0:00:02 > 0:00:04Across Britain, you're capturing the evidence.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08He tried to push past me, so I just pushed back.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09You're setting the traps.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13She took the first possible opportunity that she had on that day
0:00:13 > 0:00:15to come and steal money from my wallet.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18And you're even confronting the bad guys.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19There's no time to think.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22You had to stop him. There was no other way, really.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25This series is all about the part you, the great British public,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27are playing in the fight against crime.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30It's someone else's phone - put it back!
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Whether it's capturing car thieves or exposing career criminals.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Immediately, the till's open and he's taken the money.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40The audacity to do that!
0:00:40 > 0:00:43We'll show you how you're turning the tables on the lawbreakers.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46And helping the police catch the crooks.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Welcome to Fightback Britain.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03This week, a jewellery shop owner stands up to armed robbers.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06This is my stuff, it's my jewellery,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08and I ain't going to let these guys get away with it.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13I meet a suburban crime fighter turning the tables on shoplifters.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14Watch that magazine.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17So if he re-emerges into the shop,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20without the magazine, he's bang to rights.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And a woman hangs a knicker thief out to dry
0:01:23 > 0:01:25after her pants are pinched.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27All of a sudden, when I heard that bang on the fence,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I was like, "He's here." I was like, "Oh, my God."
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Last year, one in six of us were victims of crime,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37but that doesn't mean that we took it lying down.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39We're going to show how you, the British public,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42are fighting back against the bad guys.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Yes, from using the latest cameras to amateur detective work,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47you're making life tough for the criminals
0:01:47 > 0:01:49by passing evidence onto the police.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51And sometimes you're going beyond the call,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54putting your own life in danger in order to protect others.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01I just made a snap decision, last minute, to move over and stop him.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Our first story started with an alert to Ross Phillips
0:02:08 > 0:02:10at the M6 motorway control room.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11Five hours into the shift,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14we had reports come into the control room that there was a HGV
0:02:14 > 0:02:17travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19so basically into oncoming traffic.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25I started to look on the CCTV cameras that we've got access to.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30A 30-tonne articulated lorry is hurtling down
0:02:30 > 0:02:35the northbound carriageway of the M6 in the wrong direction.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37You can't quite believe that it's happening.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39It's quite frightening
0:02:39 > 0:02:42when you see members of the public having to swerve out the way
0:02:42 > 0:02:46when they've got an HGV travelling at 40-50mph coming towards them.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Initially, the lorry speeds along with its lights off.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Bizarrely, it then starts flashing them at oncoming traffic.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Every time it approached another vehicle,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03it was like, "Oh, this could be it.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07"Worst case scenario, somebody's going to die here."
0:03:07 > 0:03:11The lorry forces an oncoming car to swerve out of the way.
0:03:11 > 0:03:12The police had to act quickly.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Straight away, we're dispatching officers,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20giving them live updates on its location, on its progress.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22We made the decision to set the speeds to 20mph.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26But with the lorry showing no signs of slowing down,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29a serious accident seems inevitable.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33MUSIC: "On The Road Again" by Canned Heat
0:03:33 > 0:03:38Ten hours earlier, truck driver Simon Cotton had started his day.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41I've been driving trucks for about 20 years.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44The thing I like most about my job is being out on the road,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46listening to the radio,
0:03:46 > 0:03:47scenery's always changing.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53In a typical week, I would cover about 1,500 kilometres.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Also on the road was trucker Krystian Wilenski.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09I'm driving in England about six-seven years.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Typical shift for me is ten hours, sometimes more.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I'm truck driving because that was my...
0:04:20 > 0:04:21..passion.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26On that day, Krystian was driving his 28-tonne DAF to his final drop
0:04:26 > 0:04:31and Simon in his 22-tonne 284hp MAN was heading home.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Neither had any idea what they were about to face.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44The runaway truck was now passing junction 11
0:04:44 > 0:04:49and the traffic was getting heavier. Scared drivers started calling 999.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50RECORDING: Police emergency...
0:05:02 > 0:05:05But with motorway police still several miles away,
0:05:05 > 0:05:06in the control room,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Ross was bracing himself for a major incident.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13At this point you can see two vehicles in a row
0:05:13 > 0:05:18have had to swerve to avoid the HGV and they're in that much shock
0:05:18 > 0:05:22and disbelief that they've had to pull over and stop.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25We're in here, watching it on camera, thinking,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27"It's going to collide with something."
