Episode 5 Rent a Cop

This programme contains some strong language.

This place got robbed with knife-point and also gunpoint.

So imagine if they had guns. I wouldn't be running away.

You can see, you can see someone over there.

Can you see him?

HE SNIGGERS

Now, if I was a burglar...

I mean, would you?

Cos he blends in.

I love it, especially when you get

"aha, it's a burglar, it's a burglar"

and you've got to have a method into catching them.

Darlington, north-east England.

In this historic market town,

one man's on a mission to make crime a thing of the past...

I got caught by a tree. Bong!

..fearless Francis Jones.

Rrrahhh!

If you have a problem, day or night...

I'm like a doctor to the burglars. I give them the medicine.

..if no-one else can help...

There's no escape from Francis Jones.

People always say I'm different, like.

..and if you can find him...

We need to be hextra cautious.

Not extra, hextra.

..maybe you can hire Sparta Security.

Spartan Warriors was a tribe of people who had courage,

who were strong.

When you drive down the road the kids always shout, "This is Sparta!"

You're not a policeman, this is about promoting Christianity.

To protect people against what? The opinion of burglars?

If you want a steak you go and get a sirloin.

If you want ice cream you go to Tom & Jerry's.

If you want security you come and see Spartacus.

Former pro boxer Francis Jones started Sparta Security in 2009...

Keep it looking beautiful.

..and now has around 40 security guards protecting

businesses across Darlington.

Rrrahhh!

Rrrahhh!

Francis also takes on less conventional cases

with a whole variety of challenges.

People know me in Darlington - Fearless is my fighting name.

Fearless because I'm game as a badger.

Go on, go on, go on!

It takes courage to operate

and run a security company when people come to you with problems.

God gave me a pair of balls when I was born.

I've got to use this talent to benefit the community in Darlington.

Yeah, there you go, there you go.

Yay!

That tyre was getting done.

There's not no way it was not getting done.

At his unofficial office, the local gym...

What is he doing?

You're looking in good shape, Rach. You're in beautiful shape.

..Francis is taking care of some routine surveillance work.

So, I'm putting a camera up just to monitor, erm, suspicious activity

on the night-time. There's a lot of bodybuilders training there.

Feel all right?

In exchange for free training sessions, Francis is

installing cameras to keep a close eye on all comings and goings.

Oh, get on.

What's it pointing at?

It's pointing at her arse.

She's beautiful, isn't she?

Francis is responding to a call out that could test his courage

and diplomacy.

We're going to a lady who's married.

Domestic problem.

Her husband's come to the house to smash the house up

or to do this, that and another to the car.

And so she wants me... She wants me there as a presence.

In a close-knit town like Darlo, jobs like this can be complicated.

I'm, like, in the middle cos her brother's a good pal of mine,

I sponsor his boxing club, and I know the husband,

and the husband's a bit of a boxer, you know.

The client, Laura, is already away on her night out.

-'All right?'

-Yeah.

-'Is that you, Francis?'

Yes, it is. yes.

Francis calls for a briefing.

I'm just in the driveway at the minute. I don't want your ex-husband

thinking I'm seeing you cos I'm on the car.

I just want to tell him what the script is -

I'm protecting this, that and the other, don't turn up.

-You know?

-'No, because he'll just come round then.

'I'm paying you to keep him away from my house.

'Please, Francis, I don't want him there.'

-Yeah, well...

-'I just want you to keep him away.'

OK, but it's not...

He knows, right...

This is why he's divorced her, cos she's a divvy.

..back you up all the way.

All right, see you later. Bye-bye, bye.

All right, then, OK.

HE SIGHS

Laura's paying Sparta £100 to have a security vehicle

and guard outside her house all night.

My officer is not a boxer, my officer is about 20st.

So if there's any frisk - boomph, we start the engine and we go.

But the car's got no petrol in so I hope it doesn't stall.

-All right?

-Hi, buddy.

For the stakeout, Francis has brought in Sparta stalwart

and trained bouncer Jim.

If he comes, nice, "Hello, sir, how are you doing, mate?"

I don't want him thinking I'm laying his wife.

Yeah, I do understand.

And so, just making sure no-one comes to the house.

OK, mate, great stuff.

HORN BEEPS

Jim makes himself comfortable for the long night ahead.

Right.

What the heck? What the heck?

Laura says her ex has previously damaged her car

and tried to break her windows.

Hello, sweetheart.

Jim needs to be prepared for trouble.

If the bloke turns up I should use a distraction technique,

so that he can...he'll go off and do something else rather than

concentrate on what's going on here.

At Sparta HQ, apprentice marketing assistant Luke "Pembo" Pemberton

is arriving for work.

-Hello, Francis.

-Hello, mate.

-You OK, buddy?

-Good morning.

-Morning.

As a Christian company, Sparta offer mentoring to troubled youngsters

liked former thief and burglar Pembo.

He's a good lad. If he can listen to me... He talks a lot.

If he can listen to me, then he's got a good line of work

and he can earn some money, can Luke Pemberton.

Take a seat over there in Claire's seat.

If he can rein in and actually start to listen then, you know,

there's potential there for him.

Pembo has a huge opportunity with Sparta and it's up to him

to make the very most of it.

I'm here to make you money and that's why...that is my job.

That is my goal.

I'm not a salesman if I'm not making you money.

To prove himself to Francis, Pembo's supposed to bring in new business.

So far, it's been slow.

I know you should never quit but if you're an athlete

and you keep coming last then you're doing something wrong, aren't you?

If you keep coming last I'd say you want to give up your sport.

-You know what I mean?

-Yeah.

Francis has a plan to help Pembo raise his game.

He tells me he wants a career.

So, therefore, he's got to have action to that.

He's got to have the recipe.

Pembo needs to learn how to bake a cake.

Francis has hired business consultant Andrew to give

his apprentice a sales masterclass.

-Hello.

-Morning. Luke?

-How you doing, all right?

-I'm very well. Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, mate.

What's your objectives for today?

I would like to use his tool to go out and sell products

and businesses. I'd like him just to sell to anyone, you know?

Andrew needs to find out where Pembo's sales strategy

is falling flat.

Tell me at the minute what type of client you are trying to find.

What is a good client for you to go and speak to?

Erm... From experience it's someone who's already been targeted

-and already been hit.

-Mm-hmm.

And... Erm...

When you go and knock on someone's door, what do you say?

If it's a woman I'll always use the word darling

but some people don't like it. "Good morning, darling."

That's basically it and they're like,

"Oh, well, no, I'm all right.

"I don't need security, I've got a dog."

Erm... People like a bargain. My nanna, she loves a bargain.

Everyone loves a bargain.

Andrew may have discovered Pembo's Achilles heel...

You haven't asked me a single question since I sat down.

..his mouth.

-Do you think you talk too much?

-Yeah.

-Why?

-I don't know.

Is that a problem?

Yeah, I do speak too much.

The biggest word of advice I can give you in sales

is you're not selling something, you are finding out

if that person has a reason to buy and if they do, what is it?

And I'm going to sell them what they are asking for.

Yeah, see, this is good, you know, Francis.

It's actually getting them to...

They're going to do the selling.

They're going to tell me what they want.

Brilliant, fantastic. Really, really good.

The penny seems to be dropping.

Let's put it in Francis' terms.

-You want to see a hooker?

-FRANCIS LAUGHS

Pembo tries out his new technique on the boss.

You wanted a blow job?

You're going to say to her, "I want to blow job."

She's not going to say, "Do you want to a suckie?"

You're going to say, if you want a suckie,

"I want a suckie."

They want to know you want.

I think there is a lot of potential in the boy.

I think he's got a manager in Francis that believes in him,

who wants to invest some time in him.

He's made my eyes open even wider now, like, thinking about

the potential of where I could actually go,

what I could do for this business.

In a few days' time, Pembo will have a chance to

prove his potential at a sales pitch with an important client.

Yeah, I'm feeling a little bit nervous.

I have to go and pitch in front of some businessmen.

See, I'm going to go in there

and I just need to blow their socks off, don't I?

At the stakeout house, security guard Jim has some news.

How did it go, Jim?

Johnny turned up last night...

Er, basically, he was going to burn the house down

and he was going to burn the car.

Oh, he said he was going to burn the car?

He was going to burn the car.

I calmed him down,

he walked off, I went round the back to do a rear patrol

and there was bricks flying at me which were on the wall over there.

To be honest with you,

I'm not overly happy with getting bricks thrown at you.

-I'll get you dropped off at home...

-Lovely.

..and then we'll go from there, mate, OK?

For 30-year-old Laura,

incidents like this have become all too familiar.

I've had damage to my property, car...

He's trying to scare me.

Laura complained to the police

and the court issued a domestic violence protection order,

banning her ex from going to her house.

Without evidence there's not really a lot police can do. That's why

I ended up getting Sparta involved,

because I needed some kind of protection.

After dropping Jim home, Francis has to update the client.

Hello, Laura, are you OK?

Yeah, I'm all right.

So last night there was a little bit of an incident.

Saying he were going to burn my car out

and he was going to damage your property.

I would suggest CCTV, and obviously I would suggest

relaying to the police about it cos it needs to stop.

-Do you know...?

-Well, well, thank you.

-No problems at all.

-Yeah.

-Have you got the money?

You've already been paid.

You're just trying to get it twice.

Oh, no, no. Anyway, thank you very much, Laura.

Right. Thank you.

-Cheers. Right, see you later on.

-Bye.

-Bye.

Thanks to Sparta, this time Laura and her house are unharmed.

And the police have also been informed.

Who knows what would have happened if they hadn't have been there?

So it was a job well done.

Back at HQ it's clear-out day.

They've come in off their own arse. They ain't getting paid for it.

I'm only joking! Ha-ha-ha!

Security manager Rachel normally works from home.

Hello, we have some furniture here. Could you come

and collect it, please, today?

She's been tasked with getting rid of unwanted fixtures and fittings.

But Monday afternoon's no good cos it's in the street.

It will have to be today.

I just want this area all clean so it looks like an office.

You know, there is loads of rubbish in it.

Make it look like a professional business.

But things aren't happening fast enough for Francis.

So, see all that stuff there? That needs moving.

This needs moving. That needs moving near your foot there.

The bins needs cleaning.

I do work her, I do work her. I sometimes like to get

a bite off her - that is a flaw of mine.

I provoke her pretty easily.

Outside needs collecting for a skip.

Do you know, can you not work with me on it?

-LAUGHTER

-I'm working with you on it!

Why are you shouting at me?

Cos I'm doing the best I can and you...

You're sitting on your arse doing nowt.

I've been doing nowt all day, yeah.

You have!

Oh, I'm fucking going home. Fuck off, Francis.

See ya, Rach.

Francis may have just worked Rachel a bit too much.

This stuff needs doing. You've got two, three people cleaning the office

and she's sat on her...saying, "I've been working all day."

She hasn't been doing nothing all day.

It's a shame. Cos it brings everything down.

'Francis and Rachel fight all the time.'

They can love each other and hate each other within a period of five minutes.

Every day, every day we argue.

Every day.

But sometimes I become annoyed and my self-control

and self-discipline is not at the highest level.

And I sometimes snap, do you know what I'm saying?

Away from the office strife...

-Downtown Baghdad, baby.

-It is, like.

..Francis is taking Pembo on a burglar hunt.

Here we are.

This is where we need to be.

They're all here. This is the area.

-If you want...

-These are all guest houses with little bedrooms.

Yeah, it's where they, they all come from.

As well as protecting his clients' premises,

Francis does regular patrols of the whole neighbourhood.

WHISPERING

To catch any bad guys unaware, stealth is essential.

We've got to be quiet because they're all over here.

Look what we've just found here.

The team have just discovered what could be a burglar's entry point.

This is the bush, and you don't know anything is wrong with it,

up until you look at it.

You can't see nothing, it's all disguised.

To the human eye you can't see nothing.

Being a former burglar himself, Pembo has useful insight to offer.

They're getting in from there and they're getting on the roof

and getting in there, obviously stealing copper out of there.

There'll be copper bars in there.

They're obviously risking their own life playing Russian roulette

every time they go in there.

As a Christian, Francis likes to mentor young offenders.

Even those he's caught in the act.

I've caught 'em here before as well.

And these are the ones I've took to church on a Sunday, right?

I told them, I says, "Listen," I said, "Come to church on a Sunday

"and I won't ring the police."

They were burglaring the skip on there

and on the other side of the estate as well, but they never showed up.

With useful evidence on how burglars are operating, Francis can

advise local businesses on how best to protect themselves.

I want to be a presence so people can see the Spartans, what we do.

Sparta is looking to be a blessing

to the community that we're located in.

After her fight with Francis...

A spa day is just what the doctor ordered.

..Rachel and Claire decide they need some time out.

I need a break from the office, from Sparta,

from Francis, from everything.

I haven't had a holiday for two year.

I work 24/7.

CRUNCH

LAUGHTER

Oops!

-It's all right.

-Looks like the Dukes of Hazard.

Poor Francis, he's missing out.

He wouldn't be able to sit still long enough.

He'd have tried to sleep with every girl in the pool area.

And he'd have tried to tap into that receptionist woman as well.

-So you've ticked stress is the one you'd like to improve.

-Yeah.

Is that due to anything in particular?

Er, work.

As far as Rachel is concerned, Francis struggles to say please and thank you.

You know, I do shopping, often his washing, his ironing,

and it's all like, "Ah, Claire, well done, Claire."

and it's just like, he'll ignore me and I just think...

So while you're here, who's looking after the office?

At the moment, probably Max, the dog.

-The dog.

-LAUGHTER

Since Sparta protected the house of domestic violence victim Laura,

there's been new developments.

I decided to just go to the police.

I just thought, I'm not handling this by myself, I shouldn't have to.

If he wants to act like an absolute idiot, then he'll have to face

the consequences.

A police investigation, along with Jim's witness statement,

has sent Laura's ex to local prison Holme House for 28 days.

He can learn from it or he can seek a bit of revenge,

so we don't know what's going to happen next.

It's just a waiting game for me.

This news could have repercussions for Francis.

He'll hate me with a vengeance.

Guaranteed.

He's probably thinking, "You're a little grass, you're a little

"this, that and the other." but I can't not do the right thing.

-Do you know...

-You have a duty of care.

She made a contract with you to take care of her.

-And we did that.

-Yeah.

And then we had to elevate it up towards to the police,

so you haven't done anything wrong.

I feel bad because he's a friend.

So how do you say you put your friends in prison?

I can't no longer be Mr Nice Guy.

Mr Friendly cracking jokes.

Because I have a job to do.

Unfortunately, the jobs going to come with repercussions.

-That's the nature of the business we're in.

-That's right, innit?

So see what happens, innit?

-Hello, Luke.

-Morning, Francis, mate.

You're the smartest, mate. Good on you.

Yeah, I dress to impress.

It's the day of Pembo's sales pitch

and Francis is feeling confident in his protege.

I've set Pembo up with a client for him to pitch to.

I'm ready to go, I'm feeling good.

It's about showing the skills

which he's learned to see how he can get on.

It's fight time, baby.

Once that bell goes, Pembo, Luke Pemberton, will kick into action.

Pembo's last pitch failed to secure business.

This time he needs to do better.

Should I wear my jacket like this?

How does... Do you feel comfortable?

I think I'm going to put my arms back in, do it up and walk in.

You put it however you want,

makes no difference at all. It's just life, innit?

Pembo's pitching to a maintenance company with sites across the UK.

Every detail of his approach could be vital.

Let's go.

Pembo's weak point has been not letting the client

get a word in edgeways.

I've glad you've took the time to let me come and see you today.

I don't know what your problem is - if you could share that with me?

We've had a couple of break-ins last year. Erm...

This time, he's all ears.

But we were looking possibly to have some sort of security with

regards to a manned patrol?

A static guard would be relevant.

How does a static guard work?

He'll walk along your premises every hour randomly,

he'd have a written record of it. We have great communication

skills with our customers - we tend to speak to our customers.

We want them to know, so the police will be informed.

What type of force are we talking?

We use ex-military and ex-police staff, so they know the field,

they do detain, they use handcuffs...

-And you'd give us a cost for that on a...

-Yeah.

-..site-by-site basis, yeah?

-Yeah.

I'll be in contact with you weekly, speaking to you, just to see

how... One phone away, you had me mobile number.

That's quite impressive, isn't it?

-OK, I'd be very interested to do that.

-Yeah?

The meeting's over.

Thank you very much.

They've not bought on the spot

but Pembo's pitch is in with a chance of winning a contract.

'I think you went good'

and I think they had a good opinion of you walking out.

You start small with small acorns.

And they come to big trees, don't they? They turn into big trees.

-And you've got a pair of small acorns.

-LAUGHTER

Hopefully, that's going to be the one of thousands.

I'm going to get better every time.

I've went in as an amateur, I've come out a semi-pro.

I would say he won on points.

Thursday, 6pm.

Francis Jones is tired.

Basic needs have forced Francis to seek a truce

with his business partner.

So I rang Rach and I says can I have her back?

She said yes.

-Hello, Rachel, how are you doing?

-I'm fine.

I could smell you from there. Get yourself in.

All right, is that what you say to all the fellas?

It has to be the perfect temperature

and if it's too hot he burns his precious little self,

and if it's too cold

I'll get into trouble. He'll say I haven't had the boiler on.

Everything has to be just so.

Can I go in there and sit on your bed?

Have you got a towel, Rach?

-You don't normally.

-Don't normally what?

Bother about what you've got on to walk to the bath.

Oh, boy.

We argue all the time over money and that in the business,

but we both know when to stop, when we've gone too far.

We have to argue because...that's the only way to run a business.

If I was to say, "Yes, Francis,

"yes, Francis," every two minutes, then, like, it doesn't work.

What do ducks do, Rach?

Quack.

Obviously they need to use their feet when the river's running,

to go against the grain.

So why don't we call the duck Rachel? Cos she quacks a lot.

SHE LAUGHS

And she goes against the grain when I say this, that

and the other sometimes.

You want a little sheep to work for you that every time says

"Yes, Francis, baa-baa, Francis," you're looking in the wrong place.

How do sheep go, then?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Baa! Baa!

Yeah, it's all good. I arranged all the place.

Developments across Darlo mean Francis is now expecting a less

jovial meeting.

After 19 days inside, Laura's ex has been let out of prison.

He's on his way for a sit-down with Francis.

So I've got Johnny coming in today - he got out of prison last night.

He's either going to come in and sit down to talk to me

or he's going to lure me under a false sense of security

and cosh me on the head with summat.

Johnny was sent down partly

by evidence from Sparta security guard Jim.

-You just take a seat there, mate.

-Cheers

You know, so...so since,

since I-I...you got out yesterday...

I understand domestics, you know, I'm a man myself...

We've boxed together and I...I know ya.

But, you know, we're trying to be a professional company, and...

It's hard, it's frustrating for you, I know I understand that.

-Yeah.

-I understand that, but...

Francis wants to persuade Johnny to end this feud for good.

In my opinion, when you have a drink, right, laws of self-control

-and this, that and the other...

-Yeah, but it's...

So don't make yourself vulnerable. Play wise.

I've been to prison, I've been to jail, I don't want to go back.

I've reflected on what's happened.

-So now what I want to do is get on with my own life.

-Yeah.

I am happy cos I didn't want to make no enemy of ya.

Life like goes on, it's a job.

There's nothing you can do about it.

All right, Johnny, thank you very much. All right, buddy.

'Jail, to be honest with you, it wasn't too bad.'

I don't hold no grudges against anybody,

I'm not that kind of person.

He's doing his job.

You can't hold a grudge against someone for doing their job.

Listen, I ain't no saint.

I can assure you there's no halo above that head.

No, there isn't, like, you know, so we have to do what's right and

sometimes doing what right in society, you know,

is very, very hard.

Across town, Sparta client Laura is also looking to the future.

'I think sometimes when you're hit so low, the only way is up'

and I think that this is definitely my time now.

I need to put my energy into something positive.

Yeah, buy it?

With the abusive relationship hopefully behind her, Laura wants

to launch a fashion label and make a living from her love of clothes.

-I love it. I love it!

-You know fashion like nobody.

I've been doing this since I left school now

and I feel like I'm finally living the dream.

Yeah.

She's come through the other end.

Definitely, and I think this is, like, I think she needs to get back on top.

'Confidence booster.'

Everyone's going to love it.

Beyonce meets J.Lo?

-Yeah, J.Lo's my number one.

-Ultimate style icons.

When I see someone who needs help I'll certainly go out of my way.

I was happy that I'd sorted the problem of Laura.

If you put a smile on someone's heart with helping a certain

situation, you know, I get job satisfaction from it.

I've put it on the back shelf

because I've been in a marriage and its better to have a

constant income. To be self-employed puts pressure on the relationship

and I think right now, I haven't actually got anything to lose.

Thanks, girls.

It's a load of shit for the company, isn't it?

Has Pembo pushed his luck too far?

Now, now, just be quiet, I can't have a liar working with Sparta.

And determined to defeat his nemesis...

I'm going to try and catch the bikers but you couldn't get

nowhere near prior cos they always run off.

..Francis hires a glamorous assistant.

I need to get him, I need to get him.