I help?

The city of Leeds, just one of the many areas

protected by West Yorkshire Police -

the fourth largest force in the UK.

They serve a population of around two million people

but the latest figures show that over 14,000 homes

in West Yorkshire have been burgled.

And are your parents not around at the moment?

It's a crime that not only robs people of their possessions,

it can also rob them of their peace of mind, as I'm about to discover.

It's almost six in the evening.

A few miles from the city centre, I'm attending a crime scene

with PC Graham Lawton, a police specialist in burglaries.

Pleased to meet you.

Inside the house is 41-year-old Liz, who stopped by to check

on her parents' home while they were away on holiday.

She discovered that around 40 of their cherished ornamental spoons

had been stolen, but she's concerned even more items could be missing.

When I came in, I noticed that the ornamental teaspoons are missing.

-Come and show me.

-A very exciting collection they had.

There's some things in here. So, this was full up, was it?

-That was full up, yeah.

-Oh, there's one on the floor there.

Just ornamental souvenir ones from places that they'd been, you know.

That will be worth something sentimentally to your folks.

Definitely. To my mum and dad, yeah.

Of course it is, because they would have had those for many years.

The bedroom window is clearly visible and partly open, which again...

-Is that this one here?

-That's that one there

-that you can see that's not covered by the blinds or the curtain.

-Mm.

-They wouldn't leave their bedroom like this.

-No.

It's all a bit surreal really.

Have you managed to get in contact with them?

No. I'm, er...

I bet that's a phone call you're dreading.

That's not going to be one that will be fun,

because they'll be worrying.

I really feel for them.

'PC Lawton has already assessed how the burglars may have entered

'the property, so now it's key that more detailed notes are taken.'

Meanwhile, the distress on Liz's face is growing.

Right now her parents, Robert and Dorothy,

are having a well deserved break and are blissfully unaware

of what's happened, and just how vulnerable their home is.

This is the window they've come in through.

They've broken the frame

and the actual window lock there has been broken.

So, that is totally insecure now.

And Liz is understandably very upset

and doesn't want to leave the house

because she feels this is insecure, and they could obviously come back

-and that's what's going through her mind.

-Somebody's been in here.

Somebody who had no right, no permission to come in has been in

and has been in places that they shouldn't have been.

Robert and Dorothy have lived securely in their home

for almost six years, but the sad truth is

that once you've been burgled, there's a high probability

you'll suffer the same fate again.

And if you haven't got basics like good security lighting

or window locks, then the risk of another break-in

becomes even higher.

For West Yorkshire Police, burglaries are a high priority

and they're keen to capitalise on any clues at the scene.

'Good forensics can improve the chances of a conviction

'by around 20%, and Mike Middleton -

'an expert in forensics - is quick off the mark.'

What's going through your mind at the moment?

The possibility of footwear marks where they've come in.

The wood, although it is a raw wood, it is quite varnished and glossed

so, hopefully, they might have left some marks on there as well.

So, just there, you're just dusting for...

-Is it finger or shoe marks or both?

-Both really.

Like we say, the idea is that they've probably gone out this window too.

-Yeah.

-Rather than find another point of exit.

So, there's a possibility of some finger tips on there,

where they've possibly jumped out.

With Mike gathering the remaining forensics

for the police investigation, my mission is to make sure

Robert and Dorothy's home is secure for the night,

so I've called in an emergency glazier,

who's unfortunately all too used to picking up the pieces

following a break-in.

-There's no glass broken so there's no point doing the glass.

-Uh-huh.

-What I'll do is just put some big screws through there.

-Uh-huh.

The window is shot, absolutely shot,

so it won't make it any more damaged than it is.

So, I'll just put some screws in it, from both sides.

It seems a pretty simple fix, maybe a slightly brutal one

in some people's eyes, but what he's going to do

is make that window a lot more secure

than the rest of the windows.

Our plan is to make the entire house a lot more secure,

for when the occupants eventually get home.

