Episode 3 Neighbourhood Blues

The friendly, caring bobby pounding the beat has always been

the hallmark of British policing.

-Fantastic.

-Pleasure's been all mine, my friend.

And has even been immortalised on film,

by the fictional Dixon Of Dock Green.

Good evening, all.

Today's neighbourhood police teams continue that tradition

but also tackle the root causes of crime head on,

by targeting known hotspots...

Unlucky.

..stamping down on antisocial behaviour...

I'm arresting you for a public order offence.

..and waging war on illegal drugs.

Right, I smell cannabis already.

In this new series of Neighbourhood Blues,

we follow the policemen and women of Somerset as they continue

their quest to make our streets a safer place.

Coming up,

a suspected burglar has undercover cops risking their lives...

This lad's on the roof.

..in a rooftop pursuit.

Weston-super-Mare gets a special new bus...

Ambulance are just stocking up all their bits and pieces.

If there's problems tonight, we're ready to deal with it.

..that's quickly helping deal with late-night revellers.

MAN SCREAMS AND GROWLS

And neighbourhood officer Jen Atkinson...

Now I'm ready to wage my war on drugs.

..leads a raid on a suspected drugs den.

Better safe than sorry, we're going to seize that and get it tested.

Local council CCTV systems are an invaluable

tool for the neighbourhood police.

As well as monitoring the streets

and providing recorded footage for evidence in police investigations,

they come into their own when tracking down a suspect on the run.

In Weston-super-Mare, Sergeant Colin Batchelor has just begun his shift.

Overnight there have been two break-ins,

which are believed to be related.

A victim at one of the properties has reported that three

youths were involved.

So I've come in this morning to one attempt burglary,

and a further burglary, on the neighbourhood here in Weston.

One certainly involving an imitation firearm,

which has been recovered from the scene.

And one individual has been arrested.

Police have also recovered £25,000 worth of luxury items

and cash taken from one of the properties.

But there are still two suspects on the loose.

Those descriptions have been passed to our local CCTV that covers

a wide area of the town centre.

So I'm hoping at some point today we get a report

confirming that these individuals are in or around the town centre.

In Weston-super-Mare, the council CCTV control room patches

directly through to Somerset police.

And last year these CCTV cameras were involved in 624 arrests.

The control room has just got in touch with the neighbourhood team.

We seem to have picked up individuals, in the town centre,

matching the description of the suspects for a burglary.

It was CCTV operator Chris Fields who raised the alarm.

We've got very good coverage around the whole town centre in Weston,

so they went from one camera on to another,

so we managed to follow them round the corner.

Although there are three youths,

the one on the right isn't under suspicion.

We've got them on camera at the minute, we've got

uniform response on their way.

One of them seems to be on a bike.

CCTV is keeping them in sight.

And with the police station just around the corner

from the high street, the youths should be stopped within seconds.

The lad on the bike is of particular interest,

as Colin has had dealings with him in the past,

and a description goes out to all the neighbourhood team.

Police are only moments away.

While waiting for their friend who's gone into a shop, the one on

the bike perhaps spots an officer ahead and dives down an alley.

We've got both ends of that alleyway covered,

so we're able to say he's in there somewhere.

He's either still in the alleyway or he's entered a building.

He's gone to ground somewhere behind the main drag here.

So units are just cordoning off the scene,

trying to cut off all the alleyways.

Once we can do that and contain it,

then we've got a real chance of flushing him out.

The other suspect heads out of town, and police catch up with him later.

But flushing out the one who's gone down the alley might be

harder than Colin thinks,

as he hasn't emerged from the other end, and he's abandoned his bike.

Possibility is obviously that he could have got into a building.

There are commercial premises down there that he can go into, which

would be fairly easy to check, but if he's gone into a private

property then that's going to be more troublesome.

But the suspect hasn't gone into any kind of building.

-ON RADIO:

-Yeah, 63, he's up on the roof spire.

