0:00:02 > 0:00:04Across Britain, you're capturing the evidence.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06I felt enough was enough.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08You're setting the traps.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11She took the first possible opportunity that she had on that day
0:00:11 > 0:00:13to come and steal money from my wallet.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16And you're even confronting the bad guys.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19There's no time to think that you have to stop him.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21There's no other way, really.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23This series is all about the part you,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26the Great British public, are playing in the fight against crime.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29It's someone else's phone. Put it back!
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Whether it's catching car thieves or exposing career criminals...
0:00:33 > 0:00:36And immediately the till's open and he's taken the money.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38The audacity to do that.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42..we'll show you how you're turning the tables on the law breakers.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And helping the police catch the crooks.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Welcome to Fightback Britain.
0:00:59 > 0:01:05This week a gang of armed robbers are taken on by OAPs not once, but twice.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09As he was going past at speed, that's when I grabbed hold of him.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12The team carry out a prank on me to see if I cut the mustard
0:01:12 > 0:01:15as a witness to a bag snatch.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17We'll get them. We'll find them.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20You're OK, basically. You're fine.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And Shane from Boyzone - yes, that is the former boy band star -
0:01:23 > 0:01:27seeks help when his 80 grand supercar is nicked.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Within 48 hours, we had 25,000 new followers
0:01:31 > 0:01:33just looking for the Subaru.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Now, it's understandable that not all bystanders get involved
0:01:40 > 0:01:42when they see a crime, because of the risks involved.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45And we would always recommend following police advice.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49But that doesn't stop some folk risking their own safety
0:01:49 > 0:01:50or even their own lives.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Paul Read and Adrian Couzens were managing two bike stores
0:01:56 > 0:01:58in St James's Road, Croydon.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02A street full of bikes, bikes and more bikes.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06It's kind of a community place for bikers to come and meet up and...
0:02:06 > 0:02:07and chew the fat, really.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08We all work together
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and help out each other when and where we can.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But last year community spirit was tested to the limit
0:02:14 > 0:02:16when they came under attack.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20It started on a warm Monday afternoon,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23when Paul was about to shut up his shop.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Six lads turned up on sports bikes, which is nothing unusual.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28They come in, crash helmets on.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Wouldn't take them off, which kind of put my back up a little bit.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Just hanging around the sports bikes and the Panigales especially.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38There was a kind of sense of unease
0:02:38 > 0:02:40because we don't normally get en masse
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and they won't take the crash helmets off.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45You normally get a couple, but not en masse like they were.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49When they left I felt a bit of relief because they'd gone.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51I'd hoped it'd be the last I'd see of them,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55but obviously as events transpired the next day, it wasn't.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58The following day, it was business as usual.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59It'd been a reasonably busy day.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02A few lookers would come in near the end of the day,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04so I was just getting a fax off the fax machine.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10But at quarter to five, Paul's customers from the previous day
0:03:10 > 0:03:13were back, and today they'd come with a shopping list.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Heard the door buzzer go, voices.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Stuck my head round the door
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and there's two guys helping themselves to two Panigales.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24It was obvious that they wanted the bikes
0:03:24 > 0:03:26without putting an order in first, really.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30With no-one on hand to help, Paul's best option was to let them
0:03:30 > 0:03:31leave with the goods.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33But with a rush of blood to the head,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36he single-handedly tries to stop the gang of six.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38I just had to act.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40It was just purely a case of, "I've got to get involved.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43"This isn't happening. Not today."
0:03:43 > 0:03:44The odds weren't looking good.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50But events hadn't gone unnoticed by Adrian in his shop across the road.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I looked over and I could see that the front wheel was
0:03:53 > 0:03:54starting to come out.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57My first thought was, "Where's Paul?"
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Adrian sensibly triggers an alarm to the police
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and then sets off to help his friend.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06The next thing I know I see a flash of white come running past
0:04:06 > 0:04:09the door with an arm out, which was Adrian coming to my rescue.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13It was just a reaction
0:04:13 > 0:04:16and there wasn't really a thought process behind...
0:04:16 > 0:04:18"This could happen, that could happen,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20"they could be carrying weapons."
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Cos then I noticed a guy sat on the forecourt on the scooter.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I started to push him off the scooter to try and keep him here
0:04:28 > 0:04:30while the police are on their way.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33With Adrian coming running across there was a kind of...
0:04:33 > 0:04:36"Good, I'm not on my own. Maybe we can sort this out.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37"Maybe we can handle this."
