19/12/2011 Inside Out England

could help save lives. The lorries hit the cars in front of us and we

could hear banging from behind as well. It was hell. It was just the

worst noise running through your head, these screams of people and

not knowing what to do first. Terrible memories, never to be

forgotten. But a question mark hangs over this accident. Witnesses

reported a catastrophic loss of visibility. What caused it? Was it,

as police have suggested, smoke from fireworks? Or something long

recognised to be a danger at this very spot? Tonight we can reveal

this stretch is known by the authorities to be a fog prone

stretch of motorway. Consultants have recommended upgrading the fog

warning system, a recommendation on which there are no plans to act.

Police have said a fireworks display held at a rugby club near

the accident scene is their main line of inquiry, but we've learned

they've also consulted the Met Office over the weather that night.

Whatever caused the visibility problems, signs which could have

warned of it weren't activated. So motorists had no idea of the danger

that lay ahead. We pulled on to beat M 5 and we were getting up to

speed behind the Ice land truck in the middle lane, when we came into

a wall of very sudden thick fog. was like somebody had thrown a

towel over the front of the windscreen. When that was gone, I

could see the truck again but it was stationary. I stood on the

brakes. At I thought we would not be able to stop. But we did, with

about 10 feet to spare, from my memory. Based on pictures taken

after the accident, we've tried to indicate what happened in the

aftermath. The vehicles represented may not be exactly where they ended

up immediately after the crash. The Nenos were in the very first phase

of the collision, and Ciara was one of the first to dial 999. I told

them we need ambulance, fire brigade and police. I said this is

not just the small crash, it is many crashes and I can see fire.

Then came the second phase of the crash, a lorry jack-knifed behind

them, protecting the couple from impact. I said I am not sitting

here any longer. I have got to go out and see what I can do. When I

stepped up to the car, it was like stepping on to a movie set. Roger

saw two men trapped in the car directly in front of him. He

borrowed a tyre lever from a truck driver. I ran back and told the guy

in the seat to turn away and I smashed the window. He reached out

and I pulled him out. The chap on the other side was very dazed, in a

slightly worse way. We said you orange and is gone, your car is

smoking, you need to get out. We pulled him out. Tom Hamill, his

girlfriend Katharine, and his dad had pulled up behind the jack-

knifed lorry. They too were remarkably lucky not to have been

hit. I sat there and Thomas was like "we are going to get hit,

brace yourself" and I saw to the left cars crashing. Someone shouted,

"please, take my baby. My husband is trapped in the car, take my

baby". I was standing in the central reservation as more cars

were crashing into the back. On the other side of the now blazing lorry,

Roger Neno followed a young woman's cries for help. Ghurka was pinned

under the lorry, and I am thinking that fired his gun to spread

underneath this lorry and it won't take very long, the way it is

burning. I told her to move back, and at the 4th attempt the window

smashed. Then I pulled her out. As I was doing this, I saw a lady that

was... A lady that was pinned by her legs under the back wheel of

that car underneath the lorry. She was screaming, "help, get me out"

Obviously fearful she was going to lie there and burnt as well. With

no chance of releasing her, Roger ran for help, returning with an

off-duty doctor and one of the fire crews which were now arriving.

could see Roger going towards the car, and of course there was this

huge fireball behind. It just exploded and I screamed at him to

get out. I thought everything was going to go up. Despite the

fireball, the woman was saved. Roger and Ciara spent hours at the

scene, helping with the rescue effort. The biggest accident

investigation ever mounted by Avon and Somerset police is now underway.

But what's already emerged is that the visibility warning system on

the M5 is outdated. The signs have to be activated by highways

authority control room staff and the agency says that it didn't get

any reports of fog at the time of the accident, so it didn't turn the

signs on. Elsewhere the authorities don't rely on human intervention.