He's somehow managed to get up onto a roof.

Where do you think he is? Up here?

Basically he's just literally legged it across up this way

and all the way along the top.

How's he got across? Can we not get across the top, then?

Colin hopes he can get more detail from a local resident,

who saw the suspect shin up onto the roofs.

Hiya, fella, sorry to bother you, mate, this lad,

he's gone straight over here, has he?

Yes, cos he walked across the roof on that side. Yeah, this one here.

-Yes.

-Across there.

-What, across that roof?!

-Yeah.

By risking his safety,

the lad's obviously desperate not to be caught.

But with a fake gun already retrieved, police are unsure

whether more weapons are involved.

Playing it safe, the firearms unit have been called in.

We've had literally everybody come out of the station,

surround this area quickly.

We were here within minutes, and the benefit of that is that

wherever he is he's been unable to move.

But he's gone to ground here and we'll stay put for a while

and try and flush him out.

An undercover officer follows the fleeing suspect's

trail across the rooftops, to try and catch up with him.

Take it easy.

Colin is reluctant to try free running himself,

as it's a 30-foot drop.

-Dropped down there somewhere.

-Down there?

-Yeah.

Is that possible?

Then, CCTV gets a sighting.

This lad's on the roof.

He's flushed him out, he's heading in that direction.

The suspect seems to have no fear of heights as he leaps

across buildings.

And Colin tries to get a better view.

ON RADIO:

-ON RADIO:

-99, we've got him on camera. CCTV are monitoring, over.

With the undercover officer close behind,

and nowhere left to run to, the youth makes a desperate move.

ON RADIO:

The situation has turned

from a chase down back alleys, to a dramatic rooftop pursuit,

where there's very real danger.

ON RADIO:

Officers try to talk him down while they wait for the negotiator.

It's a delicate situation and tension is high.

We'll find out later how the neighbourhood team deal with

the suspect, who's threatening to jump.

Living in a street where someone is using or peddling drugs can be

a nightmare ordeal,

not surprisingly, as it often gives rise to other kinds of crime

and antisocial behaviour.

So, listening to residents' complaints about it,

and acting quickly, is a priority for the neighbourhood police.

People are aware of it as an issue

and when it comes from their doorstep,

when they see their neighbours affected, when they see their

children, their family affected, that is when they come to us

and quite frankly expect, and should expect, action.

And that is when we do, we're robust,

as best as we can be, to take that action.

If I lived next to a drug user I would probably move.

If it's affecting your family and it's affecting people around you,

and your community, then I feel like it's an issue.

People are going in and out, in and out,

and there's constantly noise.

There's constantly people shouting and they're getting wasted or drunk.

There's... Nobody feels safe.

In Bridgwater, beat manager Jen Atkinson is investigating complaints

about a property where people are suspected of using illegal drugs.

Neighbours have had enough of the occupants' all-night parties

and cars coming and going into the small hours.

Jen is working to see if she can collect enough evidence to apply to the courts, for

a misuse of drugs warrant, to enter and search the property.

And today she's going to the area to look for any suspicious vehicles.

We've got a list of registrations that are frequenting our address.

A car belonging to a known drug user is parked outside the property.

That is one of the vehicles that's quite a persistent

caller at the address.

It never stays very long,

only sort of five or ten minutes, I think, isn't it?

It's all good information for Jen's warrant application.

It's one month later, and Jen's meticulous groundwork has paid off.

She now has a misuse of drugs warrant.

Right, morning, all.

Although Jen's attended many drugs warrants in the past,

this is the first one she has actually investigated,

and been granted, herself.

Most of the people that are related to the address usually do

have some sort of conviction for weapons, assaults, knives.

So, officer safety side of it, just get in,

cuff whoever the hell's in there, and then we'll take it from there.

Lovely job, thank you very much.

It's a big day for her.

Jen's done all the preparation she can,

and is confident today will be a success.

Now I'm ready to wage my war on drugs.

The plan is to park around the corner from the address,

to avoid being spotted.

Right, we're going up here, round the corner, then left,

there's a car park.

And we'll get in there.

Everybody ready to go for a jog?

Now, it all steps up a pace. With a warrant,

police have the right to enter a property without invitation.

Oi.

Police officers!

The operation has been planned early,

in the hope that the occupants will still be asleep.

It's the police, get up. Swing yourself round.

All right, fella?

Do you live here?

There are three people in the property, two men and a woman.

We've got into the address,

everybody was in bed like we hoped, or in the kitchen in bed.

Now that we've got things settled, we're going to bring you into the lounge.

We'll just do a quick search of you first, and then we'll...

-Yes, that's fine.

-..we'll go from there, all right?

-Yes, that's fine.

All three suspects are strip searched, but nothing is found.

Because of all the comings and goings from your address,

we've been to court and we've got a warrant. Hence why we're here today.

Is there anything you want to tell us now about where anything may be?

-No.

-OK.

The occupants are denying that they have any drugs,

but there's plenty of drug-use evidence lying around.

This is what they'll burn it in, because it obviously

comes in powder, they burn it up so that it's an injectable.

Needles and all this, it's just paraphernalia.

Good for intelligence to say, well, actually,

clearly there is drug use going on at this address.

But nothing actual illegal about it.

Although no drugs have been found yet,

a 12" machete and a toy gun are discovered in the living room.

So whose is this, the big old machete and the gun?

-The toy gun is my son's.

-Right.

-Boys will boys.

-Mm.

Then, a shocking discovery.

Hidden behind a mattress, an enormous machete.

And with clingfilm wrapped around both machetes and the toy gun,

it's likely no-one wants their DNA left behind.

If it gets used for wrongness,

then whip it off and help keep fingerprints off.

Yes, so we'll be taking them with us.

It's not very good to have that in here. So if I get you to sign it away, we'll take that with us.

-Yes, no problem.

-Happy with that?

I'm going to do the same with the toy gun as well.

And with no illegal substances turning up, the neighbourhood

team may be too late, as it appears there was a party last night.

Have a laughing-gas party, did we?

Been NOSing, have you?

The empty containers usually hold nitrous oxide, and inhaling the gas is known as NOSing.

Helium canisters, laughing gas, whatever you want to call it,

it's a legal way of getting a little bit of a buzz.

So, they've had a party last night

and obviously gone through quite a few of them.

While officers continue the search of the flat,

neighbourhood PCSOs hand out leaflets

and speak to concerned locals, and dispel their worries.

People that have provided the intelligence today,

they know us, they trust us.

And obviously now I've spoken to them they can actually

see that the information they've provided to us has been acted on.

From what I've heard today they're quite pleased with what we're doing.

At the property, there's a result.

Cannabis has been found under the washing machine in the kitchen,

but no-one is owning up to it.

-Cannabis user?

-Used to be, yes, yes.

-So is this going to be yours?

No, it's not, no.

- He's been clean since he's been here.

- That's why I've put on a lot of weight and everything.

Because you were the one sleeping in that room.

-Everybody goes in there.

-Right.

But you were found in there this morning when we've come in,

and that's been concealed,

so I'm going to need to speak to you about it as well.

The man will be interviewed later, but more immediately,

something's found which supports Jen's months of investigation.

A syringe containing a suspicious substance.

Because we can't be sure what is in it... Safe than sorry,

we're going to seize that and get it tested. It might just be congealed blood.

It might be heroin that hasn't got round to being used yet,

that needs to be heated up again and injected, so, we'll take that.

-Is that your bedroom?

-Yes, that's my bedroom, yes.

-Right.

So at the moment, then, you're going

to be the one that I'm going to speak to about it.

You'll be voluntarily interviewed, so I'll take you back to the

station once we're done here, just to get it over and done with.

-Get your account of what's gone on.

-Yes.

Obviously the stuff's going to go off for testing

and we'll DNA it and all that sort of stuff.

Today's action shows that the neighbourhood team can be

relied upon to listen to people's concerns,

and do what they can to make them feel safe.

Jen's hard work has paid off.

The substance in the syringe was heroin,

mixed with traces of blood - the woman's blood.

As it was her first offence, she received a caution.

Ownership of the cannabis couldn't be proved,

and the two men weren't arrested.

The machetes and toy gun were seized, and eventually destroyed.

There are approaching six million CCTV cameras in the UK.

That's around one for every ten inhabitants.

Weston-super-Mare, like many towns and cities,

boasts a sophisticated CCTV system,

with cameras that are monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Today, the operators are helping police investigating

a pair of night-time burglaries.

Stolen items and a fake firearm have been recovered,

and one suspect is already in custody.

But two other suspects were spotted earlier,

walking with a friend in the high street.

After giving the police the slip, one of the two has been

followed by CCTV onto a rooftop, where he's now threatening to jump.

The suspect has moved further along across the roofs, onto an apex

of the roof, and potentially quite a precarious and dangerous situation.

The lad's trapped, and the only way is down.

CCTV cameras are watching from all angles.

Your heart certainly starts pounding when he climbs up there,

because you don't know whether he's going to jump or

whether he's going to be talked down.

Inevitably, as with many police incidents, it's drawing a crowd,

and police need to keep the public as far removed as possible.

We've had to tape the scene off, keep it sterile,

preserve the scene, until we know exactly what's happening.

He's contained, there's only one way this is going to end,

you just hope it's going to end safely.

We've called in a hostage negotiator and our firearms support have

also been here to lend a hand in the immediate negotiations.

The suspect's now on the move, but police have a secret weapon.

An undercover officer who's been following him on the rooftops.

One of my colleagues has managed to start a dialogue with him up on the roof.

The main concern here will be the officer's safety originally,

the public's safety, and our suspect's safety.

ON RADIO:

No, negative, he looks fairly downtrodden

and resigned to the fact.

-I think it's just a case of giving

-BLEEP

-some time.

They seem to be in deep conversation at the minute.

-ON RADIO:

-Yes, is he actually sat with him, or not?

Yes, yes, they are both sat together.

After a nail-biting 20 minutes, there seems to be some headway.

Yes, I'm just watching the pair of them,

it does look like they are slowly moving down towards the ground.

I can't see the suspect now, I've only got the officer.

I'm getting a thumbs up.

Looks like they are making their way down to the ground,

but that needs to be confirmed.

And it is confirmed. It's all over.

No weapon, and thanks to the undercover officer,

no need for the negotiator.

He's come down voluntarily,

so, the bottom line to all that is one is in custody.

Quite clearly it's caused chaos here.

We've had to stop the bus routes, we've had to stop the traffic on

one of the main thoroughfares going through Weston-super-Mare.

It was going to end here today,

we were just hoping it would end the way it did,

tt's safe, and that nobody's hurt or injured.

The CCTV unit was key in locating and tracking the suspect.

But, after investigations, there was

no evidence that the youth was involved in the burglaries.

The youth originally arrested at one of the burglaries has been

charged, and was given four months' imprisonment for handling

stolen goods.

The other suspect, seen walking out of town, pleaded guilty to

receiving stolen goods, and is currently awaiting sentencing.

Still to come,

a new member joins the neighbourhood team in Weston.

To actually see her here, it just makes me really proud.

It's fantastic to see her and I can't wait to use her this weekend.

And Cheddar Gorge is alive with the sound of motors.

ENGINE REVS

Policing high-risk areas, like town centres at night,

is a major task for the neighbourhood teams.

Drunken revellers often stretch them to the limit.

To make the job easier,

they've come up with an innovative way of combining resources

with other agencies, like the ambulance service, which is proving

highly effective in solving crime problems and keeping people safe.

For years Weston-super-Mare has been a magnet for weekend clubbers

and party goers.

But it's putting an ever increasing strain on the emergency services.

And breaking up fights

and mopping up drunks ties up their valuable resources.

Inspector Sharon Bennett, and the neighbourhood team, have been

working tirelessly with the council

and other agencies to find an answer to the problem.

And they've come up with a vehicle specifically designed to be

a hub for police, ambulance, street wardens and other local

agencies who deal with Weston's night-time population.

That should be a valuable asset, I think, for the town.

When we first met as a group, I think there was

consensus around the table that everybody wanted... The old

street safe bus was a success, we should bring it back.

Howard pulled together the bid and we got substantial

funding for what is going to be a really good bus.

During the day the bus will be used as a resource for engaging

with local people and showcased at special events.

But there's still one important thing everyone has to agree on.

The name.

I think the latest name is possibly MAVIS.

Multi Agency Vehicle In Service, but again,

not 100% sure about that, we'll see about that one.

The name stuck, and MAVIS is being launched today.

She's no shrinking violet, and Sharon is thrilled.

We have an awning, we've an awning that comes out.

So the idea is it's really accessible,

the doors are going to be open.

People are going to be able to see that we're in, we're open for business.

The bus has been custom built to fit everyone's needs,

and Sharon's particularly impressed with the medical room,

where paramedics can carry out minor first aid.

This is really, really, really good in here.

As you can see there's a reclinable bench in there, where the ambulance can treat people.

And not actually treat people, it might be someonee who's just a bit worse for wear, vulnerable.

We can just take them in here, close the door, talk to them confidentially.

It's nice and safe cos there's a panic button,

if I hit that the alarm goes off, which is nice and audible.

MAVIS is a one-stop shop,

open to anyone who's feeling vulnerable on their night out,

whether they want to report a crime, need medical attention,

or simply want to call a taxi if their mobile's run out of battery.

The idea is it reduces demand across the agencies,

but also it's that visible beacon to say you're safe.

To actually see her here is... Just makes me really proud.

It's fantastic to see her and I can't wait to use her this weekend.

The weekend has arrived.

And MAVIS is finally open for business.

Ooh, look, the awning's out. Cool.

Whoohoo.

LAUGHTER

Sharon gets everyone on board for a briefing.

Come on in, guys. Come on down.

If you need the ambulance just call up on night net for 99, for

Gemma or myself, and then we can get an ambulance to you straight away.

-They can ring 999 as well.

-Yes.

-And it'll bounce back to us.

That's the idea really,

to try and encourage people to be treated here

so that they can then... So they don't go home

and then call an ambulance, or go to the local A&E,

so the idea is we can do it here and then.

But, yes, guys,

if you just encourage people to come in the bus and have a look around.

Right, cheers, thank you.

With hospitals struggling to cope with over a million alcohol-related

admissions each year, tonight, medical staff aboard MAVIS

are hoping to reduce unnecessary demand on emergency calls.

Ambulance are just stocking up all their bits and pieces,

licence team are going to go out and check the licensed premises to make sure they're all

behaving themselves, to encourage them to serve people responsibly. We're all here ready.

If there's problems tonight, we're ready to deal with it.

Pubs and clubs are big business for Weston,

and although the mood is merry, Wayne Hughes, a veteran of 26

years, knows that alcohol-fuelled nights can quickly turn ugly.

We've probably got up to 150 people on this street.

At the moment it's fairly good-humoured,

but that could change at any stage.

And then we're left to pick up the pieces.

As the night draws on, more people spill out onto the streets, and

it's Wayne's job to keep an eye out for any antisocial behaviour.

-Yes, you're not allowed in the street with a glass.

-OK.

-All right, so you've got to go back in there.

-OK.

It's past midnight, and while Wayne deals with drinkers,

MAVIS is proving a hit with the ambulance staff.

We're just dealing with minor injuries.

Lacerations when people have stepped on glass,

results of altercations on premises. Intoxicated patients.

The facilities are fantastic, so apart from critically unwell

patients, we can deal with most things here.

While there's a sense of calm on board, suddenly,

right outside, there's a commotion.

Someone is shouting to stop a youth who's running.

It's not apparent why, but cops act straight away and bring him down.

Just calm down.

Find out why later.

An essential role in our neighbourhood teams is that of the PCSO.

By regularly interacting with the public, these support officers

listen to, and act on, people's concerns about their neighbourhood.

They'll work with other agencies as well, problem-solve.

And they get more time to do what's important for the local community.

So they don't necessarily work on those big priorities,

those national objectives, they'll work on local issues.

Which make people feel safer.

One of the most cowardly crimes in today's world is

that against the vulnerable, especially the elderly,

and this is where PCSOs come into their own.

Nicola Mitchell has been a PCSO in Weston-super-Mare

for the past three years, and her mission has always been to help people.

My main aim, for my beat, is for people to live a quiet, safe,

happy life.

I want them to see me and be able to approach me,

feel comfortable coming to speak to me about any kind of issues.

It's the most important thing, is to get to know your community,

being part of the neighbourhood beat team.

Because if you don't know your community then

you're not doing your job.

Joining Nicola on her beat today is Inspector Sharon Bennett.

I need to go and see David, because he phoned me this morning.

Oh, what happened?

Oh, nothing's happened, he's just confused about a letter.

-Right, I'm ready. You got the car?

-Yes, I've got a car.

Their first priority is to check up on one of Nicola's elderly

residents, David, whose confidence was completely shattered after

he was the victim of a theft a few months ago.

He's a very frail old man.

He went into hospital and his gardener was

going into his property, taking his bank card and stealing his money.

I gave him my banking card to get my shopping and, well,

draw money out for me so that I had money in my wallet.

But he was drawing money at the same time out for himself.

Before the theft, 82-year-old David was a cheerful character,

regularly seen around town.

But these days, he stays fairly close to home.

KNOCK ON DOOR

He's not in.

But he hasn't gone far. A neighbour has taken him out for a stroll.

We can always track you down, you can't escape.

You all right, then? I'm glad you've got out.

Not too bad. I left my window open.

-But apart from that?

-Yes, we've seen your window.

-I'm miserable now.

No, you're not, you've got out in the sunshine.

-That's what matters, isn't it?

-That's it.

-Ah, see.

-A smile.

That's the first time you've seen the smile for a while, isn't it?

Getting a smile back on David's face has been a slow process for

Nicola, who's visited him every day since his gardener stole from him.

And the work that Nicola did was outstanding. I appreciate that.

What she does in the community,

she's there to hear people's... If they've got any anxiety,

to attend to them, and she does that brilliantly.

-- Do you want to make yourselves a cup of tea?

-No, thank you.

-Do you want one?

-No.

Nicola's meeting Joan from the local drop-in centre,

who was instrumental in getting David to report the crime.

He felt secure because I was there

until Nicola managed to establish friendship with him.

And we were able to get him to talk, because he wouldn't talk,

he was frightened.

He was so scared of the man that he didn't want to do an interview

or anything like that,

because he was scared that the man was going to come and hurt him.

David didn't want to go to court to give evidence,

so Nicola's plan was to get him to record his testimony.

Nicola got me to make a tape.

When he went to the magistrate court the magistrate had it...

..and played it, and he admitted to it.

He admitted to what he had stolen out of my account.

The thief stole £1,000 from David, which he was ordered to pay back.

He was also given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two

years, and electronically tagged for six months,

which means he's still in the area, and David's still anxious.

-All right?

-Thanks very much.

-That's all right, I'll speak to you soon.

-OK, thank you.

-OK, be careful. Take care. Bye.

I think he does get nervous about what's happened, he does

start shaking when he starts thinking about things.

But I think in time we can get him back out and get him back to normal.

And that's my mission.

Nicola's mission hasn't gone unnoticed.

Very recently I nominated PCSO Nicola Mitchell

for an award.

She works in the Worle community of Weston, and I was very proud to

nominate her for an award for some work

she did for a vulnerable victim of crime.

And now Nicola is a well-deserved recipient of a Pride award.

I didn't think that I was going above and beyond what was expected of me.

As far as I was aware I was just doing my job

and felt like I needed to help David in every possible way that I could.

It was a surprise and it was really nice. I felt proud.

In Weston, MAVIS, the multi-agency support bus,

is still open for business in the town centre.

Neighbourhood officers

and paramedics are dealing with petty crimes and minor injuries

resulting from people getting a bit out of hand on their night out.

Earlier, outside the bus, police stopped a youth from running away.

Inspector Sharon Bennett saw what happened.

And I saw this chap here actually run, from behind a group, and

just literally do a flying kick and start punching him for no reason.

And so I just shouted "Oi!

"Stop" or whatever, and then he just ran this way. Chap just stopped him.

The suspect is a boy, just 15 years old,

and it appears his target was two men he thinks attacked him earlier.

But there's no immediate proof of this.

The boy's still struggling,

and needs to be turned over to be cuffed.

Why you breathing so fast?

So calm down, then.

OK. Well, do you want to sit up?

Right, well, let the officers cuff you, then, and you can sit up. Be cool, yes?

All of a sudden, he's taken a violent dislike to being restrained.

You said you'd be sensible.

You what, you what, all of you come on, then, now. Get off of me!

-What you doing...?

-Right, whoa, whoa, whoa.

-Get off of me now.

-HE SCREAMS

-Get off of me.

No, listen to me...

-Get off of me.

-Calm down.

-Get off.

-Stop fighting!

Officers are concerned for his and their safety,

and his legs are strapped to stop him kicking out.

-Stupid pigs. Stupid pigs.

-Just calm down, yeah?

We're going to carry you to the van.

One, two, three.

Despite being bound hand and foot, the boy is still making life

very difficult for the cops - with his head.

-Stop head-butting the bench!

-HE BANGS HIS HEAD

Get me out of here now, get me out, get me out of here now,

I just want to get out, let me get out, I want some fresh air...

Right, let's get him out, then.

To prevent further distress, police call for a larger vehicle

so an officer can sit with him on his way to custody.

Can we have the PSU carrier ASAP, please?

Meanwhile, the neighbourhood team are on MAVIS taking

statements from victims and witnesses of the attack.

Officers are able to get in the dry and the light, take their details

and we've been giving out bottles of water to keep people happy.

And we're able to photograph injuries in the light and everything.

And actually their injuries aren't too serious,

but ambulance are here, so if they were they could be treated as well.

So, perfect use of MAVIS.

Back on the street, police have been waiting for the large police

van to arrive.

Right, come on, then. On your feet. One, two, three.

And the boy now goes quietly to the custody suite.

Assault.

Prioritising safety, whether it's for a victim or a suspect,

is a vital skill for any officer.

You could see that he was banging his head against the ground.

Well, obviously, he's going to cause himself injury,

so we have to protect the head.

And that's why officers were seen to hold his head to the floor,

to prevent him from causing damage. Also prevent his escape really.

He's in custody, he's been detained.

The teenager's attack on the men was put down to mistaken identity.

And he later pleaded guilty to assault.

He was given a 12-month referral order,

and had to pay £185 in costs and compensation.

The night's drawing to a close, and for Sharon, MAVIS has proved

a valuable member of the neighbourhood team.

MAVIS has been used to a fantastic amount of success.

We've had six patients treated via ambulance on board,

a variation of walk-ups, several 999 calls that were made that

have saved ambulances being called into the town centre.

They're really pleased and I'm over the moon as well.

It sounds as if the neighbourhood team's newest recruit has a bright future.

Beat manager Jen Atkinson takes the concerns of the locals on her

patch very seriously.

Whatever the grievance, she and her team will investigate.

Today Jen is following up complaints from residents

living in Cheddar Village.

They've had enough of the disruption caused by certain drivers

visiting the famous Cheddar Gorge, the nearby beauty spot.

Car enthusiasts like to gather in the car parks up and down the gorge.

Which is all right, but then there's a minority of them

that like to race up and down the gorge.

Every weekend, hundreds of petrolheads congregate here,

to show off their treasured vehicles.

But the genuine enthusiasts amongst them

are being tarnished by the few that misbehave.

For the villagers, noise

and excessive speed are the main concerns.

ENGINE REVS

Recently, the local newspaper, the Cheddar Valley Gazette, reported on the story

and captured some of the drivers on a mobile using the gorge as a racetrack.

It's becoming a big problem for the local residents,

they're getting a bit fed up of it now.

So it's just for us to go and show a bit of police presence

and deal with the few that like to drive inconsiderately.

The real worry for the police is that

if drivers ignore the law, there could be a serious accident.

Jen and Special Constable Ben Grieve are approaching the gorge,

but before they get there, a vehicle ahead catches their eye.

Car appeared to be going a little bit faster than he should be around

that corner then, and he's also not got a front numberplate on.

The neighbourhood team's work also involves engaging with young

drivers to promote road safety.

And Ben has a chat with two lads in the vehicle.

And you've obviously decided to come out driving with no

front registration plate. All right?

No, no, a front registration plate,

so you're aware, needs to be mounted on the front of your car.

Placing the plate on the dashboard isn't enough, and it's

an offence that could see the driver face a fine of up to £1,000.

He's just been given a ticket now to take it to a garage,

get it fixed, it gets stamped and then they bring it back to us

to prove that it's been done.

What's brought you to the gorge today, then?

That's a bit harsh, isn't it?

All have mates. You're his mate, aren't you?

Before leaving, the driver can't resist checking out the police car.

What, that one?

1.9 turbo diesel chipped.

Really. Fancy a try? I'd like to see you try.

I'm being serious.

Right, have a safe trip, all right, take care, look after yourself.

We are trying to educate them, the actual car enthusiasts who

want to come here and talk about their cars.

And these are the ones we've got no problems with.

It's the ones that drive round like lunatics.

People will come from miles around to park

and pose with their pride and joy.

Even in the dark.

Are you all local or have you all come from far afield?

-Wales.

-Oh, so you're fairly local.

Thankfully, these visitors are responsible

and sympathetic to the problem the locals are having.

Rock up, chat, do whatever we like,

and we're not really causing a nuisance to anyone else.

Unless you get the odd one or two that act like idiots.

Anywhere that attracts loads of people you're going to get

people that want to impress the others.

And that's really where antisocial behaviour comes from, doesn't it?

You know, wheel spinning, going fast and all that sort of stuff.

Over the past weeks,

the neighbourhood team has been a regular presence at the gorge,

talking to drivers about sensible motoring,

and officers seem to be making inroads.

We haven't really had to slam down the penalty notices to anybody,

we haven't had to arrest anybody.

The fact that there's not had to be as many tickets given out

shows over the last few weekends that we've been here,

the education's clearly kicking in.

And actually tonight has been fairly peaceful.

It's time to call it a night.

But, before the officers head back to base,

something's caught Ben's eye.

A Toyota GT86 in mint condition.

It's quite nice, it's quite fast, it's quite sporty,

and it's a bit of a go-kart, to be fair.

But it's something I wouldn't be able to afford.

Neighbourhood policing is a mixture of toughness, fairness and caring.

And demonstrating these abilities to the public

makes our neighbourhoods safe and people feel secure.

Until next time, evening, all.