0:04:37 > 0:04:39But that wasn't the end of it.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44That's when the hammers and metal bars came out. So it was, er...
0:04:44 > 0:04:46We're unarmed, they're armed.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48I kind of, like, stepped back to try and, you know,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51not get our heads beaten in.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54At one point when the guy comes at me with a metal bar
0:04:54 > 0:04:57and you see me back off, the reason I went to where I did was
0:04:57 > 0:05:00because I knew there was an alleyway that I could get down.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Paul and Adrian were now in serious danger.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06But watch the top left of your screen.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Two guys from a third bike shop sprinted over to lend a hand.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15When I saw them coming I did feel relieved,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18cos we're back to three, four people on our side
0:05:18 > 0:05:20against the six of them,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and some of them have already started to flee the scene.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26As the gang make their escape, and with still no sign of the police,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Adrian tries to slow them down.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I went back after the guy that had got back onto his scooter
0:05:31 > 0:05:33and pushed him off for a second time.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Unknown to me, the first time I'd actually pushed him off
0:05:36 > 0:05:38I broke my wrist.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43And as they're leaving, I get a metal bar thrown at me,
0:05:43 > 0:05:44which hits me across the back of the shoulder
0:05:44 > 0:05:49and the back of the head, which knocks me down, basically.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53The boys from the bike shops had prevented the theft of £50,000 worth
0:05:53 > 0:05:56of motorcycles. But it could've ended in tragedy.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00It wasn't until later that you kind of get a sense of,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02"I've actually been lucky here.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04"Someone's been looking out for me here cos it could've been me
0:06:04 > 0:06:08"in a hospital bed somewhere or being fed through a tube."
0:06:08 > 0:06:11The boys know their actions were risky, but they're grateful
0:06:11 > 0:06:14they could count on each other when it mattered most.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21I would definitely stick up for my friends again. No questions asked.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24There's not many bikers around,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27but you do get a sense of they'll all help each other,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30whether it's at the side of the road with a puncture
0:06:30 > 0:06:32or whether it's trying to stop some thieving little oiks.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Just to be clear - we're not advocating swinging your handbag
0:06:38 > 0:06:40or walking stick at armed robbers.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44In fact, there is an equally valuable and infinitely safer way
0:06:44 > 0:06:47to help, and that's by being a good witness for the police.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50But just to show you how hard it can be to make the grade
0:06:50 > 0:06:54as a good witness, I'm going to use Julia as a guinea pig.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56I'm playing a prank on her.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58She thinks she's here to film a link,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01but actually she's going to witness a crime.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03She just doesn't know it.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Unfortunately for her, everyone in here is an actor.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12And this guy is about to snatch a handbag right in front of her eyes.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15So, will Julia be any good as a witness?
0:07:15 > 0:07:16Standing by.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Everyone's briefed. The crew and actors get into position, and...
0:07:22 > 0:07:23Action.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26The criminal justice system simply cannot work without witnesses...
0:07:26 > 0:07:29While Julia delivers her piece to camera here,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32our would-be bag-snatcher hovers directly in her eye-line
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and is about to give her a bit of a shock.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38..A reliable eye-witness statement can make the difference
0:07:38 > 0:07:42between a criminal getting away with it and a criminal...
0:07:42 > 0:07:43WOMAN SCREAMS
0:07:49 > 0:07:50No!
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Great. Julia's taken in hook, like and sinker.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- Are you all right?- No!
0:07:56 > 0:07:59This bloke just came up to us and snatched her bag.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02My husband's not here and my keys are in there.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07- My car keys and my house keys. - We'll get them. We'll find them.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09You're OK, basically. You're fine.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Very impressive, Julia.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Clearly a woman who can handle a crisis.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15Time to put her in the picture.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Hi there, you join us at a bad moment.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- You're lost for words?- Why?
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- Are you OK?- I'm fine.- Are you sure? - Yes, I'm fine. Is it...
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Are we being set up?
0:08:29 > 0:08:30Oh, well!
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- A confession to make. - No, you have not!
0:08:32 > 0:08:36- There has been no crime. - You are such a little...
0:08:40 > 0:08:42There's been no crime.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44It was all a big set up.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I'm pleased that she's all right!
0:08:46 > 0:08:47We did it for a bigger purpose,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and that was to find out what kind of witness you're going to make.