In Holland there are roadside detectors that automatically turn

on warning signs even if visibility suddenly deteriorates. I travelled

to meet Hans Remain, who helped to install the Dutch system, after a

fatal pile-up there 20 years ago. In 1990, there was a very severe

accident during a dense fog. There were many deaths and many

casualties. This cost the -- caused the Ministry of Transport to

install a fog warning system. Those thick patches of fog are so

unexpected you can't give this task to a human being, as far as we

think. In the UK such a system is on the M25, on some motorways in

the North West, and only a handful of other locations. We obtained

from the Highways Agency a consultant report from last year

which identified the M5 accident spot as at high risk from fog and

recommended a system. We asked the agency if it had any plans to do so,

it said it didn't and would only look at safety improvements once

the result of the police investigation were known. The cost

of installing the visibility sensors in the south west,

according to the report, is �3 million. Some of those involved in

that terrible accident want action now. There is a big fog danger

along the whole of the M 5. Any warning would be beneficial, even

10 mph would have made some of those fatal crashes perhaps near

fatal and given people half a chance. That would be a phenomenal

idea, and why not? If that is something that can be provided,

then yes, definitely. And the police investigation into the crash

Coming up next: We go undercover to find out just how one car clamper

is making thousands. How do you come up with your fees? You need to

speak to the government about that. Bin it! What it's really costing to

clean up our mess. One of the things I say to people is next time

you see somebody dropping a crisp packet on the floor, imagine they

are dropping your �5 note because you are paying for them to pick it

The AA estimates almost 800,000 vehicles are clamped every year,

costing motorists around �90 million. A fair cop? Well maybe not.

The clampers have caught the Government's attention, but, as Jon

Cuthill's been finding out in Southampton, at the moment it's

still a nice little earner for some people.

Stop at any private car park these days and you may well find a sign

warning that you could be clamped. But the practices behind some of

the companies have led to the Government's own clampdown. Here in

Hampshire one firm under the spotlight is White's Car Park

Solutions. Its boss Jason White has certainly hit the headlines. In the

past, angry motorists have even beaten him up. Most recently in

Winchester he was threatened with a meat cleaver. So what is it that

makes them so angry? After all, he's only doing his job. All these

motorists have been clamped by Mr White's company and what makes

their blood boil is how the costs can rack up, especially if you are

towed away. You are going to have to pay me �428. �468 in total.

thought we'd have a look at the way he operates. We did ask Mr White if

we could come out clamping with him, but he declined, so I'm going to go

undercover. Using possibly one of the worst disguises ever seen on

TV... Roller skating accident. Nasty. It appears, young or old,

crutches or no crutches, anyone's fair game. It is an area I have

part in lots of times before. I visit a friend on not road and I

had no idea it had been made a prohibited area so I didn't look

for any signs. Then when I came back later, the car had gone. Of

course I thought it had been stolen. 90 year old Dennis Wilson wasn't

displaying his disability badge when he parked on a site patrolled

by Whites. His car was seized, and because it was a Friday they said

he couldn't collect it till after the weekend. And the total bill?

the Monday it was �300 for towing away, 184 the clamp. Storage at �42,

then on top of that you are virtually obliged to pay by credit

card because not many people can lay their hands on �800 on the spot.

They charged 5% of the total. So the total I paid was �680.40.

is a tidy sum. Now we're on our way to a car park to get clamped. So

what are the rules on this business? There's never a car

parking expert when you need one. Here's one! What Patrick Troy

doesn't know about parking isn't worth knowing. Clamping on private

Clamping on private land is an unregulated industry. We produce

guidelines which we expect clamping companies to sign up to. But it is

voluntary and the company you are investigating isn't a member. They

are therefore not controlled. So Whites, by not signing up, don't

have to keep to the guidelines. OK, so what are their rules? Let's park

somewhere we shouldn't. A private staff car park in Eastleigh in

Hampshire. Sorry, Blockbuster. While my pretend sister and I go

off shopping, this happens. I have been clamped? You're joking.

How much will it cost? It will cost 180. 180 quid? If we can't get the

money... You will get it code. will cost more. �120 on that.