-Robert and Dorothy, you've just come back from a holiday.

-Yeah.

Which obviously, midway through, you got the worst news possible.

-We did.

-When Liz told you what she found in your house.

-Now, you've not been in yet, have you?

-No.

You've literally just got back. So, what I'd like to do

-is walk up with you now.

-Fine.

-And go in with you, if that's OK with yourselves.

-It's OK with me.

-I'm just numb.

-You're numb?

-I just feel numb. Yeah.

-OK.

And it's a very hard time, I understand,

but if you can just explain to me what's going on.

-Well, I just don't know what to expect.

-Shock. Shock.

They've actually left some behind.

-How many did you have?

-Well, it was full, so...

-It were full.

The best part of... I should think the best part of 40.

-40 or 50.

-Over the years, you pick them up.

Robert and Dorothy, in here, this was the window.

-It was actually this window.

-Oh, you can see where he's smashed it all open.

-So, we've had that secured at the moment.

-That's fine.

-So that no-one can open it.

-Yeah.

But, it's obviously got a lot of work to do.

Has anything like this happened before, Dorothy?

-No. No. No, never.

-No. Never, never, never.

Did you mention on the phone that possibly there was a jewellery box?

Yes. On top of the... It was on here.

So, is that something that's gone?

Yes. The whole thing's gone.

I've been trying to rack my brains just exactly what was in it.

With the jewellery box gone too,

the list of stolen items is steadily rising.

As the police continue their house-to-house inquiries,

I want to personally make sure that we can protect Robert and Dorothy

from a future break-in.

Only 12% of people actually improve their home security

after a burglary, my plan is to take that stress away

and stop the thieves coming back again.

What I certainly want to do is do whatever we possibly can

to stop this ever happening again.

-That'll do for me.

-And I think what we can do is certainly increase

the security around your home.

We've got a security expert from the police coming in the morning.

-Right.

-Who's going to have a look and make a list

of the locks and doors and windows, and all the security elements around the house.

I've been wondering about that door lock because it doesn't look as though it's safe for us.

Exactly. And that's one of my concerns.

Because I think if we make this place as secure as possible,

we're going to minimise this ever happening again for you.

-Yeah.

-But, obviously, I need your permission to do that.

-Yeah. Well, you've got it.

-Fine. Fine.

Well, I can't help thinking that the couple are putting on

some sort of brave face, but you can see deep down

they were really upset that an intruder had been into their home,

and it was horrible seeing their faces,

knowing that someone had jumped all over their bed

and rifled through their personal belongings.

For me, it's time to get cracking.

We need to get people round that house to fix it,

and make it as safe and secure as we possibly can.

Back at Police HQ, and it's time to hit the phone

and assemble an army of helpers.

Hi, John. It's Rav. Danny, it's Rav.

Matthew, it's Rav. We've got a job for you, Lucy. We need a favour.

We've got a lovely couple - Dorothy and Robert -

the garden was targeted by the burglars,

that's clearly how they've got in and out.

I'm afraid there's a lot of sentimental stuff that's gone.

They're clearly, you know, very upset about this.

I want to make their house their home again.

Danny, that would be fantastic if you can do that.

Thanks, pal. Thanks, mate. Bye-bye.

It's the day after a rather subdued Robert and Dorothy returned

to their burgled home, and I've come back to see how they're feeling.

Good morning. How are you?

-Yeah.

-Are you all right?

-A bit weepier than I was last night.

-Can I come in?

Yeah. Please do.

A bit weepier. So, tell me, what's happened?

Well, I've started to find things that have gone missing.

I've a rosary figure, a crystal rosary that my eldest daughter

bought for me and it was quite expensive.

I think she ordered it from somewhere in Australia, online.

And I always say a decade before I go to sleep on a night

and I put my hand in my drawer last night and it wasn't there.

Oh, I'm so sorry. Have you noticed anything else that's gone last night?

I started remembering some of the things that are in the jewel box.