0:05:27 > 0:05:30This was when he was approaching junction 10 of the M6
0:05:30 > 0:05:33where it was the first opportunity for him to come off the motorway.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35He doesn't.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39At this point, we knew that he wasn't going to stop.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Find out what happens later in the programme.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48I see an explosion of light. He's flicked his main beam on.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51It was then I realised it was a truck
0:05:51 > 0:05:52coming towards us.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Now, it might look like I'm surfing the internet,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04but believe it or not, I'm actually trying to catch a thief.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08I'm using an online surveillance system that allows subscribers
0:06:08 > 0:06:12to watch live CCTV feeds on behalf of shopkeepers.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14If I see someone pinching from the shelves,
0:06:14 > 0:06:20I simply hit the alert button and the shopkeeper instantly gets sent
0:06:20 > 0:06:22a video clip of what I've just seen.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Better still, if I catch someone in the act,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26I win a tenner.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29But should you be worried about the idea of people snooping on you
0:06:29 > 0:06:32whilst you shop, and does it actually catch the crooks?
0:06:34 > 0:06:38This particular scheme is something of a pilot, but it does seem to prove
0:06:38 > 0:06:41that ordinary members of the public can catch thieves.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50So I want to meet a member of this secret army of crime fighters.
0:06:50 > 0:06:5462-year-old Derek has several hits to his name.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58He helps stem the tide of retail theft from his kitchen table.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Or his lounge sofa, come to that.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06In fact, he's even caught criminals while he's doing the dishes.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- Hi, Adrian.- How are you doing? - Good to see you.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- Where is mission control? In the kitchen?- Kitchen table.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19What is this all about?
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Isn't this you essentially you spying on people doing their shopping?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26It's one way of looking at it, I suppose.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Yes, you can say, "Well, it's snooping, it's voyeurism,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31"it's anything you want."
0:07:31 > 0:07:33It is about curiosity.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36About "what is that person doing, what's happening there?"
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Do you ever find yourself staring at the screen,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47inside willing people to do bad things?
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I don't think I've ever done that,
0:07:49 > 0:07:54but you can get engrossed in somebody's behaviour.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04To me, honestly, Derek, I think this looks like just good fun,
0:08:04 > 0:08:09trying to spot something bad when it happens and being the first to do it.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Absolutely. I mean, even now we're talking to each other,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15I keep having a quick look, and even you're doing it,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- if I'm actually sitting here with you.- I was quite excited about
0:08:18 > 0:08:20someone trying to nick a bottle of red wine.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Let's hope it's a good one.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26The potential for snooping is limited
0:08:26 > 0:08:30because these sofa spies can't record footage, only monitor it live.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34But can ordinary people like Derek really help shopkeepers?
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Arul certainly thinks so.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39He was losing thousands of pounds a year to shoplifters,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42but since signing up to the online watchers,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46ordinary members of the public have alerted him to more than 300 thefts.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49It was a shock to me.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53It ranges from 20 years old to 70 years old
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and the worst bit is these are regular customers.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57They were in my good books,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59knowing my name and kid's name and all that.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01They are the one on the game.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Disappeared, magician.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09Shoplifters these days vary from cheese to wine bottles to deodorant.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Even Weetabix, believe it or not.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15I had a guy stealing Weetabix. I thought, "He must be hungry."
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Looked round, PG tea bags, there you go, bag.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Thank you very much.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Carry on casually as if nothing happened.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Back at Derek's, we've both got our eyes on a man by the newspapers.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Watch that magazine.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34- See it's folded up down here. - Yeah, yeah.- There's his bag.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Let's see, it might be or it might not be.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38He's going to walk out the shop now,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42so we don't know quite what he's done with that magazine, you see.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46If he re-emerges into the shop without the magazine,
0:09:46 > 0:09:47he's bang to rights.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Yeah, we've got him.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51There he goes.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54With no sign of the magazine, Derek hits the alert button
0:09:54 > 0:09:57and sends a message warning the shopkeeper of a possible theft.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Derek, I'm a digital super-sleuth.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Yep.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Believe it or not, the shopkeeper confirmed the theft.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08He got his man and Derek got a tenner.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- See you soon.- Cheers, Derek!
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'So, an interesting, if slightly odd afternoon.'
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- Keep dishing it out to the bad guys, Derek.- Take care.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19There are clearly privacy issues to wrestle with here,
0:10:19 > 0:10:20but one thing's for sure -
0:10:20 > 0:10:24technology like this really does catch crooks in the act.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Certain professions have always been vulnerable to crime.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35With high-value products, jewellers are particularly at risk.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Nowadays, they have very sophisticated security systems,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40but when armed robbers come calling,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43it can still be a terrifying experience.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46MUSIC: "Little Green Bag" by George Baker Selection
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Family-run Kampala Jewellers have a shop on Leicester's Golden Mile,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52the centre of the city's jewellery trade.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Up until recently, robberies in the area were a rare event.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07If we look at the situation when we opened in 1977 up to 2009,
0:11:07 > 0:11:12over a period of nearly 20-25 years, nothing's happened,
0:11:12 > 0:11:18but since 2009, there's been about 13-14 attempts on shops here.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21It seems the increase in raids was directly connected
0:11:21 > 0:11:23to the price of gold.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Since the recession started about 2009,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34gold prices were going up 20-30% year to year.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Some of these youngsters, they're looking for a quick buck
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and we're the targets for it because our gold is very high value
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and it's very, very easy to dispose of this type of gold.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46There are people out there that will buy it.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51With the rise in smash-and-grab raids on the Golden Mile,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Raj has become a vigilant observer.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59So, one morning, seeing a car pull up outside his shop on yellow lines,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Raj became suspicious and alerted his brother Atul.
0:12:03 > 0:12:10I see one lad walk out, the driver, and he's starting to walk next door.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I see, inside, the other guys pulling on balaclavas,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15so I'm thinking, "Here we go.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17"There's going to be a robbery here."
0:12:17 > 0:12:20As these guys came out the car with the balaclavas,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23they had a pickaxe and a samurai sword.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25They immediately called the police,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28but knowing it could be some time before help arrived,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Raj and his brother feared for the safety of their neighbours.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34They've gone next door.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Do I do nothing? Then you think to yourself,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40"No, we've got to go out there and we've got to help one another.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42"We've got to help each other in the community."
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Despite the extreme danger,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46the two brothers tried to chase the robbers away.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I fixed my eye on the second guy with the sword.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I was shouting at him and screaming at him and saying,
0:12:54 > 0:12:55"Get out, get out!"
0:12:55 > 0:12:58He looked at me and then he's panicked and he ran,
0:12:58 > 0:12:59so I ran after him.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00As I was chasing him,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03he dropped his sword near Doncaster Road and ran off.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Because they all scarpered, they ran away separate,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11I think the driver ran away first,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13so there was no opportunity for them
0:13:13 > 0:13:15to get into that car to start it anyway.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19DNA evidence and weapons were recovered soon after from the car.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23The brothers' intervention helped to convict these three men
0:13:23 > 0:13:26for a total of 28 years for raids on four jewellers.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32I felt proud, because it was not about protecting something of mine,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36but it was something to give back to the community that I'm very fond of.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39But that wasn't the end of it.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Coming up later, the Golden Mile is hit again,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45but this time it's Raj's shop that's targeted
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and his brother isn't around to help.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51You just haven't got time to think. You've got two options -
0:13:51 > 0:13:53do I go for these guys or not?
0:13:59 > 0:14:00Our computers and smartphones
0:14:00 > 0:14:03are amongst our most valuable possessions.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05And the thieves know it.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10But these days they can be fitted with anti-theft tracking devices
0:14:10 > 0:14:12in case they're stolen.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15So how well do these things really work, and can they help you and me
0:14:15 > 0:14:19provide the police with enough evidence to put a thief behind bars?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Ian Strudwick was about to find out.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26His whole printer business was put in jeopardy
0:14:28 > 0:14:32when he lost £3,000-worth of computer equipment to a burglary.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33I was distraught.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38I didn't really know what to do because I was helpless.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42The computers are the lifeblood and without them you can't operate.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45He decided to install the very latest tracking software
0:14:45 > 0:14:47on his replacement machine.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51We went to get these new computers and a member of staff mentioned
0:14:51 > 0:14:54some software that could help protect us in future.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Once a computer is reported as stolen,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00the software secretly switches itself on,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03instructs the computer's camera to take pictures
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and automatically e-mails these,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08along with the GPS location, to the owner,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11all with the thief completely oblivious to what's happening.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Over one in ten people are unlucky enough to be burgled more than once.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Ian is one of them.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21A week later, he fell victim for a second time,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24and just like before, his expensive computer was the target.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27This time he was ready.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32The only question was - would the secret software actually work?
0:15:32 > 0:15:38The software was activated about an hour or so after the break-in.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39And shortly after that,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43an e-mail arrived containing the GPS location of his computer.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46It was less than 30 miles away.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47And just eight minutes later,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Ian received a picture taken from the computer's built-in camera.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54MUSIC: "Just The Two Of Us" by Grover Washington Jr
0:15:54 > 0:15:58To Ian's surprise, his stolen computer had e-mailed him
0:15:58 > 0:15:59a picture of a couple in bed.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03And every eight minutes, a new photo arrived.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13To actually see the photos coming through, it's another world.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It's one ordinary people don't experience.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21With this computer software, you're in their room.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23You're watching them on their bed.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27With photos of who had his computer arriving in real-time,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Ian immediately called Sussex Police.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Here's the couple possibly wondering why the police are at the door.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40And here are the police in the room.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44The final picture that the computer took before it was taken off
0:16:44 > 0:16:47was a chap being handcuffed, and that made you feel happy, that did,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50knowing that justice was done.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53The man in the picture pleaded guilty to dishonest handling
0:16:53 > 0:16:56of a computer and was given a six-month suspended sentence.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Earlier on, we saw how jeweller, Raj,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06stepped in to prevent a robbery on his neighbour's store.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10We've got to go out there and we've got to help one another.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12We've got to help each other in the community.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14But just six months later,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Raj was going to have to face another smash and grab.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20This time, on his own shop.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25As Raj's wife is buzzing a woman through the security door,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28a gang of hammer-wielding men leap out of the van
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and burst into the shop.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32I thought, "I've got to protect my wife first",
0:17:32 > 0:17:36and she was in a real panic, so I needed to calm her down
0:17:36 > 0:17:39before I could think about the next step I'm going to take.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Raj and his wife take refuge in the back room,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and hit the panic button which instantly calls the police.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47He could have stayed safe,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50but as the robbers start plundering the shop,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Raj makes a bold, if rash, decision.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57You just haven't got time to think. You've got two options -
0:17:57 > 0:18:00do I go for these guys, or not?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04It was just a matter of heads or tails, really, and I thought, "No, heads.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07"I've got to go out there and I'm going to challenge these guys."
0:18:07 > 0:18:08Using a baseball bat,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Raj attempts to force the robbers away from his counters.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15For a second time, he puts himself in grave danger.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18First thing was, "Am I doing the right thing?
0:18:18 > 0:18:19"Should I be out here?
0:18:19 > 0:18:22"Why am I out here?" as well I'm thinking to myself inside.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26But then I'm just thinking to myself, "No, no, no.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28"This is my stuff, it's my jewellery,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31"my father's worked damn hard for this,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34"and I ain't going to let these guys get away with it."
0:18:35 > 0:18:39They go into shock, thinking, "Hold on, what's this guy doing?"
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I don't think they were ready for that.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44I thought, "I've got these guys on the back foot here,"
0:18:44 > 0:18:48and they're scared more of me than I am scared of them as well,
0:18:48 > 0:18:49so it was 50/50.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Next, Raj brings the shutters down in the shop,
0:18:53 > 0:18:54hoping to trap the gang inside.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Now I thought, "All I need to do is just push them
0:18:58 > 0:19:01"slightly away from my counters,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04"and hopefully the shutter will shut and that'll give me enough time
0:19:04 > 0:19:08"to go back in the office and lock ourselves in the safe room."
0:19:08 > 0:19:12But the robber nearest the door suddenly spots the shutters dropping.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17He's shouted to the other guys, "Get out, get out,"
0:19:17 > 0:19:21but as they've gone, they've managed to grab two of my gents' ring trays
0:19:21 > 0:19:24plus a couple of bracelets as well.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27As soon as they've gone, I've just thought,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29"I'm going to stop these guys."
0:19:30 > 0:19:34As the gang make their escape, Raj takes another huge risk to stop them.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39If I can somehow prevent this car moving,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41hopefully the police will arrive, we can get these guys
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and we can catch them,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46so that's when I thought to myself, "I'm going to start smashing
0:19:46 > 0:19:50"the windscreen" of this minivan that they had, a getaway van.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54But his plan doesn't work and the robbers get away.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59As I'm seeing this car move, I'm thinking, "Damn!
0:19:59 > 0:20:02"They've got away with this", and they just managed,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05from the crack in the windscreen, to drive the car.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08They got away and that hurt me.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12The thieves got away with around £30,000-worth of gold,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15but Raj realises he also had a lucky escape that day.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I could have got injured, my wife could have got injured.
0:20:19 > 0:20:20If it did go wrong...
0:20:21 > 0:20:24..it could have been a serious threat to our lives.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Earlier, we told you about an equally terrifying situation -
0:20:31 > 0:20:35a runaway lorry heading in the wrong direction down the M6.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38This would require a risky intervention
0:20:38 > 0:20:41by a member of the public if disaster was to be averted.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Every time it approached another vehicle,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47it was like, "Oh, this could be it.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48"Worst-case scenario -
0:20:48 > 0:20:50"somebody's going to die here."
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Less than half a mile away are truckers Simon Cotton
0:20:53 > 0:20:54and Krystian Wilenski.
0:20:57 > 0:21:03- "20mph - oncoming vehicle." - I see signs to reduce speed limits.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07I think, "Crap, traffic."
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Simon had slowed to 20mph, but out of the darkness,
0:21:11 > 0:21:12just 400 metres ahead of him,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15he gets his first terrifying sight of the vehicle.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19I see an explosion of light. He's flicked his main beam on.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It was then I realised it was a truck
0:21:22 > 0:21:24coming towards us.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Simon knew if a lorry collided with a car, it could kill,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32so he came up with a bold, if risky, plan.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37I just made a snap decision, last minute, to move over and stop him.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40A lorry here in the slow lane is almost at a standstill.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Thinking a collision with his truck
0:21:42 > 0:21:45could prevent an even bigger accident,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Simon changes lane and pulls his lorry alongside to form a roadblock.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53He was now head-to-head with the oncoming HGV.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58We were watching it, thinking,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01"If this doesn't stop it, I don't know what is going to stop him."
0:22:01 > 0:22:03I sort of knew he was going to stop.
0:22:07 > 0:22:08Well, it was more hope than anything, but...
0:22:10 > 0:22:15Either he was going to stop or there was going to be a collision
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and I would have a lot of explaining to do to my boss.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Fortunately for Simon, the driver stopped a few metres from his cab.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27But the runaway trucker could still drive around him.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32Simon knew he needed another lorry to make sure he couldn't escape.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36200 metres back, Krystian Wilenski approached the scene.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40I see two lorries that stay on the motorway
0:22:40 > 0:22:43and they'd got their hazard lights on.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Krystian's arrived alongside me...
0:22:47 > 0:22:51..and I looked out and gestured for him to pull alongside.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53"Just block him in, mate."
0:22:53 > 0:22:55With Krystian blocking the only other escape route,
0:22:55 > 0:23:00the quick-thinking truckers had averted a potential disaster.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02There was just so much relief in here that nobody had been killed
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and eventually it had been stopped.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10He gets out the vehicle. I asked him if he was all right.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12In broken English he says, "Yeah, I'm OK."
0:23:14 > 0:23:19You can smell some kind of alcohol or something.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21The driver was Pal Korbely.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24He'd spent the afternoon at the motorway services
0:23:24 > 0:23:25and instead of a cup of tea,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28he'd been tucking into home-made plum brandy.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31He pleaded guilty to driving whilst under the influence
0:23:31 > 0:23:33and was sentenced to eight months in prison
0:23:33 > 0:23:36and banned from driving for three years.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Thanks to the bravery of Simon and Krys, no-one was hurt
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and they were given a police commendation
0:23:42 > 0:23:44and a £250 reward for their actions,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47but both know it could have ended very differently.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Someone had to stop him. It was either a truck or a car.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54A car wouldn't have stood much of a chance.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01I'd do it again, I'd say, because you are not alone on the road.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04If you'd not done it, then many people can be hurt.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Now, thankfully, not all crimes are life-threatening.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12In fact, sometimes it can take a while to realise
0:24:12 > 0:24:14you've been a victim of crime at all.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18In our final story tonight, a bit of DIY detective work was needed
0:24:18 > 0:24:21to get to the bottom of some mysterious goings-on
0:24:21 > 0:24:22in a suburban back garden.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Leanne Burrell's trusty washing line has served her well for years.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I often hang my washing out at night
0:24:32 > 0:24:34because if it's going to be a nice day tomorrow
0:24:34 > 0:24:35and because I work all day,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38it's best for me just to hang it out and get it out the way.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42But suddenly her underwear started to disappear off the line.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44I felt like I was going mad.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Every time I was saying to people, "I think my washing's being taken
0:24:47 > 0:24:50"out of my garden", it was like, "Don't be so silly."
0:24:51 > 0:24:54When you put a washing on, sometimes you only come out with one sock.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I was thinking, "Maybe that's what's happening.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59"Maybe we've got a black hole somewhere in the washing machine."
0:24:59 > 0:25:00A little while later,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Leanne made a discovery at the bottom of her garden.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05There was three pieces of clothing.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09One was a swimming costume, one was a pair of knickers
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and one was a bra.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14That's when I knew somebody was taking my underwear.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17With a possible knicker thief on the prowl,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19the Burrells called in the police.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22The advice from the police was not to hang my washing out
0:25:22 > 0:25:24of an evening and to perhaps get a tumble dryer.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27But with washing going missing,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Leanne and husband Paul decided to lay a trap.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36They bought two night-vision motion sensor cameras costing 70 quid each.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Legally, you can set up CCTV on your own property,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43though pointing it at your neighbour's house should be avoided.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46But when it came to bait, there was a small problem.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50By this time, I had very little underwear left,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54so I was beg, borrow and stealing from the neighbours
0:25:54 > 0:25:59and from my family and friends to get different types of underwear
0:25:59 > 0:26:01to hang on the washing line.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Big bras, little bras, tights, and I was thinking,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06"Surely they're not going to go."
0:26:06 > 0:26:08The trap was set.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Leanne would spend the night with a friend
0:26:10 > 0:26:12while their husbands lay in wait.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15We sat waiting, waiting and waiting, and I was laying on the sofa,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17closing my eyes while he kept watch.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22But he must have had five minutes just closing his eyes
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and in that time, he'd been and gone.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26I think, probably, they'd fallen asleep,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28but they'll kill me for telling you that.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34With the boys enjoying 40 winks, a man hops over the fence
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and approaches the washing line.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Having forgotten his bag, the knicker thief decides
0:26:43 > 0:26:46the best place to store his booty is down his pants.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55When I got back and I looked outside the door and the boys said,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57"No, he hasn't been" and I said, "Well, that's funny,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00"cos we've got half the washing missing off our washing line."
0:27:00 > 0:27:03With hard evidence of pants being pinched,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06the Burrells decided to set the trap again that evening.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09You're trying to go to work, do a day's work,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11and it plays in your brain.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13You're thinking, "I've got to get him, I've got to get him."
0:27:16 > 0:27:21At twenty past one in the morning, a familiar figure appeared.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Suddenly, there he was, jumping over the fence.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30I rang the police and said, "I've got an intruder in my garden."
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I didn't know whether we could go out there and nick him
0:27:33 > 0:27:36or what to do, really, cos it was quite frightening.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41But with the police on their way and the thief making a run for it,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Paul and his mate head outside to find him.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47It's not long before they come across the man
0:27:47 > 0:27:48they've just seen on their CCTV.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53We just went up to him and said, "What are you doing out
0:27:53 > 0:27:56"at this time of night, mate?" He goes, "Oh, I couldn't sleep.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59"Felt a bit rough." We went, "By the way, you're under arrest."
0:27:59 > 0:28:01So we just waited for the Old Bill to do their job.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03They turned up and they arrested him.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06They strip-searched him on the corner of the road
0:28:06 > 0:28:08and then found all the underwear down his pants.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10I believe when they searched his bedroom
0:28:10 > 0:28:13they found about 80 items of our clothing.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17The knicker thief pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay £250
0:28:17 > 0:28:20in compensation and do 100 hours in community payback.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Amazing what you can discover in your own back yard.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29But remember, you can only film on your own property.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And I don't think you need to worry about anybody
0:28:32 > 0:28:34stealing your pants from the washing line, lovely.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- And on that note, good night. - Good night.