�180 for the clamp release and on top of that, a possible �300 tow-

away fee. It seems there's nothing I can do it about it. It wasn't

reasonable and, by any definition, that was excessive. What we say in

our code is that you either have a clamp release fee or you have a

tow-away fee. You can't charge both. There should be one charge. It is

meant to be a deterrent. It shouldn't be excessive and it

shouldn't be unreasonable. After a fake trip to the cash point,

I pretend I can't get the �180. The car therefore will be taken to the

compound just a few minutes' away, but I'm told I can't collect my car.

They'll have to deliver it to me. And guess what? That's another 50

quid. He'll charge for delivery. Well, I don't want him to deliver.

The overnight the I would get charged and on top of that, he has

to deliberate. You are just making it up.

Meanwhile, the boss himself Jason White has arrived and is preparing

to take my wheels away. And it's all going to cost me �614.

Argue Mr White? Yes. The -- why you. How can you justify �600? It

doesn't cost you �600 to run a tow truck. The Government set the

guidelines. The Government doesn't say �600. That is rubbish.

White's signs do list all the charges he's come up with, so he

could say we've all been warned. But there's a lot of charges, and a

lot of small print. Do you not have to give me paperwork at all? You

can't just take my car. The next day, at a time decided by

Whites Car Park solutions, I'm told to return to Blockbuster car park.

Our man wants his cash. But there's no sign of my car. You've got to

pay me now, sign a receipt and then he'll bring it back. Until you hand

it over to me, that vehicle's not This is a joke. You guys get

funnier every time. So I hand over the 600 quid. And Mr White rings to

check the transaction is complete. All done, waiting for you. While he

writes the recede, it all starts to come back. -- receipt. This clamper

Heart-to-heart over, it's back to business. Cue Mr White and my car.

Now the tiny issue of getting my car off his truck.

I can't, I've got to wait for my sister.

In the end, we push it off. How do you come up with your fees?

You have to speak to the Government So if I wanted to complain?

In fact, it's the SIA, the Security Industry Authority, who issue

clampers like Mr White with their licences, but they won't

investigate individual complaints. And as for Mr White's claim that

the Government authorises the fees, that's rubbish. In fact, next year

there's expected to be a new law that bans clamping on private land

all together. We did ask Mr White for an

interview, but he didn't take us up on our offer. So for now he's at

liberty to carry on clamping and charging fees that the British

Parking Association says This isn't about extortion. This is

about managing private land and clamping is simply a means of

managing private land. It shouldn't be seen as a way of making lots of

money out of people or of extorting money out of people.

Seven months after he was clamped, World War II veteran Mr Wilson is

still fuming. The man is absolutely beneath contempt. A lot of my

friends were killed fighting for the freedom that Jason White uses -

or misuses - to inflict on his Our bill for cleaning up our litter

is reportedly a staggering �885 million across England. In these

cash-strapped days, that's money councils can ill afford. So I've

been following a litter trail to find out if any northern town has

the answer. Three Northern towns trying to

become cities. Trying to deal with one problem. It's like a bomb's

gone off, really, sometimes. Everything is on the floor, chips,

Cygnus, debris, Greece. Litter is a big issue in this country. You

wouldn't throw it in your own house. In Doncaster, Bolton and

Middlesbrough, councils have told us picking up litter is simply a

waste of money. It's coming out of your pocket. And if you don't think

it is a problem, take another look. Every place has a different tactic.

In Doncaster, they'll hunt you down. Then nab you. I am part of the

council's enforcement team, and I speak to you about your cigarette

ends? This is possibly the toughest council in England when it comes to

litter enforcement. If you drop litter, you can get fined �75.

Paul Scarborough and his colleagues actually have targets for the

amount of fines they hand out, because they say being all nicey

nicey just doesn't wash. Really, we have got to be a situation where we

have got to have teeth. The �75 is the teeth.

And they do it because they'd rather not spend money from

increasingly stretched budgets on picking up our rubbish.

In England alone, local authorities spend an average of �885 million on

street cleansing and that's obviously money that could be much

better spent on other things. Doncaster would have �3 million

every year to spend on other things. Across the Pennines, in Bolton,

litter costs �2.8 million. In Middlesbrough, they don't know the

exact cost, but the council takes a totally different tack.

They focus much more on changing people's behaviour. And if that

doesn't work, they tell you off. Would the man in the black jacket

and the grey trousers pick up your litter?

Five years ago, talking cameras were brought in. I do think it

works. We do have 21 cameras in the town. That covers a lot of ground

and a lot of people pick up the litter. Have you ever seen it work?

We have got some footage of a lady, who, on a night out has ripped up a

yellow Pages book and the talking camera that had to pick up the

litter and she picked it up and that every piece in the bin.

In Doncaster, they find fear works better. If they're caught, they

will be fined. And therefore we hope it's in the back of people's

minds that it might be them that gets caught next. And therefore we

think that's why zero tolerance works.

But not with everyone. It is just the Government way of making easy

money. They are getting paid for people's mistakes, which is how

government works. In Doncaster last year, they raised

a cool �120,000 in fines. Compared to �6,000 in Bolton. And

Middlesbrough? Just �250. I think what we've got is a measure of

success because we don't need to fine people. So you don't worry

that Doncaster's bringing in all this money and Middlesbrough's not?

His Doncaster cleaner than Middlesbrough?

Well, no. But litter is such a tricky issue, even campaign groups

are arguing about it. It's a British institution. Keep

Britain Tidy, based in Wigan, has been around for 50 years. But now a

new band of litter activists say continuing to fund it is throwing

taxpayers' money in the bin. Their campaigning just hasn't worked and

if you asked me to provide evidence of that, well, there are streets

like this all over England which unfortunately provide the results

and the evidence. John Read launched Clean Up Britain

this year with the help of celebrities.

Litter is a big issue in this country, it's grown 500% in 20

years. You wouldn't throw litter in your own house. It is a group of

private individuals who have got together with a range of

professional skills to have come together to run this campaign.

And by saying Keep Britain Tidy is failing, they've caused quite a

stir. It is disappointing, we try and campaign and good things in the

media so it does seem daft to Trust -- set up something against us, but

that is what they have chosen But Keep Britain Tidy's campaigns,

like this, are part-funded by the taxpayer. And on top of that, they

ask councils in towns like Doncaster for even more money.

Can we afford it? In Bolton, they're already feeling the pinch.

Unfortunately, with the cutbacks and everything, it has deteriorated.

Because of the workforce, unfortunately. We are actually

trying to make sure that people don't drop litter in the first

place. It is a mind to change that we need. When we have it -- areas

that were exceedingly poor, especially in the North of England,

people always used to go out and clean the street in front of their

houses. It didn't stop that pride in where they lived. Where did that

pride go? Here is one random search of a

rural road near Middlesbrough. Look closer. And even if you think

littering is wrong, there you intervene?

The thing is, if we see somebody Douet, what are we supposed to do?

Does it take guts to throw -- tell someone offer for littering.

You dropped some that are just there. That cigarette packet.

yes. Why did you do it? I don't know. By you go into stop it?

did you put it down? -- Are you going to stop it. Sorry. I know you

are sorry. Let's find a been, it is just there. I'm sorry. It is

embarrassing, isn't it? Most people, when you tell them

about it, they know they have done wrong and they put it right, but

they have done it, haven't they? It councils didn't pick up litter,

who would? Middlesbrough and Bolton councils have accepted our

challenge not to clean the street to see what would happen. The

question is, do we really want to keep Britain tidy? Bolton agreed to

leave 100m of a town centre street unclean for a day. And this is what

we found. I am shocked and I think the

majority of people who see that kind of letter will quite -- were

quite shocked at what they saw, because that would normally have

all been cleaned away in the early hours. We asked a local children to

clean up the mess. But in Middlesbrough, it is going

to be a much tougher job. The council that one mile of its

busiest road unclean for a whole weekend. It is disgusting. Loads of

plastic bags everywhere, crisp packets, cigarette packets. Maybe

they should have come out at 8 o'clock in the morning. It is a bit

late. Would you say to damages your business? Definitely. -- it damages.

It is so dirty, every so often, we watch it ourselves. Cleaning our

own bit of the street might not be at a bad idea with council budgets

under pressure. -- a bad idea. And in this one