I had a pearl necklace and some earrings, and the earrings

my dad had bought me when I was doing my nursing training,

-donkey's years ago.

-So, it's clearly the sentimental...

So, that... So, yeah. And a crystal necklace

that a grateful patient once gave me when I was working in York.

I can see how upset you are, that's clear.

Yes. And it's getting to me now.

Yeah, last night, I just sort of felt it was almost

as if it hadn't happened. It was very surreal, it was...

You know, because we hadn't, we weren't here

and we didn't find it when it was, you know, first discovered.

Now, we've got a lot of work to do, Dorothy,

but over the next few days, we're going to do that,

and we're going to make sure as much as we possibly can

that this sort of thing never happens to you and your husband ever again. OK?

-Thank you.

-All right. You poor thing.

Oh, I really feel for you, Dorothy.

I must look a fright. I haven't even brushed my hair this morning.

You haven't brushed your... That's the least of your worries. Don't you worry about that.

I'm determined that this ex-nurse, who's spent a lifetime

caring for others, should feel safe in her home again.

And, in my view, the transformation of the security

can't happen soon enough.

The man to provide the blueprint for the changes is PC Paul Croft,

a crime reduction expert with West Yorkshire Police.

OK, Paul, so here's the front of the property.

Now, one of my pet hates, when I was in the police myself,

is seeing an old, tatty burglar alarm box, because

it would signal to the burglars - if that's tatty,

it's probably not working, or doing a particularly good job.

It's saying to the offender, you know,

although there's a box up there, is it in working order?

You know. Has it been repaired,

-has it been serviced over the years that it's been up there?

-OK.

If we just go down here ever so slightly...

Where you see next door, just where it joins this property...

-Yeah.

-There's a very, very low fence

and no lighting I can see from this house.

I'm unaware of what next door has.

It is an easy route in and out.

So, yeah, you can gain easy access there,

and that may be something that we can look at.

OK. So, that's the front. Let's go down

and see what we can do on the other parts.

The front door. Now, it looks pretty solid and sturdy to me,

but what's your thoughts?

This lock here is a standard lock

that would be fitted from manufacture.

Now, there are cylinders which are improved on that,

which, there's a certain way that offenders are getting into houses

and by installing a new, up-to-date cylinder,

that now conforms to the new British Standard,

we can reduce the likelihood of that happening to this address

and addresses like it.

So, here we are, this is the rear of the property

and you can see the window, where clearly they've gained access.

It's in a bit of a sorry state at the moment.

What can we do to make that more secure?

I would suggest that... Looking at that and the state of repair

of the windows, you can see it's flaking. The wood's giving the appearance it's rotten.

I would be tempted to say that we certainly need to perhaps

look at replacing those windows with something

a little bit more modern, with some more safety features on them.

Now we can't change everything, but what we do have

at the back of the property here is some sort of alleyway,

and that's of course possibly entrance

into the back of this house.

I think this is where the offender has probably come over.

Perhaps we could make that a little bit more uninviting

for the offender to climb over that wall.

Brilliant. Thanks, Paul.

'The police assessment is a key part of the security overhaul,

'but I'm really worried about the emotional impact

'of this burglary, especially as it's becoming increasingly apparent

'just how fond of their home Robert and Dorothy are.'

Since we came in here, we've mellowed an awful lot, haven't we?

Because we've been a lot more together in retirement as well.

-Haven't we?

-We're like Darby and Joan, we just...

Yeah. We've found we've matured a lot more, haven't we?

-We've mellowed a bit.

-Definitely.

It's early afternoon in Leeds,

and while the city's residents go about their daily business,

back at Robert and Dorothy's home, the security transformation

is progressing, removing the old alarm and fitting new locks.

So, Danny, how's it going?

-Fine, thanks, Rav.

-You're busy at work. Looks like you're nearly done.

You've had a look at the old burglar alarm, and that is gone.

Now, you're aware that Dorothy and Robert do have a dog, Scott,

that lives in there. And dogs can set off certain alarms.

-So, have you accounted for that with this one?

-Yeah, we certainly have.

We're going to install PIR sensors that are actually pet-friendly.

They can differentiate the difference between

an intruder and indeed a pet. So, yeah, ideal for the job.

Brilliant. As simple as that. And this isn't a particularly expensive model, is it?

It's just something you've put in that anyone could buy for a couple of hundred pounds?

That's right, yeah. I mean, they're not expensive systems

and they're quite easy to install. So, they're within anyone's reach.

-You're going to stick this on in a bit when you've finished.

-Yeah.

-And then the alarm's complete.

-Superb.

-Brilliant. Thanks, Dan.

-Thanks a lot.

Robert and Dorothy's bedroom is their sanctuary -

a place where Dorothy does her embroidery

and where Robert brings her breakfast every morning.

But now it's been tarnished, I'm determined to rekindle

the happiness they previously felt in this space.

To help, I've called in designer Lucy Roper, who's going

to take the lead on making this house their home again.

-Now, we've had a look at the security.

-Yeah.

I think there's loads we can do to make this place secure. But what else can we do?

Well, I know they're probably very uncomfortable about being here,

and, when the break-in took place, they walked all over the beds

and things, and also have some mobility issues so,

looking at hopefully, maybe, looking at replacing the beds

and maybe redecorating. I've also...

I know there's some security issues being covered

with the windows, but we were thinking maybe something

like a blackout blind that can actually be left in a down position.

Obviously, the furniture is a little bit dated

and I think there's some issues with it falling to bits, so, we'll see if we can do something there.

Let's just make this light, make it new.

Make it feel nice for them once again and make this house a home.

Yeah.

Now, work's started on the house,

but there's still plenty more that needs doing, so I'm going

to have a word with the neighbours and see if they can give us a hand.

For this transformation to succeed, I want to join forces

with the local community, so we can all show just how passionately

we want Robert and Dorothy to get back on track.

-Hello.

-Hello, there. How are you doing? I'm Rav.

-Hello there, sir.

-Hello there. How are you?

I'm Rav. Across the road from you, there's a couple -

-Dorothy and Robert. Do you know them?

-Yeah. Oh, yeah.

There's a lot of work that we still need to do.

-Yeah.

-To make the place feel a bit nicer for them.

You see, if we can get some helping hands, some neighbours round...

-Would you be able to help out, do you think?

-Yeah. No problem.

Yeah. Yeah, certainly.

Yeah? Right. We'll you see you later.

-Yeah,

-OK.

-Ta-ra.

-Neighbours on board.

And what's really nice about this is the sense of community spirit,

and they all want to help each other out.

They all agree it's absolutely horrendous, what's happened

to poor Dorothy and Robert,

but what they also agree on is that they want to come round and help.

With the new alarm in action,

Robert and Dorothy are already

almost three times more secure than before.

As they settle down for the evening,

West Yorkshire Police remain on the trail of the thieves.

PC James Gross is leading the investigation.

The team and I are still waiting for the forensic results

that were taken from Rob and Dorothy's address.

We're also looking to other lines of inquiry,

trying to piece the clues together as to whether

this is a one-off burglary, or whether the suspects

are the same and can be linked to other burglaries that have occurred.

So, the forensics could be vital in solving this case,

and the investigation continues.

Early morning and Robert and Dorothy are about to leave their home

of almost six years, to allow us to continue the transformation.

But it seems Robert in particular

is finding things hard to deal with since the burglary.

He's having trouble coping.

He's not a well man at the best of times and at the moment,

he's having a few health issues

and because of that,

he's not taking things in his stride

like he would have done once upon a time.

OK.

As they head off, the plan for today is to make some more giant strides

with the security, replacing the windows

and adding new exterior lights.

But we're also trying to put the heart back into this home

and for that, we'll require my army

of community-spirited tradesmen and women.