0:08:53 > 0:08:54Later in the show we'll see
0:08:54 > 0:08:57if her description bears any resemblance to the bag-snatcher,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00and discover how you can be a better witness yourself.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08We all hope that if we were unfortunate enough to find
0:09:08 > 0:09:11ourselves a victim of crime, a Good Samaritan would come to our aid,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13from a passer-by calling the police,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16to a witness remembering key information.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20But as our next story shows, some of you go way beyond the call of duty
0:09:20 > 0:09:22when it comes to helping others.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Our story starts one February morning in Northampton.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34The town centre was busy with Monday morning shoppers when this happened.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Ben Jacobson happened to be filming for a documentary
0:09:40 > 0:09:43when he caught this robbery on camera.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44The robbers were trying to
0:09:44 > 0:09:48smash their way into the jeweller's window with sledgehammers,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and three more were waiting on mopeds as getaway.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56My instinct was to press record...erm,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00primarily to help the police out with their enquiries.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03But as Ben continued filming from a safe distance,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06a flash of red in his viewfinder showed that not everyone
0:10:06 > 0:10:08had decided to hold back.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13What happened next was a complete surprise to everybody.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14A lady with red hair
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and red coat coming running across the street and getting involved.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Grandmother Ann Timson had seen red
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and let loose with her handbag.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30My understanding was that she was mistaken as to what was going on
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and she thought it was some youths attacking some other youth.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Erm...
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But I guess once she was there
0:10:39 > 0:10:42she kind of had to deal with it and she tried to push them away.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Tried to swing her handbag at them.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46Whilst others watched on,
0:10:46 > 0:10:5071-year-old Ann forced the gang to abandon their smash and grab.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55But as they made their escape, one of the robbers fell off his scooter.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58The last one left and was right next to Ann,
0:10:58 > 0:11:03and when he turned around he almost lifted his sledgehammer to hit her.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07There was a collective gasp from the crowd of passers-by
0:11:07 > 0:11:09who had obviously stopped.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11PEOPLE SHOUTING
0:11:14 > 0:11:16And at that moment, they got involved.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23At the time, I was concentrating so much on making sure
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I was capturing it as evidence, as interesting footage, whatever.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30The full extent of how strange an event it was
0:11:30 > 0:11:32didn't really dawn on me till a few hours later.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Ann's impulsive actions put an end to this extraordinary robbery,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and one of the gang was even arrested on the spot.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45She became a global sensation, and in an interview said...
0:11:50 > 0:11:52A brave, if pretty risky, thing to do.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58But this story wasn't over.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Three weeks later, another part of the country.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Another street full of shoppers.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07But this time in the market town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
0:12:08 > 0:12:1170-year-old retired sales manager Michael Graver
0:12:11 > 0:12:15and his wife Penny were out shopping for a family wedding
0:12:15 > 0:12:16when they became the focus
0:12:16 > 0:12:19of the next stage in this extraordinary tale.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24It began as they approached the corner of High Baxter Street.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Two scooters with four men on board came roaring up,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29nearly knocking Penny over.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31I was quite angry.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35- To ride recklessly at her like that, that was...- He did stop.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39He did stop in the end, but it was close. It was very close.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41So that got me very angry.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Events now take a dramatic turn.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46One scooter rams the jeweller's door,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48while the others smash their way through the shop.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54We don't expect that sort of thing on a Monday morning in Bury,
0:12:54 > 0:12:59so it takes a moment or two of shock to realise there's a robbery
0:12:59 > 0:13:01going on right under your nose.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07That was when it became very serious and something had to be done.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Without realising these were hardened criminals,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14an already enraged Michael decided to act.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16The scooter was right along beside me,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19so I pushed really hard to try and dislodge him,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23push the scooter over, but they weren't having any of that,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26so that's when I turned and thought I'd get into the shop.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Michael tries to enter the shop,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32but comes face to face with a sledgehammer.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35He held the sledgehammer up and I thought, "Oh, it's brand new."
0:13:35 > 0:13:39And I was thinking, "I really would like a new sledgehammer."
0:13:39 > 0:13:43As the confrontation spills out onto the street, a horrified Penny
0:13:43 > 0:13:46watches as Michael dodges hammer blows.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50It was so menacing to have the thought of him
0:13:50 > 0:13:53being bashed with a sledgehammer. I was quite terrified.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56As Michael continues to sidestep the sledgehammer,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58the final robber flees the shop with his loot.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02As he went past that's when I tried to grab hold of him.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I sort of got his arm,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08but as he was going past at speed my hands were just slipping down.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11The only thing I could get a grip on was the bag.
0:14:11 > 0:14:17Remarkably, Michael snatches the bag and the robbers flee empty-handed.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Inside are watches worth over £20,000.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- We were standing there in the doorway holding the bag...- Oh, yes.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28- ..and we suddenly thought, "Police."- Oh...- "Statements."
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- "Bang goes my shopping trip." - "There goes the morning."
0:14:31 > 0:14:35But what was most remarkable was that Michael had actually stopped
0:14:35 > 0:14:38members of the same gang that fellow pensioner Ann Timson
0:14:38 > 0:14:40had thwarted three weeks earlier.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Thanks in part to the actions of these pensioners,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47who have a combined age of 141,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50ten gang members were jailed for more than 60 years
0:14:50 > 0:14:51for their part in these robberies.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Earlier in the show, I played a prank on Julia.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01She thought she'd seen a bag snatch,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04but it was all a set-up to see how easily your mind can play
0:15:04 > 0:15:06tricks on you.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08WOMAN SCREAMS
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Julia is about to meet Steve Curtis,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12a police witness expert.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13He's going to find out
0:15:13 > 0:15:16if Julia can provide an accurate description of the thief.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Steve, where do we start?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21What I'd like you to do is think about that person.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25So, it was a male, he was white...
0:15:25 > 0:15:30Dark trousers and I don't know whether they were black jeans.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Oh, dear. Julia's making mistakes, but this isn't unexpected.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36He had on, I think, a white top.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39A white tracksuit top.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Don't know what was underneath it.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Research shows we tend to remember colours as being brighter than
0:15:45 > 0:15:46they actually are,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50and it's the bright white that Julia's mind has focused on.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53I didn't notice any logos on it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56It might have had a stripe down the side of the...
0:15:56 > 0:15:57- It might?- It might.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00He had dark hair...
0:16:00 > 0:16:05and I would describe the forehead slightly receding.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08He had dark stubble.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10So Julia's following type here.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Most witnesses remember the features in the top half of the face,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16like the eyes and hair, better than the lower half.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19But will her E-FIT resemble our bag-snatcher?
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Yeah, that's about right.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29You have got to be joking.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Time to put her out of her misery.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Oh, no!
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Would you like to meet a friend of mine?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Hi. I didn't think you had spiky hair, you see.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- Nice to meet you.- Hello. Nice to meet you.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43You thief, you.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- Recognise him? - I do recognise him,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49but I got the nose wrong and I didn't think he had spiky hair,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52but I got the hairline right.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- Chris, look at that. - It's not bad.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- It's like a young Mel Gibson. - How like you is that?
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Erm... We could be brothers, I suppose.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Would that be useful? Would that be helpful?
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Well, I believe that that's not a bad impression at all
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and I think, actually, you've done quite a good job there, Julia.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12It's clearly not a spitting image, but Julia's actually done
0:17:12 > 0:17:16quite well with the shape of the face and upper features.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20And women tend to be much better at remembering faces than men...
0:17:20 > 0:17:23so I dread to think how I would have done.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25The crucial things to remember are,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28focus on permanent details, like height
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and skin colour, rather than temporary ones,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34like hairstyle that can easily be changed.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37And only give details you're absolutely sure of.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Witnesses can be very eager to help and when they do,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42sometimes they provide information which is a bit off-track.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44It's not actually what happened.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46They sort of fill in the gaps themselves.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49They fill in the gaps, trying to please, and that can...
