Episode 18 Neighbourhood Blues

Neighbourhood policing has come a long way since the days of

-Dixon Of Dock Green.

-Good evening, all.

From inner-city estates to suburbia, this new

generation of community police officers are on the front line.

Their aim is to develop a stronger bond with the community,

crack down on the crimes taking place on your doorstep

and formulate fast-action plans to take down the criminals.

-I said no.

-I said yes.

In this series of Neighbourhood Blues,

we go to the Humberside police region

and get exclusive access to 12 teams of neighbourhood police officers

as they tackle the problems blighting local people...

-No, I don't care.

-Hey, hey!

..and rise to the challenge of making the streets a safer place.

Coming up...

As darkness falls, Cleethorpes' May Day bank holiday celebrations

take a turn for the worse...

SHOUTING

..a falling-out over the garden fence sees these two warring

neighbours go to court...

There's a pile of wood here. He just bulldozed it down.

-That is not on the deeds. It's a no-brainer.

-Right.

..and could these pint-sized Sherlocks

really have witnessed a kidnapping?

Do you know the difference between the truth and lies?

All across Humberside, neighbourhood police teams take

time out from regular police work to engage with the public.

The aim is not only to give policing a friendlier face,

but to also provide people with information about the causes

of crime and how to limit the chances of becoming a victim of it.

And it's an approach that has paid dividends.

In the olden days, you wouldn't have expected the police to get

involved in a dispute between neighbours,

but things have changed

and the neighbourhood teams have become well versed at mediating

when a slanging match develops across the garden fence.

Today, over in Bridlington, PC Nikki Cammis is en route to meet

a pair of neighbours who are at loggerheads.

A track that acts as a right of way to several properties,

including theirs, is also lined by a hedgerow and a fence.

The two men have fallen out about who can use the right of way

and exactly where the dividing line between their properties is.

So, trees, I've dealt with those sort of issues before.

I know a little bit about trees. Boundary lines... Way over my head.

The dispute has been going on for over two years.

-Hello.

-Hiya.

-Your dad is back, isn't he?

-Yes. He's just up there.

-I'll go and fetch him.

-Thanks.

It relates to an access road

and the boundary line between the properties.

Despite trying to resolve it through mediation, both parties

believe they are in the right

and the case is now going to court tomorrow.

Nikki is paying them a visit to see how they are bearing up.

I have come today from the neighbourhood team

in Bridlington to discuss with you the issue that you

have at the moment with your neighbours.

What I would like to know is, we now know the decision's coming

tomorrow, about time, I know you're confident you're going to win.

If you do happen to lose, what's going to be the consequence of that?

It's difficult to say how I can lose

because I've got the original certified documents,

the measurements add up to the boundary line.

Nothing that Mr Rhodes has got provides any...

The onus of proof is on him, because he's the claimant.

But he hasn't got any evidence.

He's jumped on a letter that's not a legally binding document.

And if the judge accepts the letter that he's built his case round,

-he actually loses land. He doesn't gain it.

-Right. If you lose...?

If I lose, then I'll get a substantial legal bill to pay

-because obviously they are going to want their costs paid.

-Right.

If I win, then it will stay as it is and it will be a garden

because that's all it is.

As tensions between the homes have escalated, both have taken to

installing CCTV cameras to monitor activity over the right of way

and boundary line which is in dispute.

But this brings with it a whole new set of legal problems

surrounding the issue of privacy.

-Obviously you've got two new cameras up on your building.

-Yes.

Again, they want to know where your cameras are facing, to offer reassurance...

I said I would offer them reassurance that they don't go onto their land.

-Camera can't go onto their land.

-His camera goes onto my land.

That's what the officer had been to see them about.

Yes, but it does. It points directly onto my road.

It's onto... Well, it's very similar...

It shows a garage there and it shows my road there.

But...

I know you're saying it's your road, but to them they have right of access...

-No.

-I know you believe that.

-No, it isn't. It's not on the deeds.

-I've got the documents. It's a no-brainer.

-Right.

I know for you, but until it is decided tomorrow...

-Until it is decided tomorrow...

-..they think differently.

You all right, Martin?

With Mr Walker left to ponder about the legalities of his CCTV set-up,

Nikki heads next door to pay the other neighbour, Mr Rhodes, a visit.

You are very confident you're going to win

and, believe you me, when I spoke to him,

he's not even thinking about losing.

It's not even an option in his mind.

All I can reiterate to you is, please don't take any matters

into your own hands and just think, a better person walks away,

otherwise you're going to walk yourself straight into some trouble.

It's clearly taking a strain on both parties,

who are convinced of their own right to access the driveway

and manipulate the boundary line as they see fit.

He has bought the plot of land. Since he's moved in two years ago,

it's been one thing after another.

There was a nice full hedge. He's hacked it right back.

This is my fence that he knocked down.

It was fenced off all the way down here.

His pal, he just bulldozed it down. And I think there was about

six of them altogether came one day and just bulldozed it down.

These are the trees that he's chopped down.

One there, one there, they're just stumps now.

It's a shared access lane and he's just blocked it all.

Mr Rhodes believes that the fallout from the dispute over the

right of way in particular is also affecting other homes in the area.

Anybody that comes up here, they've been abused by him.

I haven't been able to use it for the last year or two

because he would scare you.

Neighbourhood disputes often begin over minor misunderstandings,

but this one has escalated to a point where only

a court of law can bring any closure to the two men who are both

adamant that they are in the right.

When we first came, the hedge came out to beyond my car

right at the bottom.

If you look at that, there's no growth at this side whatsoever.

So he tried to simulate that the centre of the hedge was further over

than what it actually was, but I've pipped him at the post

by cutting the hedge back. That's when he started...

That's when the argument first started and I said

I'm quite within my right to chop down my side of the boundary hedge.

As is often the case with neighbourhood disputes,

the initial problem can lead to a larger falling out

and further accusations being made.

If we pass each other at the bottom, he'll pull up

and just stare at the wife, or stare at me, and anybody that is

coming to the house. He's just sat glaring at you, intimidating you.

The day that we put this fence up,

that night she turned her lights off, he turned his off,

it were all...

When he was grinning at me, he was taking pictures, so I waved at him.

And the next day, police came up, he told them that I'd stuck two fingers

up at him and shouting and bawling at him.

There were these two or three almighty bangs and it were him.

With emotions running this high, the neighbourhood team

are keen for this neighbourhood dispute to be brought to

a swift end that can enable both parties to move on from this

unfortunate set of incidents that have blighted them.

Both men remain in a confident mood.

There is no way round it.

It's written in the deeds

and that's where the saying comes from, "in deed".

-So, 11 o'clock tomorrow, hopefully.

-See you later.

For Nikki, the court ruling will at last provide a clear

focus for the police, should any further falling out arise.

It's a nightmare. It's a nightmare. It's a headache. It's a nightmare.

And I don't know who the land belongs to, either,

but once that's decided by the judge

then I'll be able to manage it better

because it will be a case of, "It's not your land,

"now get on with it, get on with your lives."

Find out later which man wins this battle of the boundary line.

It's the May Day bank holiday, and the seaside towns of Grimsby

and Cleethorpes have seen the pubs packed out with revellers

looking to make the most of the extended weekend.

We love Cleethorpes.

A team of 20 neighbourhood officers are out on patrol to ensure

any merriment is kept in check.

Got to go. Got to go. That's the state of play

in Cleethorpes at the moment - busy but jovial.

But as last orders are being called,

the boys in blue know that as revellers spill out

onto the streets, so too can trouble.

Spirits are running high,

and Simon and the team are happy to show their support to the public,

who are enjoying themselves.

I know I'm getting old now because I don't like this music any more.

Put a bit of Bruce Springsteen on or something like that.

Whilst most are intent on having a good time, there's one

group of lads looking for trouble, and Simon is first on the scene.

SHOUTING

There appears to have been an altercation between two men,

so the officers separate them to find out what happened.

Off we go.

SHOUTING

-What's going on?

-I was upstairs and some guy...

And it's not just the lads who are in hot water.

Oi!

You're going to get yourself locked up if you don't disappear now...

or you'll get yourself locked up.

-I have

-BLEEP...

It's a case of handbags at midnight.

I've left my jacket on the top floor - that's all I'm after.

Well, there's no need to do that, or you get yourself locked up,

-do you understand?

-Simon tries to calm the situation.

He asks security staff exactly who was involved in the drunken ruckus.

Who's done what? Or do we just want rid of them?

Just get rid of them, yeah.

-No-one's made any complaints?

-We just want rid.

So who is it? There's that kid there and his missus, they need to go.

-What about...? Is this kid...?

-Yeah.

The hope is everyone can be sent home with

a Section 27 dispersal order, instead of to the cells.

But just as this situation is contained,

another reaches flashpoint just down the road,

meaning Simon is on the move again.

SHOUTING

It's another brawl,

but this time the suspect isn't going down without a fight.

The man is wrestled to the ground, as the team around him

try to find out what happened.

SHOUTING

You're under arrest, all right?

What's the score with this kid, here?

-He had to be dragged out by about six bouncers.

-For nothing.

I was trying to get a drink.

A moment later, another lad, who is bleeding badly,

staggers out onto the pavement

and the police can see he came off worse for wear in this scrap.

The boy needs an ambulance.

Whereabouts have you just come from?

As officers provide on-the-spot medical assistance

waiting for the paramedics to arrive,

the suspect is questioned.

I tried to calm it down all night, tried to calm it down.

And then he come up to me, barged me in the back,

so I grabbed hold of him and said, "Who you barging?"

He threw three punches at me before I retaliated.

He threw three punches at me and then,

as soon as he threw the third punch,

I retaliated, and that's when the bouncer grabbed hold of me.

Which you...

And if you check on the CCTV, you'll see exactly what happened.

Mate, just put your hands behind your back.

Oh, I'm getting arrested.

At the end of the day, that's what we're here to find out -

what the truth is. Somebody said that's he's assaulted somebody,

so that's why he's under arrest.

-You're going to arrest him?

-Yes.

-For the night?

-Yes.

Despite his partner's protests, the man is arrested

and taken into custody.

But hang on a minute.

Let's have a quick replay of the start of the ruckus.

Look at the footage again. No, you're not seeing double.

It's a classic case of mistaken identity.

Remember the lad who was originally arrested?

Well, look, he's got the same haircut

and wearing a similar T-shirt to the suspect who's just been

bundled into the police van.

Right, what's this kid done?

To be honest, I think he's a witness.

-I've done nothing.

-At the moment...

I've locked up the other kid in the white T-shirt, who's quite muscly,

and I think he's the one who's slotted...

He said he slotted him.

He said that the guy we've got?

-So we're getting his details as a witness.

-Yes.

This lad is completely innocent and let go on the spot without

change, and turns from suspect to a valuable witness.

The victim's gone off to hospital.

He looks like he's got quite nasty facial injuries,

and we're just going to book them in

for that at the police station now.

It's been a night of mash-ups and lock-ups for the team.

But as they do one last sweep of the streets,

there's one more local they need to deal with.

Hold on, guys. Can one of you just pop out

and check this guy that's laid on the floor?

Yeah, just jump out for us. He's laid on the pavement there, look.

Hopefully, he's just drunk and having a sleep.

You all right, mate?

You all right?

What's your name?

What you doing on the floor?

Have you? You can't lay down here, can you?

You going to get up? Get up. Let's have a go.

Going to stop at my sister's tonight.

-You're comfortable walking, yeah?

-I think so.

-You sure?

-Got to go...

-Flag a taxi down.

You can't lay on the floor, though.

I can't. I've got about three quid on me.

Right. Well, we're not a taxi service, are we?

-I know you're not, but... Did me best.

-If you come out,

you've got to make sure you save enough money to get home.

Don't lay out on the floor cos someone will run over you

when they pull up, won't they? All right?

-Take care of yourself.

-See you later.

He's on his way, he looks more stable,

and I'm sure he'll get home safe. There you go.

Oh, I'm getting arrested.

The man pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm

to the victim, and was sentenced to two years and one month

behind bars.

As people start living in more densely populated areas,

the police find themselves dealing with an increased number of complaints.

Some of these problems arise when neighbours fail to get along

and find themselves in a dispute that only the law can now resolve.

Over in Bridlington, PC Nikki Cammis has been involved with two

neighbours who have literally had a falling out over the garden fence.

It's difficult to say how I can lose.

A dispute over a boundary line

and a right of way has lasted over two years

and has generated numerous headaches for the parties involved.

He's bought the plot of land. Since he moved in two years ago,

it's been one thing after another.

Mr Rhodes and Mr Walker.

Despite the police trying to mediate between the two men,

the case has now ended up in court.

But will the judge fall on the side of Mr Rhodes or Mr Walker?

We're about to find out.

Won on all accounts.

Mr Rhodes' thumbs-up says it all...

and his relief is evident.

Well, I'm very pleased with how it all went,

and Mr Walker was shown, once again, what sort of person he is.

Mr Walker is understandably downbeat at the ruling

and at the expensive legal costs he will now face.

And I think, well, really, the judge has ignored all the major things

and he's just given 1½ foot of our land away.

Mr Rhodes has an emotional statement to make.

I'd like to thank my family and friends...

HE SOBS

..and my solicitors for their help and support they have given me.

And for the police, as of late, they've been a great support.

And...I'd just like to go and get a cup of tea.

LAUGHTER

For a neighbourhood dispute to end up in a costly court visit is

never in the interests of anyone involved,

which is why the neighbourhood police teams always try to

resolve any falling out through mediation.

Mr Rhodes won the case.

The boundary between the properties was clearly defined.

Mr Walker must pay £7,115 for reinstatement of land,

losses and interference.

He was also ordered to pay legal costs.

So-called legal highs have been making headlines.

Many of these lab-manufactured powders aim to simulate

the effect of drugs such as ecstasy.

Whilst they may not be banned,

many of these uncontrolled substances are toxic.

Legal highs are a big problem, not just in our city,

throughout the country.

And one of the big challenges with dealing with them

is that their composition can be altered chemically

ever so slightly, and what happens is that governments are always playing

catch-up if they try and actually classify them as illegal.

So people can get round that.

And the use of them to get a quick fix can be devastating.

Today, in Hull city centre, a man has been spotted banging his head

repeatedly in a telephone box.

PCSO John Hamilton is concerned that drugs may be involved.

What is that on there?

-What's this?

-It's a legal high.

-It's a legal high, is it?

-Yes.

Right, leave that there for now. Don't touch anything more.

Just come out of the telephone box for me.

So, that stuff in there, you say it's a legal high, is it?

-Yeah.

-What is it?

What's it called?

HE MUMBLES

-You what?

-Zappy.

-Zappy?

Where did you buy that from?

Can you remember?

The man suddenly becomes totally unresponsive.

John radios in the situation.

There is white powder all set out with stuff for snorting.

I feel...

I feel like a... I feel like a supernatural being.

When the man does speak he is garbled and disorientated.

-It's the drugs that are talking.

-Is it?

-Yes.

I can't believe I'm... I can't believe I'm still standing.

I don't think I can get higher than this because I am

so high I could go out for ever.

HIS SPEECH SLOWS AND SLURS

I feel like a supernatural being. I'm feel like I'm dead.

My colleagues have just turned up now

and they will have a quick word with you as well.

John is waiting for backup to deal with the situation.

You've got some legal highs with you, or something, have you?

The man surrenders the substances to the police.

The police decide to take him home to prevent him

becoming a danger to himself.

You can't stay here taking them

because people are going to continue to ring us, aren't they?

It's going to continue to make you do strange things.

Fortunately, on this occasion, there were no serious consequences,

but anyone taking legal highs is playing a risky roulette game

whose outcome can be fatal.

A lot of these legal highs are designed to be plant food,

fertilisers, scents to be burnt, but people take them,

which makes them do unusual, strange things, and it is very dangerous.

The man was offered some help

and support services to deal with his problem.

It's been a quiet day for the team

until a 999 call comes through from worried witnesses,

concerned they've glimpsed a potential kidnapping in process.

Nikki Cammis is the first officer on the scene,

but she gets a surprise when she sees the witnesses.

There's a woman in the front and she had taped hands.

-How old was the woman?

-Maybe late 30s.

What did she look like?

-She had dark hair.

-Dark brown.

Like your colour hair.

They're describing...

Nikki phones in the suspect's details

to avoid losing precious time.

This van's passed them towards B&Q and the vehicle's passed them

in the opposite direction.

So they were heading that way, out of town?

They were going over the B&Q bridge, so I presume...

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

A potential breakthrough's on the cards

when it appears the young lad recognises the van.

-And then...

-THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

But is this clue too good to be true?

-You're confident?

-I'm certain it was him.

One of these kids is saying that they recognise this van.

The station sergeant wonders if the kids are winding the police up.

Should their story be taken with a pinch of salt?

Or is there a grain of truth to it? Nikki presses harder.

Why do you think it's a woman who lives near you?

Cos it was the same...

Undaunted, the lad sticks to his guns.

-He is convinced about what he saw.

-I've seen that person as well.

Nikki's now increasingly confident that this lad's no Pinocchio.

-You can go home now.

-Are we all right?

Basically, we've had a call from the kids that we've just seen,

stating that as they've been walking over that hill,

a little blue van's gone past them

and inside they've seen a young female, mid-30s,

that's been tied up with tape across the mouth,

and the male driver shouting at her.

Erm... One of the kids thinks it's a vehicle he recognises that

lives on his local street, so we're heading there now.

Two other police units have been dispatched

and have already recced the situation. Nobody's home.

The blue van is parked and nothing seems amiss,

but it turns out there is a second blue van registered to the suspect.

1-5, I'm sat outside and there is a blue vehicle on the drive

matching the description.

However, the other patrol that tried to get in is wanting to tell you

that this vehicle is cold,

and then a neighbour's told us that he's got two blue vehicles.

The one we think we're looking for is not here.

Nikki calls the children back to test their story again.

You said you saw her hands, but she was obviously in the vehicle

and you were walking, so how did you see her hands?

How were you able to see her hands?

Where are you now?

And I'm coming back to speak to you.

Wait there for me, I'm coming. Bye.

Nikki is hoping that, by talking to the children again,

she may get to the bottom of this mystery.

It's not really a case about getting more details -

it's more about clarifying some points with them...

that the sergeant wants clarifying.

The sergeant has doubts or...

We have to suppose every avenue, I suppose.

And one of these avenues is, are these children lying

and have they made it up?

But despite being given a tough line of questioning by Nikki...

Do you know the difference between truth and lies?

..they will not change their story.

If I said there was an elephant in that parking space behind me,

-what would I have just done? ALL:

-Lied.

-Yeah.

And what do you think happens when people lie?

Why do you think people lie?

-Yeah?

-For attention.

-Sometimes, yeah.

OK.

So it's really important, then, that you tell me the truth.

We are telling the truth. I swear.

Either's there a major incident happening

or a hoax is now causing mayhem.

Either way, it's a serious matter.

We were all thinking it might be for a joke,

but if that's a joke, it's a really sick joke to pull.

But from my point of view, a vehicle's passing you,

takes a couple of seconds to pass. From what you're telling me,

you've seen a lot of stuff in that couple of seconds,

-which is fine if that's what you've seen.

-She just...

There's no camouflaging the children's distress,

and their story seems watertight.

We just saw her taped up, panicking really badly...

-And him shouting.

-Like, that's... That's the basic...

That's what we saw.

I've honestly got four upset kids here.

I get you've seen the other side, but they really are upset.

Then a call comes through.

Other officers have finally spoken to the van owner.

Guys, listen, I'm so sorry you've had to experience this,

but the officers have spoken to the people in the van

and they're saying it was a practical joke.

She tied him to the steering wheel or something earlier on...

It's not funny, darling,

and I'm going to go back up and speak with them,

and explain just how upset you actually are.

Cos the officers that have spoken with them didn't realise...

-So it was the right person?

-Yeah. Yeah, it was right, darling.

Not surprisingly, the comedy is lost on Nikki and the children.

I'm going to go back up now and tell them off,

and explain to them just... I expect better from adults.

I know, but everybody would have seen it and stuff, so I don't...

And please don't think that I was doubting you,

but it's my job to doubt people.

And you did the right thing to ring it in, all right?

And, unfortunately, there is stupid adults around

that haven't got anything better to do.

-That all right, everyone? See you later.

-Bye.

The children may be vindicated,

but Nikki's not finished with the matter.

She's got the pranksters in her sights now.

Hiya, it's just the police.

Can I ask if we can have a quick chat

-about what's just happened?

-Yeah.

-Thank you.

They're clearly a pair of jokers - that's the only way to put it.

They're just a pair of jokers and they still see the funny side.

And as much as she's also got a ten-year-old herself

and she understands how children may have perceived the incident,

she thinks that people should be allowed to have a laugh,

and that's fine. But it's not every day you go

and pass somebody that's got masking tape around their mouth.

We're going to deal with this cos they caused them genuine fear...

for no need at all. Just for the... For their own fun.

The children involved in reporting the suspected kidnapping

were congratulated by the police for their clear and concise

approach to describing what could have been a serious crime.