OK, ladies and gents, thank you for coming round at such short notice.

The reason we're all here is to help Dorothy and Robert,

who live in the property behind me. Some of you personally know them,

some of the neighbours, I see, have come forward, and some of you have just heard what happened.

We want to make that place so secure and as a little added bonus,

I also want to look at the bedroom where this actually happened.

They don't even feel like they want to be there at the moment,

and I think we need to change that.

So, with your help, we don't have a lot of time,

so let's get on with it.

What's the timescale for clearing the bedrooms for the windows going in?

This one'll probably be about an hour, and that one about an hour.

-So, an hour and just get everything cleared.

-Yes.

That's my beautiful colour if you'd like to unveil.

Ooh!

Nice and relaxing and calming, after you've been burgled.

Three hours in and the overhaul on Robert and Dorothy's house

is progressing swiftly, and the new windows in particular

are taking shape. Fitting them is John, and he's going well beyond

the call of duty to make sure our homeowners feel extra secure.

So, John, you're doing the windows. This is the bathroom one.

Talk me through what you're doing here.

With it being a bathroom, it has to be toughened, it has to be toughened glass.

In the event of it breaking, it doesn't crack

and it's not going to fall on the end user.

We didn't have four days to get it toughened,

so what we're going to do is we're going to wrap it with a clear security film.

Not only will that be safer, it's also going to be more secure.

So, in the event of it being broken into,

they're not going to be able to gain entry from the glass.

It costs roughly about £20, £25 per square metre.

It can be fitted on timber windows, aluminium windows, PVC,

and it's a retro fit. It's very easy to fit.

And you can make that security improvement at home.

This burglary has really struck a chord within the community.

Not only are the police doing all they can,

so too are neighbours like Geoff and Denis,

who are adding their own unique input to proceedings.

If you're going to fall, give us a shout, I'll get out of the way.

So, Lucy, loads of work's obviously taken place here.

Tell me what's happened so far.

OK. We have taken the wardrobes out, we've redecorated

and painted them, tried to make the room lighter and airier.

We have got a carpet coming tomorrow.

We've got new beds that have arrived.

We have some lovely pictures that we've framed,

hopefully with lots of happy memories

so that it makes this room a bit more comfortable.

And I think we're about on schedule, hopefully,

for finishing before they get back.

Well, I think we're in safe hands here,

so I'm off to see how the police are doing with their investigation.

Unfortunately, the crime will be filed as undetected

at this time, we've no suspects to charge to court.

It may be that further down the line, we might trace

the property where we can deal with that person for handling

stolen goods, and then obviously from there, see if we can try

and locate the burglary suspects.

It's bad news for Robert and Dorothy, but it's good to hear

that the police will continue to pursue any new leads that crop up.

It's early morning in Leeds, and while the city slowly rises,

the finishing touches are taking place.

The final piece of the security jigsaw is to add a tougher door

with better locks, and plant a range of prickly bushes.

If Robert and Dorothy's home were targeted again,

a small piece of ripped clothing or blood gathered from these

could be all it takes to identify the burglar.

Well, we're trying to make this garden a little bit more unfriendly

to burglars, so I've got a selection of plants to go in.

I've got some pyracantha here, which is really nasty stuff.

You wouldn't want to go near it without these gloves on,

and it will rip you to pieces.

Just an hour to go, and PC Paul Croft, West Yorkshire Police's

burglary expert, is back to give his view on the new security measures.

We've added a new pet-friendly alarm. A tougher front door.

Security lights. Fencing. Prickly bushes.

And of course, some much needed UPVC windows.

In terms of a score for the house, I think, initially,

we'd have to be looking at perhaps a two or a three.

And now, after all the work that's been done,

I don't think we can ever give a property a ten out of ten,

but certainly, we're looking at eight or nine.

Time for Robert and Dorothy to come home.

How are you doing? Are you all right?

-It's been weird.

-Oh!

-Really weird.

Right. Well, I've got lots to show you.

We'll start off on the front of your house. You can see up there.

-Yeah. Wow!

-A brand new burglar alarm has been put in.

So, it's nice, shiny, new, it's flashing away.

It will deter anyone, alone, just seeing that. OK?

-See on the corner there.

-Oh, I've seen that one.

-Oh, wow! Look at those.

-A fancy new light.

You've got four of those around your house.

We'll be all right.

And they're a special low-level lighting,

so they don't cost very much to run at all.

They're very, very cheap to run, but it gives off light

every time it goes dark. OK, so from dusk till dawn.

-Dusk to dawn.

-They'll come on. So, again, that will deter anyone.

-Oh, right.

-So, if you just follow me round through here.

Guys, what you can see is a brand new...

-Oh!

-Wow!

-Hey, that looks a bit better now, doesn't it?

Yeah. Much more secure, the entire door.

But it's also got a much more secure lock on it.

I just want to show you one more thing here.

Now, here on the conservatory doors.

-I know you were a bit concerned before, Robert...

-Yeah.

About the handles. And again with the locks you previously had.

-It looks a lot better.

-They were not as secure as we'd like.

-They've been replaced.

-Yeah.

-OK?

I like that. It's a nice big lock.

All right? Now...

I can't get over all this.

Well, we wanted to make this house as secure as we possibly could,

-so that's...

-It looks like you've done a very good job so far.

Well, so far, yeah. There's more.

But there is more that I want to show you.

There's a little extra that we've done inside.

So, would you like to follow me?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-I'll show you the inside.

Right.

Robert, if you have a look in here.

-Oh, wow!

-We wanted to do something extra for you, because...

Ooh! It's a different room.

Have you seen this?

Now, what we wanted to do was a little bit extra for you.

-Well, you have.

-Because we know that this is the room where it happened.

-And what we wanted to try and do, Robert...

-Yeah. It's fine.

-..is try and put some happy memories in this room.

-Oh, that's fine. Yeah.

Instead of the bad memory of what happened. So, what do you think?

I'm overwhelmed.

Well, as Yorkshiremen would say, gobsmacked.

-I'm absolutely overwhelmed.

-Totally gobsmacked.

-Just look for me over there. Just look at the window.

-I'm looking at it.

-Oh, crikey!

-Now that's been completely replaced.

-Look at that!

-Have you seen the pelmet?

-I know.

The window's completely new, completely secure.

Much, much more secure than what you had before.

-Is it really...

-Are you sure we're not in a hotel?

I was going to say, is it really our house?

Is it a hotel or is it ours? I know.

Look at the lamps!

So, Dorothy and Robert, now you've seen what's happened in this room,

to the windows, to the doors, all around your house,

do you feel a little bit more secure than you did?

-Honestly, yes.

-Yes, we certainly do.

Yeah. I'm never going to want to get out of bed again!

Brilliant. Obviously, there's a lot of people that have been working

through the night, really, to make this happen and...

Well, it's a miracle. I don't know how you've done it.

-How would you feel about meeting some of them?

-I would love to.

-Yes.

We could say thank you for the work.

-A huge thank you to say to everybody.

-Yeah.

Everyone who made this possible is here, including their daughter, Liz.

-Look here!

-There we go!

Goodness me. Where have you all come from?

Do you want to go and say hello to them?

-Oh, I do, please, yeah.

-You go on.

-Oh, thanks, everybody.

People in the street. You're a lovely bloke.

-Thank you so much.

-So, now we can say thanks. Thank you.

It's a wonderful job.

Yes, it never ceases to amaze me that, you know,

we've got some really, really good people in the community

that have come together, you know, at short notice to make new windows,

door locks, alarm systems and things.

And clearly, you know, it's been absolutely fantastic.

Well, I never thought something so sad could end up so positive.

With all these tradesmen and women and neighbours coming to help

Dorothy and Robert out, and make their house their home once again.

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