0:17:49 > 0:17:51That can be false and it can mislead.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54You're a nasty man. That poor lady. They were her keys.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56She was really upset.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00I might just give you a clip round the ear.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Love it or loathe it, the world
0:18:07 > 0:18:10now spends an enormous amount of time chatting online.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Many of us social media to stay in touch with friends and family,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18but also at the tap of a button you can send a message to a whole
0:18:18 > 0:18:20community at lightning speed.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23It's also proving to be a fantastic tool in the fight against crime,
0:18:23 > 0:18:28as motor racing enthusiast and former boy band member Shane Lynch knows.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Shane Lynch of Boyzone, here on the left
0:18:32 > 0:18:34sporting an enormous white collar,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38swapped showbiz suits for oily rags and the buzz of motor racing.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42If you walk around, what you can see is blood,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45sweat and tears in all of these cars.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48You can see every last wage packet going into every man's car.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49This is their life.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Shane drives this car in drift races for motor team Japspeed.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02The team had been exhibiting their cars at a drift racing
0:19:02 > 0:19:05event at the Santa Pod Raceway.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08The guys in the team had gone for a debrief with the show
0:19:08 > 0:19:12organisers, left the car for approximately 20, 30 minutes.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Unbelievably, in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of fans,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21thieves had managed to start the car, drive it off the stand
0:19:21 > 0:19:23and out the front gate.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29I think a lot of people thought in the beginning it was a joke
0:19:29 > 0:19:31because it's such an unheard of thing to do,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34to take a car off the stand at an event. It doesn't happen.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37The complete disbelief when we found out the car was gone.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40They had no fear with getting in that car and driving it
0:19:40 > 0:19:43straight past the stewards, and onto the road and down the motorway.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46They could have been caught at any point.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It didn't even have any number plates.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53These cars are complete one-offs, custom-made,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57irreplaceable vehicles, and we had no option when it was stolen.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58We had to get that car back.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02This £80,000 car that had taken four men
0:20:02 > 0:20:06six months to build had disappeared in the blink of an eye.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Paul called the police, but they needed help
0:20:08 > 0:20:10if the car was going to be seen again,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13so he turned to the social networks.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Obviously, our Facebook fans follow us at these events,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19so the immediate thought was to use those fans to help us try
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and find the vehicle before it had left the area.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Paul posted that the car had been nicked and within minutes,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30keen motoring bloggers spread the word.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Everybody was copying and pasting, re-tweeting on Twitter
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and everything. We were getting in touch with different car clubs,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39different areas like the Northwest, down in London, up in Scotland.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Usually on the online forums when a post goes up,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44whether it's a car sale or something,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47you can expect to get ten, maybe 15, posts.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51In this particular case, within hours,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54the post count was in the hundreds.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Word had spread so fast, it was on forums
0:20:56 > 0:20:58that we had never heard of, but they were still there
0:20:58 > 0:21:00trying to help us find the car.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Posts were flooding in and soon there were a couple of sightings.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07It must have been literally an hour after the car
0:21:07 > 0:21:09had initially been stolen,
0:21:09 > 0:21:15the reports of it heading south towards Windsor, down the M4.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Within 48 hours, we had 25,000 new followers
0:21:19 > 0:21:22just looking for the Subaru that got stolen.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27The biggest breakthrough came from petrol head John Singleton.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29I was driving home from work on the M25
0:21:29 > 0:21:33when I looked in the rear-view mirror and there was this car,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36this orange and black car coming out of nowhere,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38going at a fair old speed.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42And I thought I would get my phone out and record it for a little bit.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45# I need a hero... #
0:21:45 > 0:21:51This is the stolen Subaru that Paul filmed speeding along the M25.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56The video went viral, the whole country knew about the stolen motor
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and car fans across Britain had their eyes peeled.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02This hot rod was now such hot property
0:22:02 > 0:22:05that the thieves would stand little chance of being able to move it
0:22:05 > 0:22:08around the country or even sell it on.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Knowing this, Paul decided to lay a sting
0:22:10 > 0:22:15and now offered a £10,000 reward for the return of the car.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Out of the blue, Paul gets a phone call.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20They said that they knew where the car was
0:22:20 > 0:22:24and, with the reward, they would help us get the car back.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28The team arranged a meeting with the informant at a service station.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31What he didn't know was that the police were in tow.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34As soon as the money had been exchanged,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37they took us to the garage where it was being held
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and caught the gang red-handed.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42The car was sat there with the gang stripping it for parts.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45When we got a phone call to say they had found the car,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47we were absolutely delighted. It was an emotional time,
0:22:47 > 0:22:52because we really didn't think we were going to get that car back.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55The thieves were part of a gang which stole vehicles
0:22:55 > 0:22:57worth almost a quarter of a million pounds.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00They were jailed for more than 15 years for burglary,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03theft and handling stolen goods.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08Without a shadow of a doubt,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11if it wasn't for the kind folk of the world,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13the people of the United Kingdom,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17that car would possibly have never been found again.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20It was a fantastic result to get the car back, absolutely,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22so we were thrilled that we got it back in one piece
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and that we were going to be able to bring the car back to life
0:23:25 > 0:23:27for the fans that had helped us find it.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36In the past ten years, burglary rates have dropped by almost a third,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39but how do you protect yourself from someone you willingly
0:23:39 > 0:23:40let into your own home?
0:23:40 > 0:23:42In our final story, a group of neighbours
0:23:42 > 0:23:44faced suburbia's worst nightmare,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48when suspicions were raised about the cleaner.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56I found Christina on a Gumtree advertisement,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59she came with references.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04Christina cleaned for Stephen and Lynne once a week.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06She'd come and she'd dust the banisters
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and clean inside the fridge and clean inside the cupboards.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11We really, really trusted her.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13They were so pleased, they even recommended her
0:24:13 > 0:24:16to their friend and neighbour, Caroline.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18She seemed nice,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Stephen and Lynne had obviously trusted her to be in their home
0:24:21 > 0:24:24and I took their recommendation that
0:24:24 > 0:24:27they had never had any problems with her.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30But earlier this year, Caroline started to notice
0:24:30 > 0:24:32all was not quite right.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35After the first time she cleaned for us,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37there was some money that went missing.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40I dismissed it, because...
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I just thought that we must have put it somewhere else.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46We noticed a second amount of money had gone missing
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and at that stage, I sent Stephen a message
0:24:49 > 0:24:54just to ask him if he had had any problems with her.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Caroline raised her concerns with Stephen and Lynne that evening.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01So, I thought, "We want to have a sense of justice here,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04"we don't want to unjustly dismiss her,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07"we want to know one way or another."
0:25:07 > 0:25:09IT consultant Stephen decided to act
0:25:09 > 0:25:12by setting up a hi tech trap.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Using special software, he reconfigured
0:25:14 > 0:25:19his computer's 50 quid webcam to become a motion-activated spy cam.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24What I used to capture the images was basically just a laptop,
0:25:24 > 0:25:30a webcam and some free open-source software off the web, that was it.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33On the day we actually captured the images,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37just a normal day, Lynne had gone off to work at about 8:30,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Christina had arrived about 8:45.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48I went off to go and have my shower.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53But not before leaving some bait on the table.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I came back and got dressed and I thought, "I will check."
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Unbelievably, Christina had come into Stephen's office,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03picked up his wallet and removed a £20 note.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05I think I sat there for a couple of minutes,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07just staring at the photos, the sequence of photos,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10just going, literally with my jaw open, going,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13"Oh, my God, oh, my God."
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I printed off one of the copies of the photos
0:26:16 > 0:26:21and I went downstairs and I said, "Christina, can I have a word?"
0:26:21 > 0:26:24I basically asked for the keys to the house back,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26because I wanted to make sure I got the keys back.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I basically said, "How long have you been stealing from us?"
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And she sort of went, "What?"
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Like, sort of, "What do you mean?
0:26:35 > 0:26:37"I don't know what you're talking about."
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I literally just laid the photo on the kitchen table
0:26:40 > 0:26:44and she took one look at the photo and she just went white.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48And I just said, "I think you had better leave."
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Christina collected her things and went.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Stephen and Lynne thought that was the end of it,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56but felt that they should warn their neighbour, Caroline.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58I felt ill, in a way.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I had been letting her into my house
0:27:01 > 0:27:03every week and she had been cleaning,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07but she had obviously been taking things as well.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09My husband Googled her name
0:27:09 > 0:27:13and up popped her eBay account, which contained a number of items
0:27:13 > 0:27:16that Stephen then recognised as being his own.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21She had quite a history as an eBay seller and a lot of feedback
0:27:21 > 0:27:24from people that had purchased items, and going through the list,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27we started picking up items that were stolen from our home.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30The most important item, I suppose, that I noticed
0:27:30 > 0:27:35that showed up on her eBay account was a removable hard drive.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38All of the photos that I have taken over the last few years
0:27:38 > 0:27:41are on that and I don't have those photos any more,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43they're gone, I can't get them back.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Police investigations revealed a string of families
0:27:46 > 0:27:48had been rinsed by this cleaner.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Christina pleaded guilty to three counts of theft
0:27:51 > 0:27:54with a further six taken into consideration.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57She was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03You implicitly trust the people that you let into your house
0:28:03 > 0:28:06and, you know, they've got keys to your house,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09they look after your pets, you see them every week.
0:28:09 > 0:28:16It's somebody that you've actually made a part of your family.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Yep, it hurts.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23That's it for this week. For all those criminals out there,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25- you might THINK you're one step ahead...- But watch out,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29because the Great British public may well be about to catch you out.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30TOGETHER: Good night.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd