0:00:02 > 0:00:04Rural Britain has some of the most challenging
0:00:04 > 0:00:06environments in the world.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09In Scotland the mountains, lochs and coastline, encourage tourists
0:00:09 > 0:00:12and locals to get out into the wilds.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15But with that comes danger.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25The emergency services north of the border
0:00:25 > 0:00:28have to deal with extreme challenges every day.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Raising the winch.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Keep your arms by your side!
0:00:31 > 0:00:34From severe weather and treacherous terrain...
0:00:37 > 0:00:42..To covering huge distances on rural roads with time against them.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46We're doing about 85 miles per hour just now.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48They work around the clock,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50battling against some of the most difficult situations.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55We'll be right at the heart of the action.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Side-by-side with Air Rescue saving lives.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02On the road with paramedics caring for the injured,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05and following the police, fighting crime,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08as the emergency services work together, to pick up,
0:01:08 > 0:01:13patch up and protect the public, in rural communities.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16This is Countryside 999.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39Coming up, paramedics race to a woman who's struggling to breathe.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47The Royal Navy helicopter team scramble
0:01:47 > 0:01:50to a serious accident in a remote forest...
0:01:53 > 0:01:57..And Stranraer's community police investigate
0:01:57 > 0:01:59a very rural crime.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Someone who believes he's been systematically
0:02:02 > 0:02:04poisoning trees in his forest.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Britain's stunning coastlines,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18luscious landscapes and rugged terrain have drawn a fifth of us
0:02:18 > 0:02:21to live in our rural regions.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27Protecting and treating people in countryside communities
0:02:27 > 0:02:31means extra challenges for the emergency services...
0:02:31 > 0:02:33..where longer distances and journey times
0:02:33 > 0:02:35increase the risk for those needing help.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41In Dumfries and Galloway,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43there's one member of the Ambulance Service
0:02:43 > 0:02:45for every 15 square miles.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49In London, there are 108.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Local lad and ambulance technician Malky McNeish
0:02:52 > 0:02:56followed in his father's footsteps, joining the Ambulance Service
0:02:56 > 0:02:57eight years ago.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59He's on shift today,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02with former Londoner and paramedic
0:03:02 > 0:03:04of 20 years, Paul Votier.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08They've just received an emergency call
0:03:08 > 0:03:11to a woman in a critical condition.
0:03:11 > 0:03:12The woman's daughter
0:03:12 > 0:03:14and partner happen to be visiting from Birmingham
0:03:14 > 0:03:16and were there to dial 999.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Malky and Paul
0:03:38 > 0:03:41must get to the 62-year-old woman's house urgently.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42She's struggling to breathe,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45so this could be life-threatening.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54SIREN WAILS
0:03:54 > 0:03:58The patient, Susan, lives in the small village of Ecclefechan,
0:03:58 > 0:04:016 and a half miles from Lockerbie.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Despite the wet roads, they get to Susan's house in 12 minutes flat.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- I'll drop you off.- Listen, I'll get the bag and the 02.- Right.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21COUGHING
0:04:21 > 0:04:23It's all right, darling.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Once inside, Paul finds Susan gasping for breath.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30He immediately fits her with a nebuliser containing Ventolin
0:04:30 > 0:04:32to help expand her airways.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Paul finds out Susan has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41a serious lung condition that affects her breathing.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44She normally manages with an inhaler,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47but today she woke up fighting for air.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09'When we first see this patient, she's in the kitchen'
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and she had obvious signs of bronchospasms,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15the way she was sitting, the audible wheeze, it's all signs that
0:05:15 > 0:05:17her airway's constricting
0:05:17 > 0:05:19and it's getting plugged by the mucus.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22The treatment for that is Ventolin, which is,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25we put into a nebuliser, we run oxygen through it
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and what it does then is just starts opening up the airway
0:05:28 > 0:05:32and starts loosening off the mucus so the airway starts getting bigger
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and start getting her breathing under control.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Susan has smoked for 40 years
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and knows it's been a contributing factor.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43When was the last time you had to have a nebuliser?
0:05:54 > 0:05:56OK. 'There are normally triggers.'
0:05:56 > 0:05:59This lady went to bed last night fine, fully well,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01woke up this morning with this tightness in her chest,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05with this cough, short of breath. Then the panic sets in as well,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08so she knew then that she was in trouble and she needed help.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Listen, Susan, we're going to get you a chair
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- and take you into the ambulance.- OK.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14- We'll get you fixed better there. - OK.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- Does it feel as if the oxygen is helping?- Yes.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20You're starting to speak to me in full sentences again,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- you're not so much... - Not so much. Yeah.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32- Have you got a pair of slippers or anything you want to put on?- Er, no.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34The drugs are now slowly kicking in.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40But Susan's condition could deteriorate at any moment.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43They must get her to the specialist care she needs.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45You pop your feet up.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Any allergies at all, Susan?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56SHE COUGHS
0:06:56 > 0:07:00The coughing's making it even harder for Susan to breathe.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02So she is given a second dose of Ventolin.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05SHE COUGHS
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Her daughter Joanne is accompanying her to the hospital.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17This might make you cough a little bit more,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21- it loosens it all up, OK? - SHE COUGHS
0:07:21 > 0:07:23That's what we want.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Just going to take your temperature, Susan, OK, in your ear.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29It's been an alarming ordeal for Joanne.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52It takes 25 minutes to make the 17-mile journey to hospital.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56But the drugs continue to ease Susan's breathing.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59She's delivered to a specialist team who will ensure
0:07:59 > 0:08:02there are no blockages that may stop her breathing again.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06If she hadn't had that treatment, if we weren't called,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08her airway would have closed.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10It would have just closed.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12And she would, at some point, have lost consciousness,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16she would have collapsed and I think she would have died, maybe.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17If we weren't called.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Reaching far-flung locations quickly
0:08:32 > 0:08:34can be difficult for rural emergency services,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38and navigating remote forest is particularly challenging.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44In Scotland, the timber and forestry industry
0:08:44 > 0:08:48employs around 40,000 people, often in hard-to-reach places,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52so, when accidents happen, getting to them is rarely easy.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57On Scotland's south-west coast,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01HMS Gannet operates one of the busiest Royal Navy search and rescue units
0:09:01 > 0:09:05in Britain, covering an area 12 times the size of Wales.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09PHONE RINGS
0:09:09 > 0:09:14It's 2pm, and an emergency call has just come in.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Observer or Navigator Phil Gamble. is taking the details.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Yep?
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Chest, right arm and ankle, OK.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26A forestry worker is reported to be badly injured,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29crushed under a tree in remote woodland.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31We're then going to Tighnabruaich
0:09:31 > 0:09:33and in absence of the two, 975 728.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40Also on call today are pilot Jon Green and winchman, Taff Ashman.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44We've just been called to a possible tree surgeon or lumberjack
0:09:44 > 0:09:45that's had a tree come down on top of him.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47He's got various crush injuries,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51sort of chest and left-hand side, I think it was, from the phone call.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54We're going to go pick up a couple of doctors first
0:09:54 > 0:09:56and we'll take it from there.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER
0:10:09 > 0:10:14Co-pilot is Lloydy Shanahan, veteran of eight tours in Bosnia, Iraq
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and Afghanistan. He's faced his fair share of enemies.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22But today, he's up against one of the crew's biggest adversaries -
0:10:22 > 0:10:23the weather.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38The casualty is in remote woodland in Tighnabruaich,
0:10:38 > 0:10:39on the Cowal Peninsula.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Early information suggests it's a serious injury.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49So Lloydy and pilot Jon collect a paramedic
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and doctor from the emergency medical retrieval team in Glasgow,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56taking their specialist knowledge direct to the scene.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08The Sea King helicopter is quickly airborne again.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14But it's not long before they get a worrying update.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42The man is trapped under a tree, but misty weather and
0:11:42 > 0:11:46the impenetrable forest is playing havoc with the rescue, making it
0:11:46 > 0:11:49difficult for teams on the ground to pinpoint his exact location.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59The helicopter crew monitor communications from the scene.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08It's not looking good.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11If the teams on the ground can't find the casualty soon,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15the navy crew will have to join the search for him on foot,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17in dense forest and worsening weather.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Carrying out emergency operations in difficult conditions
0:12:34 > 0:12:36is par for the course in rural areas.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Earlier, paramedic Paul Votier
0:12:40 > 0:12:44and ambulance technician Malky McNeish navigated wet country roads
0:12:44 > 0:12:48to get Susan to hospital when she was struggling to breathe.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56Now they must negotiate more rainy roads, this time in darkness,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59in response to a 999 call they have just received.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Two cars have crashed on the M74 motorway.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15A motorway crash can be devastating at any time of the day,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18but at night, the risk increases.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Not knowing whether anyone is seriously injured,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Paul and Malky blue light to the scene.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29You know, somebody has maybe either aquaplaned or a tyre has blown
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and they've maybe hit the central reservation, bounced back out.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35It could be two cars colliding, it could be anything, really,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37so you never know what you're going to.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39SIRENS BLARE
0:13:39 > 0:13:42A call like this requires a joint effort
0:13:42 > 0:13:44between the emergency services.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Police officers Stuart Delaney
0:13:46 > 0:13:48and David Holland are also racing to the scene.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54We've just had a call from the control room, telling us
0:13:54 > 0:13:57that there is a two vehicle collision
0:13:57 > 0:13:59just north of Gretna.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02We don't know if there's any injuries at the moment.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Motorway accidents are particularly hazardous.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10With high-speed traffic on a dark, rainy night
0:14:10 > 0:14:13a two-car crash can easily turn into a multi-car pile up.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19The officers are blue-lighting to the incident, but without
0:14:19 > 0:14:23knowing what lies ahead, they can't go as fast as they would like.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26It's one of these things, when we don't know exactly where it is,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30you don't want to go tearing up at 130mph up the motorway
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and suddenly come across a car sitting in lane three with no lights.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36Hard shoulder.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39David and Stuart must use the hard shoulder to get to the accident.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Roger. Standing traffic, all three lanes at the moment.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47And we're just approaching it now.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50We have still got one vehicle in lane one...
0:14:50 > 0:14:51at the moment.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54The officers are first on scene.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57There is one damaged car on the hard shoulder
0:14:57 > 0:15:00and another is in a nearside lane, so they cone off the area.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06After the crash, driver Dennis and his passenger fled their car,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10which was dangerously stranded in the middle of the motorway.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15How are you doing, folks? Were you involved at all?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Right, which is your car?
0:15:18 > 0:15:20They've just dragged it off? All right.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24What's this car here? Was that involved as well?
0:15:24 > 0:15:27So that's involved as well. Who was driving that?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32It appears there were more than two cars involved
0:15:32 > 0:15:33in this motorway crash.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35We'll just get this car off. >
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Just moments after Dennis and his friends escaped their car,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40it was hit by a second vehicle.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45Now that vehicle is stranded in lane one and the driver can't shift it.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Is this your car, is it? Can you drive it off at all?
0:15:53 > 0:15:57It won't move? Right, OK dokes.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00We'll just have to drag it off. OK?
0:16:00 > 0:16:02When you arrive on the scene of an accident like that,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05you've got so many things to consider, you have to consider
0:16:05 > 0:16:10your safety, your colleague's safety, every member of the public's safety.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13When the traffic is not flowing properly,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16it tends to cause more accidents as well.
0:16:19 > 0:16:20It's rush hour,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23so the police tow the car off the carriageway themselves.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Altaf saw the accident ahead.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39But too late.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The car was right in the middle of the road when I was coming.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46So I just tried to pull to the left side,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48but still I hit the front of that car.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55PCs David and Stuart walk up the hard shoulder to find
0:16:55 > 0:16:56the third car involved.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Down the offside, I think.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Tyres are all right.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05You'd say that's driveable.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13It may be driveable,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17but the car's driver Adam has knocked his head in the crash.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Paramedics Malky and Paul have just arrived on scene.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27They assess Adam's injury.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30When you spun the car,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33did you say that your head banged against the window?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36That's fine. Definitely no pain in your neck?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- No, it feels OK. - Can you put your chin on your chest?
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- Is it sore to do that? No? - A little bit.- Right.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44And what about side to side?
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- Yeah, OK.- Fine. That's good. - Just here feels...
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Aye, so it's mainly just that you've had a bang on the head, I think.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Adam's head injury is minor, but he is still in shock.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Driving along.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Yeah, just out of the blue, erm,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04someone hit the side of the car and luckily...
0:18:04 > 0:18:06there was nobody on the inside.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09I managed to keep control and got it on to the hard shoulder.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Big shock. Yeah. Real surprise.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17They've all walked out their vehicle, so it could have been a lot worse.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22But it's a good outcome to what looks like quite a bad accident.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24With no other injured parties,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28the paramedics can leave the police to pick up the pieces.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38It's been a very lucky escape for the three drivers.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44David and Stuart now have the task of finding out exactly how
0:18:44 > 0:18:46this three-car pile up happened.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Later, the traffic cops discover there is more to this accident
0:18:58 > 0:19:00than meets the eye.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09In Stranraer, the police are on the lookout for driving offences.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12It's believed that the licence may be revoked,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and it's also coming up as no insurance.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19But first, recovering the injured forestry worker is a risky business
0:19:19 > 0:19:22for the Navy's search and rescue team.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38In remote woodland near Tighnabruaich in Argyll,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42the Royal Navy search and rescue team are desperately searching
0:19:42 > 0:19:44for a seriously injured lumberjack.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Dreadful weather and thick forest mean rescue teams
0:19:47 > 0:19:50on the ground have failed to locate the casualty.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56They believe he's pinned under a tree with crush injuries,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59so the helicopter crew need to find him fast.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Pilot Jon skilfully flies the 10-ton Sea King
0:20:14 > 0:20:17in the gap between the low cloud base and the treetops.
0:20:19 > 0:20:20But visibility is poor.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26And the casualty is nowhere to be seen.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34The team prepare to lower winchman Taff to look
0:20:34 > 0:20:35for the casualty on foot.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Lower the winch.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Taff spots an 80-foot weather mast looming ahead,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01a dangerous hazard for the helicopter hovering nearby.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Proceeded to walk along the tree line for a couple of hundred yards
0:21:20 > 0:21:22and then just coming out of the mist,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I could actually spot a mast.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27We've got good visuals on the trees,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31but obviously the mist is lingering above them,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35and then all of a sudden you see a mast just come out of the fog.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38It's a bit like diving a car and all of a sudden you see
0:21:38 > 0:21:42an animal on the road in front of you. It comes as a bit of a shock.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Pilot Jon must be extremely careful.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53If the helicopter's 9-metre rotor blades get caught
0:21:53 > 0:21:57in the mast's cables, it could send them crashing to the ground.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06But, in finding it, they also spot something else.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19The coastguard on the ground have found the injured man.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30The crew uplift Taff and head towards the casualty,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33who is located worryingly close to the 80-foot mast.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Paramedic Nicola needs to be winched down,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47but Jon is anxious about hovering so close to the dangerous obstacle.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55One of the big things to be aware of when you're flying anywhere near
0:22:55 > 0:22:58a very tall mast is that they've got long cables
0:22:58 > 0:23:01securing them that come out quite a way from the mast and generally,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04the taller the mast is, the further away from the mast these cables go.
0:23:04 > 0:23:0580 yards.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Manoeuvring so close to the mast is testing
0:23:12 > 0:23:13the mettle of the entire team.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23With the lumberjack wedged under a tree suffering from crush injuries,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26the crew must winch Taff and the medic down as quickly as they can.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Like the search and rescue team, paramedics and police
0:23:42 > 0:23:45have also joined forces in Dumfries.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47They're working together to make sure passengers
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and vehicles involved in a multi-car collision
0:23:50 > 0:23:54on a motorway aren't in harm's way, or endangering other road users.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03It's a dark, rainy winter's night. The cars have been badly damaged.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05But incredibly, the three drivers
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and passenger have escaped almost unharmed.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12That's fine. Definitely no pain in your neck?
0:24:12 > 0:24:13No, feels OK.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18Now PCs David Holland and Stuart Delaney must get to the bottom
0:24:18 > 0:24:20of what could have caused the accident.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23They start with the first driver, Dennis.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27But it is not as straightforward as they thought.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48There's more to this accident than meets the eye.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Dennis reveals he was first hit by a mystery fourth vehicle,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56which seems to have left the scene.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Then he hit Adam from the impact of the crash.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Dennis and his passenger legged it to the hard shoulder
0:25:02 > 0:25:05before Altaf hit the back of Dennis's abandoned vehicle.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12It wasn't just three cars involved as we initially thought, but there
0:25:12 > 0:25:17was a fourth car that had possibly caused the accident
0:25:17 > 0:25:19that had failed to stop.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Stuart questions the third car's driver, Adam, to see
0:25:22 > 0:25:24if he can help identify the elusive fourth vehicle.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43On a busy motorway in the pitch black,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46establishing the facts can be difficult.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Stuart contacts the control room to ask other units to
0:25:49 > 0:25:51be on the lookout for the other missing fourth car.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It's like looking for a needle in a haystack.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59The vehicle which has caused this hasn't stopped,
0:25:59 > 0:26:05it's continued northwards. It's obviously got a 25 minute head start.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09We don't have any details of it whatsoever other than it's
0:26:09 > 0:26:11dark in colour, which obviously won't help too much.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14That type of collision there's obviously going to be
0:26:14 > 0:26:18a lot of scraping on the offside of the accused's vehicle.
0:26:20 > 0:26:2511% of traffic accidents in Britain in 2011 were hit-and-runs like this.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30They would have known they had been involved in a collision
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and, therefore, they have a duty to stop and report that,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37which they haven't done, so should I manage to trace
0:26:37 > 0:26:39the driver of that vehicle, or the vehicle,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41then they will get reported for failing to stop
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and report an accident and also probably careless driving.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Both these charges carry heavy penalties with a fine,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54points and possible disqualification.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Failing to stop can even result in six months in prison.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04The scene is cleared of cars and debris,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08all lanes reopened and the driver is taken home.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12This turned out to be a four-car collision on a fast flowing motorway.
0:27:12 > 0:27:18But miraculously all those involved have walked away relatively unharmed.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Certainly what the drivers are saying has happened is it doesn't
0:27:23 > 0:27:27appear that any of them are to blame. There may be a fourth vehicle involved,
0:27:27 > 0:27:32but the main thing is all the drivers are OK, there's no injuries and we'll
0:27:32 > 0:27:39put what's known as a statistical report in for insurance purposes,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43basically. Whether anybody gets reported or not remains to be seen.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01As well as investigating crime, preventing it is key
0:28:01 > 0:28:05and sometimes that means bringing in extra help from the wider community.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11In south-west Scotland, Stranraer police, part of Britain's
0:28:11 > 0:28:14smallest mainland police force, has a busy unit doing just that.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Home of the UK's second busiest port,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21they cover both coastline and countryside.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Today PC Siobhan Pellet, community policing officer for just one year,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31is working with volunteers called Special Constables.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38They're very, very important. They're from the local community
0:28:38 > 0:28:41and the work that they do here is immense.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43This side is not as bad as the other side. The other side is loose.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Special Constables are trying to work side alongside regular
0:28:46 > 0:28:52officers. Today SPC Jay Rew is conducting checks on the A75,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55one of the regions most notorious roads.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Today we're taking part in a Special Constables coordinated winter
0:28:59 > 0:29:01safety check along the A75,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03where we're pulling in vehicles and checking
0:29:03 > 0:29:07the vehicles for defects and hopefully getting them away
0:29:07 > 0:29:11to the garage and getting any problems fixed before anything happens.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15It's not long before Jay has found a few problems with a car
0:29:15 > 0:29:16they've stopped.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20The rear bumper of the vehicle has obviously been
0:29:20 > 0:29:23removed from the main chassis of the vehicle, and obviously
0:29:23 > 0:29:27when you're driving along, that can get caught by the wind, cause
0:29:27 > 0:29:30damage to other vehicles and could cause yourself to have a bigger accident.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33And then the concern at the tyre is along the outside edge,
0:29:33 > 0:29:37it's gone bald and it's a reminder for him
0:29:37 > 0:29:39to get the tyres changed as soon as he can.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Obviously my advice to you is get the vehicle off the road
0:29:44 > 0:29:47until you can get that fixed, OK?
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Local driver John is given 21 days to fix his car
0:29:52 > 0:29:56and hand in documents to the police station.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58But just as he's about to pull away,
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Siobhan discovers an unexpected problem.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05John, can you just switch off the engine again for us, please?
0:30:05 > 0:30:09Just wait for my colleague to come back out and speak to me.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Something has come up that she needs to discuss with you, all right?
0:30:15 > 0:30:16Thank you.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21What's actually happened is it's believed the licence may be
0:30:21 > 0:30:25revoked and it's also coming up as no insurance within the vehicle,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29so we're just clarifying some things in relation to it.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32John's day is about to get even worse.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36At this present time, they're saying that the licence has been revoked.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Have you had points on your licence?
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Have you been caught speeding or something and you're meant to
0:30:40 > 0:30:43have sent your driving licence away to get points put on?
0:30:43 > 0:30:46I got caught on my mobile phone,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49but I haven't heard anything back from it yet from my solicitor.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52These are things you have to look at and that's why we turn around
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and see you've only got so many days to notify DVLA of a change
0:30:55 > 0:30:58of address and that's why it's to stop things like this happening.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59I sent my licence away though.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03What will happen is if you bring all your stuff in within seven days,
0:31:03 > 0:31:05we'll deal with it there instead.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08John's licence has not been updated with points
0:31:08 > 0:31:10from his mobile phone charge
0:31:10 > 0:31:14and he's failed to notify the DVLA that he has changed address,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18so it's coming up that his licence and insurance are not valid.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22He's now got just seven days to present paperwork at the station,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25otherwise, he could face a fine of up to £1,000.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30I know, personally, the officers that I work with,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33they are very dedicated, they come out on a very regular basis
0:31:33 > 0:31:36and what they give back is just immense.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40An interesting case for the specials hoping to make this notorious
0:31:40 > 0:31:45- road that little bit safer. - Thanks anyway. Sorry about that.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Enjoy the rest of your journey back home. Take care.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Around 19% of driving licences could have incorrect information.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58If you've moved recently, then notify the DVLA or you too
0:31:58 > 0:31:59could risk a hefty fine.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13On the remote Cowal Peninsula on Scotland's west coast,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16the Royal Navy search and rescue team are racing to find
0:32:16 > 0:32:19an injured lumberjack who has been crushed under a tree.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29It's a joint effort between local paramedics
0:32:29 > 0:32:32and the Coast Guard, who have just found the casualty,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35and two emergency medics who are airlifted to treat the man
0:32:35 > 0:32:37on site in this remote location.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Paramedic Nicola will be winched down to assess the casualty,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47who they believe is suffering from crush injuries.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49OK. Good position. Good position.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53But the lumberjack is next to a large mast,
0:32:53 > 0:32:55making it difficult for the helicopter to hover.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12Observer Phil has directed the Sea King to a safe position.
0:33:17 > 0:33:23Winchman Taff is lowered down first from a height of 130 feet,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25quickly followed by paramedic Nicola.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Lower the winch. Lower the winch.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Lower the winch.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37With reports of the casualty being crushed by a tree,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Taff and Nicola waste no time.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44OK, it's clear.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56They discover the lumberjack is no longer trapped under the tree
0:33:56 > 0:34:00and his condition is not as bad as they had feared,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03but his crush injuries are causing a lot of pain.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10Myself and Nicola went down and I made an assessment of the guy.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12The injuries were not life-threatening.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15I think he had a broken or a dislocation to his arm
0:34:15 > 0:34:20and a few other minor cuts and bruises, but certainly not
0:34:20 > 0:34:23the life-threatening crush injuries that we thought.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27Since the injured lumberjack is able to move, winchman Taff
0:34:27 > 0:34:29radios up to confirm a stretcher will not be needed.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Paramedic Nicola is winched up first.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16We were able to extract him by winch without having to stretcher him,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19in a similar harness to one I would wear.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Finally lumberjack Scott is safely uplifted.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Scott's arm and leg injuries are taking their toll.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Nicola administers the pain relieving gas Entonox.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55It's a short flight back to base where an ambulance is waiting.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08It might be just a short distance to the stretcher,
0:36:08 > 0:36:13but it's a giant step for a lumberjack with an injured foot.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17A last blast of Entonox and he takes the plunge.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24HE GROANS
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Right. Turn around. Turn around.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Scott is handed over to local paramedics who will take him
0:36:32 > 0:36:35to the hospital ten minutes away.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Another successful joint effort from the team at HMS Gannet.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00Nearly 13% of Britain's landscape is forest and woodland.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05Accessing these areas can be difficult for the emergency services
0:37:05 > 0:37:09and their isolated locations can also encourage countryside crime.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Dumfries and Galloway police cover a large geographical beat,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18a quarter of which is woodland.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23In Stranraer on Scotland's south-west coast,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27PC Siobhan Pellet deals with a wide range of cases.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Earlier she and some colleagues were on the lookout for traffic offences.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34Have you been caught speeding or something and you're meant to
0:37:34 > 0:37:37have sent your driving licence away to get points put on?
0:37:37 > 0:37:39I got caught on my mobile phone.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Now she is on the case with a very rural crime unlike any you
0:37:44 > 0:37:45would find in the city.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50We're actually going to speak to a gentleman who lives
0:37:50 > 0:37:53just on the outskirts.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58Unfortunately over the past 18 months, someone,
0:37:58 > 0:38:03he believes, has been systematically poisoning trees in his forest,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06so we have the Forestry Commission with us today
0:38:06 > 0:38:11to make sure that it's not someone actually poisoning the trees.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19Malicious poisoning is rare but it could be mindless vandalism.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Over the last 18 months, Siobhan has visited several times
0:38:23 > 0:38:26but as yet they have found no proof of poisoning.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Something is happening definitely to the trees.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35As you see when we go in, it's just... The forest is just dead.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Siobhan wants to get to the bottom of the mystery
0:38:37 > 0:38:40tree assassin for forest owner Howard Sunderland.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44He has spent thousands of pounds developing the woodland.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Howard first noticed a problem with his trees last year.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51He is convinced they are being sabotaged.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55I have owned this wood, which is six acres, near enough five years.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58The trouble being at the moment that the spruce appear to be
0:38:58 > 0:39:00dying for some reason.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Exactly what it is we don't know, that's why we're taking
0:39:04 > 0:39:06professional advice.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Siobhan has enlisted the help of Forestry Commission tree
0:39:09 > 0:39:13expert Ian to help shed some light on the mystery.
0:39:16 > 0:39:22Last winter these small spruce here, their needles in December
0:39:22 > 0:39:28and January went like a brown colour.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31If you look at them, they're nearly all dead.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34We do suspect that there has been people in on a night
0:39:34 > 0:39:39because we have seen lamps on in here, infrared lamps, and we've
0:39:39 > 0:39:43come down and tried to see who it is but they've given us the slip.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47If you were to poison a tree,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51how much would you actually have to use to kill a fully grown tree?
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Somewhere in the range of 10-50 millilitres.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57There's nothing here at the moment.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Obviously I'll have a closer look to see if we can see any
0:39:59 > 0:40:03marks on the bark, see if anything has been injected.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Ian cannot find any evidence of man-made poisoning.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10His suspicions are turning to a much smaller culprit.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16So I think you want to be looking for in spring and summer
0:40:16 > 0:40:19is that green beetle.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Elatobium, or green spruce aphid,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25is a tiny insect roughly two millimetres long
0:40:25 > 0:40:28that infests spruce trees.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31It causes widespread damage, especially during winter,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35by sucking sap from the tree, killing off its needles.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39You can see green needles on the very end,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43so again that's consistent with Elatobium damage.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46I know it looks like Elatobium damage, I realise that.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53All the evidence is pointing towards aphids and not poisoning.
0:40:53 > 0:41:00- But Ian wants to be sure. - I can't see any sort of man-made...
0:41:00 > 0:41:02No, no, because I realise that what some do,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04they drill them, don't they?
0:41:04 > 0:41:06And then inject whatever.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10What you would be looking then is death throughout the tree
0:41:10 > 0:41:11with a herbicide.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19I think from what we've seen on the trees,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22I think it's Elatobium abietinum, the great spruce aphid,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26also had a look at a neighbouring property
0:41:26 > 0:41:30and seen not as much damage but some of the damage as well.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34So that's what I think it is.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Mystery solved.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41The insects should go, leaving the trees to recover over time.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43This is not vandalism which is great news for Howard
0:41:43 > 0:41:48- and a big weight off his mind. - I'm extremely happy.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52- Very, very pleased to be quite honest.- Good.- Absolutely.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56The gentleman has spent an awful lot of money on this forest,
0:41:56 > 0:41:58buying it, putting in more trees.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01He's lost a lot of sleep and his health has suffered,
0:42:01 > 0:42:06but it may give him some form of closure knowing that it might
0:42:06 > 0:42:10be a disease rather than somebody poisoning them.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13It's a good result.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30It's been all go for the emergency services in Scotland's rural areas.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37Susan spent two weeks in hospital after a relapse.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Thanks to the medical care she received,
0:42:40 > 0:42:46she is now back home and getting rehab in her local cottage hospital.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48After being a smoker for 40 years, she's now quit.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54The mysterious fourth vehicle involved in the crash
0:42:54 > 0:42:57on the M74 was never found.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Now the insurance companies will take over
0:43:00 > 0:43:02and decide who pays out to whom.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07And lumberjack Scott was delivered safely to hospital where
0:43:07 > 0:43:10he received the specialist medical care he needed.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14And you thought it was quiet in the countryside.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd