0:00:02 > 0:00:03From grappling with our daily grind...
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Why have they suddenly decided to dump all this waste
0:00:06 > 0:00:08in other people's bins?
0:00:08 > 0:00:10..to unearthing the extraordinary...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Wow, it's Wigan's gold mask.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15..battling those blighting the streets...
0:00:15 > 0:00:16That's not acceptable, really.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19..bringing the community together...
0:00:19 > 0:00:20- Hi there.- Hi.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22..and being on hand in troubled times.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I've got kids. We can't even open bedroom windows cos of the noise.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27So it's affecting everything - sleep...
0:00:27 > 0:00:29You now, just day-to-day living, really.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32In this series, we follow frontline staff
0:00:32 > 0:00:34working for Wigan Council in Greater Manchester...
0:00:34 > 0:00:38I speak to the waste. I sort of say to it, like, "Come on, talk to me.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39"How have you got here?"
0:00:39 > 0:00:41..like council officers across the country
0:00:41 > 0:00:43that are keeping us free from harm...
0:00:43 > 0:00:46You're looking at really serious injury or possibly death.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49..stepping in to try and solve our problems...
0:00:49 > 0:00:50I mean, it's constant.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52You'll be told today that we will be serving notice.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53..and responding to residents...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Much appreciate what you're doing anyway.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57..when they...
0:00:57 > 0:00:58What was the inquiry today?
0:00:58 > 0:00:59..call the council.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10Coming up...
0:01:11 > 0:01:15..council officers crack down on shopkeepers selling alcohol
0:01:15 > 0:01:16to underage children...
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Hiya. Trading Standards.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23You've just sold to a young lady who's only 16 years old.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27..deal with dangerous dumped waste...
0:01:27 > 0:01:29They've no regard. No regard for anything
0:01:29 > 0:01:31if they're just going to dump hazardous waste like this.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35..and try to help tired residents in a flap about a cockerel
0:01:35 > 0:01:37disturbing the peace.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39There's a window, you know, so it'll be 12 till four
0:01:39 > 0:01:41when you get some silence.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42But that's about it.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45COCKEREL CROWS
0:01:55 > 0:01:58The UK's local councils are responsible
0:01:58 > 0:02:00for protecting us from harm.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03They ensure that local businesses obey the laws
0:02:03 > 0:02:06laid down by national government.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Key to this are Trading Standards officers.
0:02:09 > 0:02:1120 miles west of Manchester,
0:02:11 > 0:02:16Wigan Council's Trading Standards team is led by Julie Middlehurst.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I think a lot of people would be surprised at just
0:02:19 > 0:02:22how much we are responsible for.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24We enforce legislation around estate agents,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28we visit second-hand shops, we regulate car dealers.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Basically, every business that trades,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32we have some control over.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35A big piece of the work that we do is about stopping our young people
0:02:35 > 0:02:37from accessing alcohol.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39As far as the community is concerned,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41young people drinking alcohol
0:02:41 > 0:02:43can often result in antisocial behaviour.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46And we've seen a reduction in our young people who are drinking.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48You know, but we will keep going.
0:02:49 > 0:02:55Shops selling alcohol to anyone under 18 are breaking the law.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58It's the job of Trading Standards officers nationwide
0:02:58 > 0:03:01to stamp out underage sales in their borough.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04More than 30 children a day
0:03:04 > 0:03:06are admitted to hospital in the UK
0:03:06 > 0:03:08with drink-related problems.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13And around one in seven 15- to 16-year-olds admit to being
0:03:13 > 0:03:15involved in an accident or injured
0:03:15 > 0:03:18as a result of drinking alcohol.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22Wigan's Trading Standards manager Terry Gregson is all too aware
0:03:22 > 0:03:26of the effects of mixing minors and alcohol.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29What we're doing is not just about enforcing the laws
0:03:29 > 0:03:32to stop youngsters getting alcohol - there's reasons behind it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36One - youngsters get alcohol, it can cause antisocial behaviour.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37And also their own health.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Because if they do drink regularly at that age,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42then it's going to do no good for their livers
0:03:42 > 0:03:43and what have you in the future.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47So it's about the local community being safer and quieter for
0:03:47 > 0:03:49the youngsters and residents of the place,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and also the long-term health of the youngsters themselves.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Following tip-offs from Wigan residents
0:03:55 > 0:03:59about a number of local shops selling alcohol to children,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Terry has recruited a 16-year-old volunteer.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Today, she'll be putting the shops' sales policies to the test
0:04:06 > 0:04:08under Terry's watchful eye.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12If they are selling, then we get a sale, then obviously,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15there will be a formal action taken after the event.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The council has granted the shops their licence to sell alcohol,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and Terry and the Trading Standards team have encouraged them
0:04:23 > 0:04:27to ask anyone they think is under 25 to prove their age.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33The officers are now going to walk with the volunteer toward
0:04:33 > 0:04:36the shop, and the volunteer will go in the shop and try to purchase.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39If she hasn't purchased, we can carry on to the next one.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41But if the shops fail to follow the rules
0:04:41 > 0:04:45and sell alcohol to Terry's underage test purchaser,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49the goods will be used as evidence in any possible prosecution.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- No sale?- Yeah, that's right.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54They asked for ID? Good.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57They did what they should do, they asked for ID.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59She hasn't got any, so they refused the sale.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04It's a good start, but Terry and the team have a long list of shops
0:05:04 > 0:05:06that have been complained about.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10They asked for ID again? Never mind. Right. OK.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14And Terry intends to put all of them to the test.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Next one.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22It's hard to predict what goes on with these, really.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23There's a lot of factors involved.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25And, you know, sometimes we think
0:05:25 > 0:05:29we're never going to get sales and you get lots.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Other days, you've get lots of complaints,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33like we have today, and so far none.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38If Terry and his team aren't sold any alcohol,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40they won't have any evidence to support
0:05:40 > 0:05:42the complaints they've received
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and won't be able to take any legal action against the shopkeepers.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51But just as it seems the calls to the council have been made in vain,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53there's a sale.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Yes, we've got a sale.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56We have a sale.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59What is it?
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Smirnoff Ice. Right, OK.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- So, who was it who sold it? - A gentleman.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- Was there only one person in? - Yeah.- Right, OK.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09All right, well, we'll go back and see now.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Right, let's go back and tag it.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15The booze will be used as evidence.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16If there's a court case,
0:06:16 > 0:06:21the shopkeeper could lose his licence and face a £5,000 fine.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Coming up, Terry and his team confront the shopkeeper
0:06:26 > 0:06:27who's broken the law.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Hiya. Trading Standards.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34You've just sold to a young lady who's only 16 years old.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46As well as taking on unlawful traders,
0:06:46 > 0:06:51local councils are also called upon to keep noise in our neighbourhoods
0:06:51 > 0:06:53to an acceptable level.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58Keeping a lid on antisocial behaviour in Wigan is Pete Rutter.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03My job covers quite a large remit - noise complaints, barking dogs,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05music from neighbours' properties.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09We also get neighbour disputes in, neighbours not getting on,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11boundary issues, that kind of thing.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17Every year, councils in the UK receive more than 100,000 complaints
0:07:17 > 0:07:20about noise in residential areas.
0:07:20 > 0:07:232,500 people are issued with formal warning notices.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28And officers like Pete will help to secure around 50 convictions
0:07:28 > 0:07:30if the noise still doesn't stop.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40This morning, Pete's on the trail of an unseen menace.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It's been rousing residents in the suburban streets of Wigan
0:07:43 > 0:07:45at the crack of dawn.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48COCKEREL CROWS
0:07:48 > 0:07:51When they've called the council to complain,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Pete has been taking their calls.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57We've had reports of a cockerel in a residential area.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01It's cock-a-doodling, mainly in the morning.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04But it's persistently, every morning, early hours,
0:08:04 > 0:08:05which you can imagine...
0:08:05 > 0:08:09So it's not going down well with the residents in the area.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18One tired resident wishing this bird would cock-a-doodle-don't
0:08:18 > 0:08:19is Graeme Higgins.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Well, it's... - COCKEREL CROWS
0:08:22 > 0:08:23I mean, it's constant.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And it's the early mornings that really are the sort of
0:08:26 > 0:08:27the biggest frustration.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33Because it will start really any time from 4.30 in the morning...
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and, you know, that's early by anybody's standards.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41Probably the latest we've heard it has been about 11, 11.30 at night
0:08:41 > 0:08:45and probably the earliest, I think probably about four, 4.30,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49So there's a window, you know, sort of between 12 till four
0:08:49 > 0:08:51when you get some silence, but that's about it.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Cockerels have been part of the English countryside
0:08:58 > 0:09:01for centuries, but their notoriously noisy nature
0:09:01 > 0:09:04made them unpopular in more urban areas.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Until now.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Half a million UK households now keep chickens,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12almost ten times as many as there were
0:09:12 > 0:09:14at the beginning of the millennium.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Where there's chickens, there's cockerels
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and where there's cockerels, there's complaints.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24One council has reported a fourfold increase in complaints
0:09:24 > 0:09:26about roosters since 2010.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Wigan is the latest borough to fall foul of this growing trend.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36We get a lot of noise nuisance cases.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40The majority of them are the loud music, loud radio, dogs barking...
0:09:40 > 0:09:44In particular with dogs, there are interventions we can suggest,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46with regard to dog training.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49It's a little different with a cockerel.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I'm not quite sure of any cockerel trainings we have in the borough.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Whether it is canines are cockerels, Pete has to investigate.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58He's tried to talk to the cockerel's owner
0:09:58 > 0:10:02to ask him to remove it without success.
0:10:02 > 0:10:03As a result,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06he's asked the complainants to keep a diary of the disturbances.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10When you look at investigating noise nuisance, you look at three things,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and that's severity, duration and frequency.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15So, in a nutshell, sort of how bad it is,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18how long it lasts for and how often it happens.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20We've received diary sheets to indicate
0:10:20 > 0:10:22the times that it's happening
0:10:22 > 0:10:26that suggested that it's happening at sort of 4am onwards,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28which obviously could be construed as a nuisance
0:10:28 > 0:10:31if it's happening persistently.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32Having collected the cockerel's
0:10:32 > 0:10:35sleep-deprived neighbours' noise diaries,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38they suggested that the disturbances were frequent enough
0:10:38 > 0:10:41to warrant installing sound-recording equipment
0:10:41 > 0:10:43in one of their houses.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Well, I'm just connecting all the wires at the second.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49This is the microphone that will pick up all the recordings
0:10:49 > 0:10:51over a period of eight days.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53This will let us determine whether or not
0:10:53 > 0:10:55there's a statutory noise nuisance occurring.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59If Pete decides the noise can legally be labelled a nuisance,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01the cockerel's owner will be given three weeks
0:11:01 > 0:11:04to stop the rowdy rooster disturbing his neighbours.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08If he doesn't, he'll face a fine or even a conviction.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10So, all the gentleman needs to do
0:11:10 > 0:11:13when he hears the cockerel next door is push this button.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It will light red, which will show that the recording has begun,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18and that will record for three minutes.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22Still to come...
0:11:22 > 0:11:26..will Pete's recordings mean this bird has to be re-homed?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28COCKEREL CROWS
0:11:30 > 0:11:33COCKEREL CROWS
0:11:34 > 0:11:37COCKEREL CROWS
0:11:45 > 0:11:47The work local authorities do
0:11:47 > 0:11:50is partly funded by the council tax we pay,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54so many of us have an opinion on whether they spend it wisely.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58I think that city councils should maybe look into plans of developing
0:11:58 > 0:12:00the transport a little bit more in the area.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04I ride a bicycle as well sometimes, and I think it would be nice to have
0:12:04 > 0:12:07a bit more selection of cycle routes.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Better roads that need dealing with, that need tackling with,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15that have been that way for years and years.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16And when you're paying your council tax,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19you wonder why it's not been dealt with.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I think the council could improve
0:12:23 > 0:12:25recycling, so for instance,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27we can't do plastic recycling,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29which I think all councils should do.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31So there are bits that are missing,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33but on the whole, they do try to do their best.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39The council department tasked with
0:12:39 > 0:12:42keeping our communities clean, tidy and safe
0:12:42 > 0:12:45is Environmental Services.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46When fly-tippers strike,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50environmental enforcement officers like Mark Farrimond's job
0:12:50 > 0:12:53is to find and possibly prosecute the culprits.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56After 37 years working for the council,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Mark still loves nothing more than a rummage through rubbish.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I like the investigation side of it.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07I get to a job and I sort of say to it, like, "Come on, talk to me.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08"How have you got here?"
0:13:08 > 0:13:10So, I'm sort of surveying the land,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13sort of looking for tyre tracks, anything that can sort of say,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15"Right, they've come from this direction."
0:13:15 > 0:13:18So, yeah, I really do like that, the investigation side of it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19Yeah, it appeals to me a lot.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I sort of speak to the waste to sort of...
0:13:22 > 0:13:26You know, as I'm going along, looking for clues and things.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28It might sound a bit sad, but that's just me.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30That's how I deal with it.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33There are more than three quarters
0:13:33 > 0:13:35of a million reports of fly-tipping
0:13:35 > 0:13:37in the UK every year.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40It costs local authorities
0:13:40 > 0:13:43over £45 million to clear up.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45But it's not just ordinary
0:13:45 > 0:13:49domestic waste that's dumped on our highways and byways.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Today, Mark is responding to a call to the council
0:13:54 > 0:13:58about some fly-tipped waste that's potentially lethal.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I've had a report to say that there's some asbestos
0:14:01 > 0:14:03been fly-tipped in some drums.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And it's this plot of land here, at the side.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12There we are, see?
0:14:13 > 0:14:18Now banned in the UK, asbestos was first widely used
0:14:18 > 0:14:21during the rebuilding of Britain after World War II.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23If inhaled, it can cause lung cancer.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27And in the UK, more than 2,500 people a year
0:14:27 > 0:14:29die from asbestos-related diseases.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32It's vital Mark acts fast today.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34It's corrugated roofing asbestos.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37If, for instance, it was a dry atmosphere
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and maybe a bit of wind got up, then, yeah, the particles,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44you wouldn't want to be stood around it.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47But when it's damp like this in the atmosphere,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49it's probably better for us to be here,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51then it's not giving off dust.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55If we're not disturbing it, which we're not, then we're safe.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Mark's been to this site before.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Secluded and easy to access,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03it's a popular place for Mark's unscrupulous fly-tipping foe.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05They've no regard. No regard for anything
0:15:05 > 0:15:08if they're just going to dump hazardous waste like this.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12And it is in the middle of Wigan, not far from the town centre.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14It's got a lot of passing trade, passing people,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17there's schools nearby, there's shops nearby.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Because it's so dangerous,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24asbestos has to be disposed of properly by a specialist.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28But this costs around £50 per square metre,
0:15:28 > 0:15:33so if profit margins are tight, it sometimes gets dumped.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34It's annoying.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35They've obviously done a job
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and then just disposed of it for nothing.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41That's the problem. You get opportunists who do cheap jobs
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and dispose of the hazardous waste cheaply.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Now the cost of clearing this waste will fall to Wiganers.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53The problem with this fly-tip is it'll come down
0:15:53 > 0:15:56to Wigan Council tax rate payers, really.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00As in the disposal, the cost, it all goes on...
0:16:00 > 0:16:03That's basically what happens.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05You know, we get a budget to work with,
0:16:05 > 0:16:06and it'll come out of that budget.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08What we'll have to do in this respect is
0:16:08 > 0:16:11we'll have to get on to a private contractor
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and ask him to give us a price for getting it moved.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21As well as getting the dangerous waste moved,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Mark needs to find out who dumped it.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28If caught, the offenders could receive a prison sentence
0:16:28 > 0:16:33of up to five years, a £50,000 fine and the bill for the clear-up.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39So Mark needs to find evidence that could result in a prosecution.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Looking for any packaging that may be around.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46And he may have a lead.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50I'm looking at that label, and there's a possible link
0:16:50 > 0:16:53that we could use that as a possible line of inquiry.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I may have to do some digging on the internet
0:16:56 > 0:16:58to see if there's anything like that around here
0:16:58 > 0:17:00with those labels on and things.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03But it does give us, you know, a positive line.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Coming up, Mark's investigation goes global.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14The label that was on the drums is from Brazil.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15I'm hoping that it may lead us
0:17:15 > 0:17:19to perhaps somebody in the Northwest or very local to us.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21I like to leave no stone unturned.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36From fly-tipping to shopkeepers breaking the law,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Terry Gregson of the Trading Standard's team
0:17:39 > 0:17:41has received complaints about shops
0:17:41 > 0:17:44selling alcohol to children under 18.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48They've hit the streets using a 16-year-old volunteer to put
0:17:48 > 0:17:50a series of shops to the test.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53And one failed.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Yes, we've got a sale.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57We have a sale.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Having bagged and tagged the booze,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Terry and his Trading Standards colleague Ian Kelsall
0:18:05 > 0:18:07need to confront the shopkeeper who sold it.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Hiya. Trading standards. Mr Gregson.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14That's my colleague, Mr Kelsall.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19You've just sold to a young lady who's only 16 years old.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21So we need to take a few details from you.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23I did have a bit of a doubt.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26When I first looked at her, she looked like 18 to me, or over.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Then after I served her, I had a bit of doubt about it then.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- But by the time I served it... - Why did you not stop in between?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- I should've double checked, asked for her ID...- Is that her?
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Yeah, that was the girl.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41But obviously, any doubt, you shouldn't sell, obviously.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43When I looked at her first... When I looked at her...
0:18:43 > 0:18:47As well as asking anyone suspected of being under 18
0:18:47 > 0:18:48to prove their age,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51the shopkeeper should be keeping up-to-date records
0:18:51 > 0:18:54of any times he's refused to sell alcohol.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58It's not a legal requirement, but it is proof of good practise.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Do you want to get the refusal book out for me?
0:19:03 > 0:19:06OK, so the most recent one's on the top, is that right?
0:19:06 > 0:19:07- Yeah.- All right.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12Your last refusal was...2010.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18They haven't been used in the last five years, have they?
0:19:18 > 0:19:22With no entries in his refusals book for the past five years,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Terry and Ian only have this trader's word
0:19:25 > 0:19:26that he's following the rules.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- It might be an idea from now on to start using the book.- Yeah.- OK?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32It can be difficult sometimes, but it helps.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34It's no excuse, but I've been working long hours as well.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36It's like, I've not got...
0:19:36 > 0:19:38One of them staff girls that hasn't turned up today.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It's my excuse. I've been running out the back, stocking it up.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It's not... It shouldn't be... That's not the excuse.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- I had a doubt, but I had it too late.- OK.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48From now on, if you've got any doubts,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50- don't make a sale.- Ask for ID.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- If they haven't got ID, you don't sell it.- They don't get served.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Terry and Ian now need to arrange a date for a formal interview
0:19:56 > 0:19:59at the council with the shopkeeper and his wife
0:19:59 > 0:20:01to discuss their sales practices.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I'll say what's going to happen next, OK?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07This form here, I'll ask you to give that to your wife,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- cos she's the license holder. - Yes, she'll be in next week.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14I want yourself and your wife to come here,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18ring the number on the bottom and arrange an interview.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20And you'll come into the offices, OK?
0:20:20 > 0:20:23And we'll interview your wife and yourself,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and you can explain to us what normally goes on in the shop
0:20:26 > 0:20:29and the reasons behind why the sale took place.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30All right? Where in the meantime,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32- if you have any doubt, stop the sale.- OK.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34If they look under 25, ask for ID.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38OK? And record it in your book when you refuse them.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40It's a result for Terry and his team.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44The upcoming interview will decide this trader's fate.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46He isn't being as vigilant as he should be.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51You know, he had suspicions and yet he still, you know, sold.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53He knows what to do and he just didn't do it.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55So, you know, he's been very silly.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59So it's unfortunate, but, you know, now we've got to,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03you know, interview him formally and see what action we're going to take.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18Local councils are involved in many of the key moments of our lives...
0:21:19 > 0:21:21..from the day our births are registered
0:21:21 > 0:21:23to the day our loved ones bid us goodbye.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28David Makinson's job at Wigan Council
0:21:28 > 0:21:30is dealing with the dearly departed.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33I didn't think I'd be a gravedigger.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Actually, I wanted to be a bus driver when I were a kid.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39But it's a very important job.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43You've got to treat every funeral as though it was one of your own,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and do it...do it right.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50There are over 15,000 cemeteries in the UK
0:21:50 > 0:21:55conducting up to 150,000 burials every year.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58David has been digging graves in Wigan for 23 years.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Different cemeteries, different soil.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Here, there's a lot of sand here, as you can see.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Plenty of moles in this cemetery.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- They love it in here. - HE CHUCKLES
0:22:10 > 0:22:12It's ten in the morning,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and David's preparing a grave for a funeral tomorrow.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Wigan's Hindley Cemetery was founded in 1818,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24when mechanical diggers were a distant pipedream.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Sometimes you have to make do to get them in.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28It's why the plots are so narrow in the old ones,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31cos they've only been dug with a spade, so...
0:22:34 > 0:22:35But even modern machinery
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and an expert eye are no match for Mother Nature.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42And today's grave is in one of the wettest parts of the cemetery.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45More...more clay here than soil.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Well, there's a lot of sludge here. It will be wet on here.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51It's always went on here.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57Look at Neil's feet, how sludgy it is.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00The clock is ticking towards tomorrow's funeral,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02but the grave is getting wetter by the minute.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04..all the water there.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Plenty of bubbling. Can't you hear it? Bubbling?
0:23:10 > 0:23:14David's got less than 24 hours to get this grave dry,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17presentable and ready for tomorrow's funeral.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20The pressure's on.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26But at another council cemetery in Lower Ince,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29home to the borough's only crematorium,
0:23:29 > 0:23:30things are much more sedate.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Mark Birchall has been part of the council's
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Bereavement Services team for almost 20 years.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42He's helped hundreds of people say goodbye to their loved ones.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46If you're being cremated and you're a Wiganer...
0:23:46 > 0:23:50when you meet your maker, you've got to come my way, haven't you?
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Around 70% of us now choose to be cremated rather than buried.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58It's a process that fascinates people Mark meets.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01When I go on holiday, and you can be sat at bars, stuff like that,
0:24:01 > 0:24:02and you get chatting to people
0:24:02 > 0:24:04and the usual things you do, isn't it?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06"Oh, what do you do for a living?"
0:24:06 > 0:24:08The minute they find out, everybody's intrigued, aren't they?
0:24:08 > 0:24:10All the questions start.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13"Do you cremate three or four people at once?"
0:24:13 > 0:24:15"Do you get your own ashes back?"
0:24:15 > 0:24:18People believe things and old wives' tales.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21What I usually say to people, when my dad passed away,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25he was cremated here. Now, if I wasn't going to get his ashes back,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27I wouldn't have had him cremated here, would I?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29You know what I mean? It seems to appease people a bit, that.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Sometimes I think I better to tell them
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I'm a road sweeper or something like that, you know what I mean?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I'd probably get a bit less grief then, wouldn't I?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39You know what I mean?
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Mark's midway through his first cremation of the day.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45But no two cremations take the same time.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48It depends on the size of the person, doesn't it?
0:24:48 > 0:24:50You know what I mean? Chris would be two hours.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52- HE CHUCKLES - I would've been two hours last year,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55but now I've lost all my weight, I'm an hour-and-a-half man.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56HE LAUGHS
0:24:56 > 0:25:00By law, officers like Mark must cremate bodies on the same day
0:25:00 > 0:25:02as the funeral service.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Today, he's running to schedule.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05It is the end of cremation.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10It was an hour and 50 minutes. Just waiting for safety checks.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Once that kicks in, it's safe for the raking down.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Mark manages an average of six cremations a day.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23But the following morning,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25gravediggers David and Neil are still struggling
0:25:25 > 0:25:29to get one grave ready in time for the funeral later in the day.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31There's a lot of water in there.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33We'll definitely need the pump on that, Neil.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Right in.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50With just an hour to go before the mourners arrive,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53David's pumping water from the saturated grave.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59But there's another unexpected hitch.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03As David and Neil get the water under control,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05today's funeral director calls to tell them
0:26:05 > 0:26:09that rather than a standard-sized coffin,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12the deceased will be buried in a much bigger casket.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14The grave they've dug is too small.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18We've got to dig it again and make it wider.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22With it being a casket, it's the same width all the way down now,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24where as before, when it were a coffin,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26the widest part would've been here at the head
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and then you could have it narrower at the feet.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31With it being a casket, it's the same width there as it is here.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Coming up, David and Neil face a race against time
0:26:36 > 0:26:40to provide a fitting farewell for a family's loved one.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44We've got about three quarters of an hour now before the funeral comes.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Three weeks ago, Terry and the Trading Standards team
0:27:01 > 0:27:04caught a shopkeeper selling alcohol to an underage volunteer.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Hiya, Trading Standards.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10You've just sold to a young lady who's only 16 years old.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Now Terry is preparing to formally interview
0:27:14 > 0:27:16the shopkeeper under caution.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21This is a serious offense of selling alcohol to youngsters.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23We've got to sort of try and establish from the interview
0:27:23 > 0:27:27whether or not it has been a genuine mistake or whether there's
0:27:27 > 0:27:30a bit of deliberate action here, or whether they don't care about it.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33So we have some sort of quite serious questions we've asked them,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37under caution, to see if we can suss and sort out
0:27:37 > 0:27:39whether or not these are...
0:27:39 > 0:27:41somebody's made a silly mistake, one-off,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43or whether there's a pattern of behaviour here.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Obviously, once we've done the interview,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49that will decide whether or not we prosecute, or not, in this case.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52You know, a prosecution could affect him the rest of his life.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55You know, that one-off, silly mistake,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57they could lose their alcohol license.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59In which case, that would possibly shut the shop down.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Whilst Terry has a long list of questions to ask,
0:28:09 > 0:28:10for the shopkeeper,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13the interview is his chance to put forward his side of the story.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Basically, he felt that the volunteer looked 18,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25although he admitted himself he should have asked for ID.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28He was 50-50 whether to do it, and he didn't, and he should have done.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30And he's learnt from that.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33So in this case, we decided that what we'll do,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35we'll do what we call a simple caution,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38which isn't a prosecution, which is a formal record of the offense
0:28:38 > 0:28:41that has been committed by him, and that will be kept on record.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43By doing the formal interview with him,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46he now fully understands the seriousness of the case
0:28:46 > 0:28:49and that he could've gone to court to we could have prosecuted him.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51However, we feel it's more appropriate to do
0:28:51 > 0:28:52the simple caution this time.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55But he still realises it's a formal process.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57And if he did sell again, then it would end up in court,
0:28:57 > 0:28:58no doubt about it.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19Across the borough, council officer Pete Rutter
0:29:19 > 0:29:21is hot on the trail of a crowing cockerel
0:29:21 > 0:29:24that's causing noise nuisance in the neighbourhood.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29COCKEREL CROWS
0:29:29 > 0:29:32It will start, really, any time from 4.30 in the morning
0:29:32 > 0:29:37and, you know, that's early by anybody's standards.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Pete's installed sound equipment to record the rowdy rooster,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44and if it's as bad as residents say,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47he'll insist the owner re-homes it.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51Over a period of eight days, this will let us determine
0:29:51 > 0:29:54whether or not there's a statutory noise nuisance occurring.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Today, Pete's reviewing the recordings whilst residents
0:29:57 > 0:30:01wait to see if their early-morning wake-up call can be stopped.
0:30:01 > 0:30:07We've got roughly about 8 1/2 hours of three-minute recordings...
0:30:09 > 0:30:12..to listen to. So we've been quite thorough.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14It's a painstaking task,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16but if he's going to help the complainants,
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Pete needs to listen carefully.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21COCKEREL CROWS
0:30:23 > 0:30:26COCKEREL CROWS
0:30:27 > 0:30:30COCKEREL CROWS
0:30:31 > 0:30:33COCKEREL CROWS
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Well, we're looking to establish severity, duration and frequency
0:30:41 > 0:30:43when we listen to the recordings.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46So it's essentially how often it's happening,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48how long it lasts and how loud it is.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53It's...it's quite persistent, we'll say, at the moment.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56COCKEREL CROWS
0:30:56 > 0:31:01It's quite a heavy residential area, where the cockerel is.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04And this gentleman isn't the only complainant we've got.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06COCKEREL CROWS
0:31:06 > 0:31:09I personally wouldn't want one next door to me.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Because I like me bed, and I'm not a morning person.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15And cockerels are, so we wouldn't mix, I'm afraid.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22After listening to over five hours of the recordings,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Pete's heard enough.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Normally what I'd do is I'd listen to the entire
0:31:27 > 0:31:31bulk of the recordings and then make a decision,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34but with there being so many, I'm just conscious of time.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37And what I've already listened to has made my mind up.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39So I've had a chat with enforcement
0:31:39 > 0:31:42and we'll be serving a Section 80 on him next week.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47The Section 80 notice will give the owner three weeks
0:31:47 > 0:31:51to re-home the rooster and bring an end to the racket.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Time to share the news with resident Graeme.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- Good evening, Peter from the Safety Environment team.- Hi.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59- Are you OK?- Yeah. Do you want to come in?
0:31:59 > 0:32:03- Yeah, thank you very much. Cheers.- Straight through.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05So we've actually had noise kits in the other complainant's house
0:32:05 > 0:32:07to record the disturbances.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09And what I have listened to,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11I'm confident that this is statutory noise nuisance.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13- COCKEREL CROWS - Because it's that obvious.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- Because it's that obvious. - There it is, right on cue.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17Right on cue. No, of course.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Although he's heard it, Pete still hasn't seen the cockerel,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23so he's keen to get closer to where it's being kept.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25- He's got it at the bottom of the garden.- Right.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29So I think it's probably closer to us than it is to him.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33- Yeah.- So he may not necessarily see it as a noise issue.- Yeah.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- But obviously, we... In this house, we sleep at the back.- Right.- So...
0:32:36 > 0:32:38It's a nuisance to you.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40From sort of like 4.30 the morning, it's off, you know.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Particularly this time of year. Cos obviously it reacts...
0:32:43 > 0:32:45- It works off light, doesn't it? I think.- Right.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48You know more than I do about cockerels, I don't know.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51I think people's idea of cockerels is you hear them in the morning.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53- They're a wake-up call, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55The problem... And that is certainly the case,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58but it's a very early morning call and it just keeps going.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01- Yeah.- I mean it just keeps going. It doesn't stop.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04The noise recordings that I've gathered suggest that as well.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06- That it's ongoing throughout the day.- Yeah, it is.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08And that's, you know... Exactly.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12- I've listened to the early stuff first of all.- Right.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16On a number of days. And then I've started to go through a day.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20- The gentleman that has recorded it has been quite thorough.- OK.- So...
0:33:20 > 0:33:23We weren't sure cos we were filling in the forms and, obviously,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- it was very repetitive.- Yeah. - Cos that's all it does.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28- It doesn't do anything else.- Yeah.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31So we were filling it in, thinking, "Is this really...?"
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Though the sheets may seem a little onerous to yourself at the time,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37they're quite a powerful tool we can use in court if necessary.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. I hope it's just a sensible...
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Well, as I say, what we'll do today is we'll knock on...
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Cos I haven't met him face-to-face yet,
0:33:44 > 0:33:46so I'll just have to see what his take is on it all.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49But he'll be told today that we will be serving notice
0:33:49 > 0:33:51in about seven days' time.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53- OK.- Yeah, thanks very much indeed.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- If you've got any further problems, just give me a call.- Will do.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- Thank you very much. - With residents reassured,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Pete now needs to deliver the news to the offender's owner.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11It doesn't look like there's anybody home.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Informing the cockerel's owner could be easier said than done.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18But if the cockerel isn't re-homed within the next three weeks,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Pete will have to start court proceedings.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23It's really important that I need to speak to him now,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25make him aware of the situation.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Environmental enforcement officer Mark Farrimond is investigating
0:34:41 > 0:34:45a potentially dangerous case of fly-tipped asbestos.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47If we're not disturbing it, which we're not, then we're safe.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52But if, for instance, it was, you know, a dry atmosphere
0:34:52 > 0:34:55and maybe a bit of wind got up,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59then, yeah, the particles, you wouldn't want to be stood around it.
0:35:02 > 0:35:03It's a technical one.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08Mark got the dangerous waste removed within 24 hours.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11And now he needs to track down the tipper via information
0:35:11 > 0:35:13he's gleaned from the waste.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17The label that was on the drums, and it's from Brazil.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19So we'll start with that first.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24I like to leave no stone unturned.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26..they're in the office tomorrow or not, that's the problem.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30The beaches of Brazil are a long way from the mean streets of Wigan.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36There's no suggestion the Brazilian company originally owning the drums
0:35:36 > 0:35:40had anything to do with the asbestos or fly-tipping.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43The barrels were used to import foodstuffs,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46and Mark contacted them in the hope that they could help find out
0:35:46 > 0:35:48who did dump the waste.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Unfortunately, in my e-mail, I did say that I was looking
0:35:51 > 0:35:53because there had been a deposit of waste,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56but obviously it's got lost in translation.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00And that... I'm under the impression they think I want to buy some.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05It's one that's got away from us.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09You know, we'll just have to grin and bear it and walk away from that.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Mark's inquiries will not lead to
0:36:12 > 0:36:16one of the 2,000 successful prosecutions carried out
0:36:16 > 0:36:18by local councils every year.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24But his investigation has had one positive outcome.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25Hidden from public view,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28the site has been a popular hot spot for fly-tippers.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31What was happening was, because there was nothing here at all,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33which should've been a fence,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35and that's obviously gone on over the years,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37there was easy access to the land.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40So, they would drive in on here with their vehicles
0:36:40 > 0:36:42and then just tipping off.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44With it not being overlooked by anything,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46it's...you know, it's pretty hidden,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50so it was just a free-for-all, basically.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53But now, in a bid to put a stop to illegal dumping here
0:36:53 > 0:36:56once and for all, the council is swinging into action.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00We've put the blocks in. It's to prevent vehicle access.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02We call it target hardening.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Just bring it back this way a little bit. That's all right.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Target hardened, it's a job well done.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18But sadly, fighting fly-tippers will be an ongoing battle
0:37:18 > 0:37:20for officers like Mark.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24It annoys me personally, especially when you get hazardous waste dumped.
0:37:24 > 0:37:25There's no need for it at all.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28If people are doing jobs
0:37:28 > 0:37:31and they're factoring in how much the budget is for doing the job,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33well, factor in disposing of it correctly.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Some people are just on the make.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39It's just one of the blights of being a fly-tipping investigator,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41I suppose.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53At Lower Ince Cemetery, cremation technician Mark
0:37:53 > 0:37:56has just finished his second funeral of the day.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Well, John, see you again. Take care. Thanks a lot.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Once the mourners leave,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Mark's job is to make sure the deceased's cremated ashes
0:38:06 > 0:38:09are returned to their loved ones without a hitch.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11To do this, he uses a ticketing system.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22So, the ticket stays with the ashes everywhere they go,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24so, you know, you're only getting your own ashes back.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28So that goes from there into this cremulator.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31They get tipped in there, and the ticket then goes onto there.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39The cremulator turns any large ashes into fine powder.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42But not everything that comes out of it goes to the loved ones.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Obviously, the coffins are constructed
0:38:44 > 0:38:47and everything is stapled, screwed together,
0:38:47 > 0:38:49so we get them all out.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52They end up in the cremulator and we fish them out.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56What we do with them, we bury them in consecrated ground.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Just so it's like... You know, it's done properly.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05Mark's got everything under control at Lower Ince Crematorium.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07But over at Hindley Cemetery,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10gravediggers David and Neil have been grappling
0:39:10 > 0:39:12with a grave that's too small.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Well, that's better.
0:39:20 > 0:39:21That's 2m.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28Having widened the grave to accommodate the larger casket,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30the pair have hit another problem.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33With the funeral due to start in less than half an hour,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36water has begun to seep back into the grave.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38And David isn't happy.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Neil's gone to get some wood mulch.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43We'll give it another scrape with the bucket
0:39:43 > 0:39:44and then he'll put wood mulch on the bottom,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46it soaks a bit of water up then.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Looks a bit better than it being like watery, sludgy.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55With just minutes to spare, David is finally satisfied.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58It looks a lot better now, doesn't it?
0:40:00 > 0:40:02The funeral can go ahead as planned.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22Another busy day draws to a close for Mark in Lower Ince crematorium
0:40:22 > 0:40:25and David and Neil in Hindley Cemetery.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Once we've covered the coffin, we'll get the machine then.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Fill the rest of it in with the machine once we cover the coffin up.
0:40:41 > 0:40:42And that's us.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44From start to finish.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Across town, Officer Pete Rutter
0:40:58 > 0:41:01has been hot on the trail of an antisocial cockerel
0:41:01 > 0:41:04who's been rousing residents in the early hours.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06COCKEREL CROWS
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Probably the latest we've heard it has been about 11, 11.30 at night,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13and probably the earliest, I think probably about four, 4.30.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17So there's a window, you know, sort of between 12 till 4
0:41:17 > 0:41:19when you get some silence.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20But that's about it.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Pete installed noise recording equipment
0:41:24 > 0:41:27and then delivered the cockerel's owner a legal notice
0:41:27 > 0:41:30giving him three weeks to remove the noisy bird.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38Now, just a few weeks later, quiet has returned to the neighbourhood,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40much to resident Graeme's relief.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44You might...you may notice it's a little bit quieter
0:41:44 > 0:41:46than the last time you were here.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48So, how long has it been quiet for you?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Well, I think over the last sort of week.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54But it's just gone back to normal. I mean, it's, you know, it's...
0:41:54 > 0:41:57It's nice to be able to wake up with the alarm in the morning
0:41:57 > 0:41:58rather than getting woken by a cockerel,
0:41:58 > 0:42:02cos there's a big difference between sort of 4.30 and 6.30.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03Right. Yeah, absolutely.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05So that's been probably the most noticeable change.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07It just means we can use the garden again.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Cos it was getting to the point
0:42:09 > 0:42:12where it was literally from first thing in the morning,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15it was going on right throughout the day.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18And it may sound quite nice, a cockerel,
0:42:18 > 0:42:20the first couple times you hear it,
0:42:20 > 0:42:22but when it's going off every nine, ten seconds...
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Obviously, I'm just glad that you're happy.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27My other complainant appears to be happy.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30As far as we're concerned, everything seems quite quiet
0:42:30 > 0:42:31and we're all happy. All right?
0:42:31 > 0:42:33- Thanks very much.- Thank you.- Cheers.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- I'll show you out. - Cheers. Thank you.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38It's nice just to be able to help, you know, help somebody out with it,
0:42:38 > 0:42:42who have an issue that's persistent enough and nuisance enough
0:42:42 > 0:42:44that they have to call the council in the first place.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46And to be able to sort of help them with that
0:42:46 > 0:42:51and come to a satisfied outcome is really satisfying for me.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Pete's allusive bird now has a new home with other chickens
0:42:57 > 0:43:00and cockerels on an allotment ten miles away,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02where he can crow to his heart's content.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05COCKEREL CROWS