17/10/2011 Inside Out South West

Hello and welcome to a new series of Inside Out South West, with

stories from close to home. There he is. Tonight - exclusive access

to the world of the super bailiffs. As it stands at the moment, that's

790608 we're looking for. We reveal the devastating impact of bad debt

in the south-west. If he does not pay the money he borrowed, the

business will not be here for long. Also tonight: after the England

riots, concern about cuts to youth services in Devon. Seeing their

progression, how they have grown, I am worried that if it did end, it

would have a detrimental effect on them. And Matt Harvey investigates

the perks and pitfalls of village life. When people decide to fight

for something together, then small but amazing things can happen.

Sam Smith and this is Inside Out The economic crisis means many

people are feeling the pinch and financial deals can turn sour. So

what do you do when those who owe you money won't pay up? You call in

the most powerful bailiffs in the They can turn up uninvited, enter

property and seize goods. And they're not always popular. There

he is. Mr Burns. And they rarely get a warm welcome. We are here to

remove goods from the premises. Why? Because we are enforcing a

high court writ. But for those owed money and facing ruin, they're

often the last hope. I am very close to make or break. The bank is

on my back and for months I've been trying to save the business.

Lawrence Griggs is a high court enforcement officer. He and Kevin

McNally are called in when debtors fail to pay up, even though a court

has ruled they must. Everyone is trying to make a living and

entitled to be paid for what they have done. Collecting debts does

stop some businesses going under, Today they have travelled to

Somerset to the home of a builder who owes a builders merchant more

There he is. Mr Burns. We could now be annoying him so much by banging

on the door that he could come with some kind of weapon. We have to be

ready for him to be aggressive, or he could stay shut in there. High

Court enforcement officers have a lot of clout. They can climb fences,

access properties through unlocked doors and windows and break into

offices and factories. They can seize goods. It is all in a days

In Plymouth, Joseph Louis is hoping they will help him. Joseph lent a

former business partner a large sum of money but not all of it was paid

back. The courts have ruled in Joseph's favour but still the money

has not been returned. Three years I have been waiting for the money I

lent him for three weeks. He is hoping to get back more than

�150,000. If he does not pay the money he borrowed, the business

will not be here for long. The staff will lose their jobs and the

city would lose something to be proud of. The debt has left the

business with a cash flow crisis. The invoice should have been paid

on Monday. It says it has been paid but it has not. �6882. You chase

people up for �6000. It should not be the case. For receiver Ian

Walker, businesses with bad debts are a familiar story. If they do

not get paid, they cannot pay their wages and eventually they will fail

unless they have security to enable a bank to lend them more money to

see them through those difficulties. Increasingly we are seeing

businesses that have been struggling for so long they have

completely lost all personal wealth, there is nowhere else they can give

With the recession, we have had more cases coming our way. But

potentially they are not as easy to collect on. Over the last year or

so and it is getting harder and harder. Lawrence and Kevin will be

heading to Plymouth later, but first they have a call to make in

Axeminster. We are off to a garage. They are chasing money owed to

Martin Chapel. Nine months ago, Mr Chapel bought a pickup truck to

start a gardening business. He returned it to the garage because

it was faulty and that is where it has been ever since. The garage

refused to refund him. I paid �6000, which to a lot of people may not be

much, but it is to me and there is a big principle at stake. It has

held back his business. It is a big concern. It is stopping me from

moving forward and I feel it is not right that people when they have

made mistakes, not trying to put it right. Putting it right is what

Lawrence and Kevin want to do. a High Court enforcement officer.

OK. Looking for the Devon Trade Centre. That is the writ as it

stands. 790608 we are looking for, or else we remove assets of which I

can see you have plenty. Would you be so kind as to leave our premises.

We are paying. It must have slipped through the net. 15 minutes later,

after a quick trip to the bank, it is all sorted. Paid in full. It was

just a case of getting the funds. They knew they had the debt, they

were not happy, but when you have this much stock on your forecourt,

what choice had you got? Another successful job. Later the garage

told us that senior management had not been made aware of the

situation and if they had, it would have been dealt with before the

bailiffs were called in. In Plymouth, Joseph is hoping for a

quick result. Businesses, people's jobs are on the line because of

somebody's greed. Bailiffs, if they do their jobs, it is right to. I am

concerned about justice. Lawrence and Kevin head to the home of

Joseph's former business partner Paul Chapman. He lives in a gated

development and the gate is shut. Lawrence will climb over it if he

can. But then a resident helpfully opens the gate for him. Excellent!

I think that was my mind control that did that for us. I think it

was the lady actually. This is one of Plymouth's most exclusive

addresses and the bailiffs hope Mr Chapman, a former footballer, is at

home. Hello. Looking for Paul Chapman. He is not here. I will

show you some ID. I am a High Court enforcement officer. Are you Mrs

Chapman? No? Are you able to get Mr Chapman on the phone? But she will

not let them in. Thank you. She was not too impressed. She told us she

was the cleaner. She was very smart and she was on the house phone as

well. So I am not convinced by that. I think it is safe to say we will

not gain peaceful entry. I will look around the back and see what

is to be seen. As Lawrence and Kevin note any items of value, Mr

Chapman's cleaner reappears. I will come and speak to you. We need to

speak to Mr Chapman to get this sorted out. We are here to remove

goods from the premises. Why? Because we are enforcing a High

Court writ. I cannot give you details but we have sent here to

remove goods from the premises. We need to speak to Mr Chapman. I am

sorry but... We are not here to scare you. Unfortunately we are not

going because we have a right to be here. Are you not be able to

contact Mr Chapman? Yes, but... we are asking you to do, you have

just said you could contact Mr Chapman. You have told me you can

contact Mr Chapman. I did not. you did. Okay. Lady was refusing to

speak to us. She was asking asked to leave, we have refused because

we have every right to be here. That is where it stands. We will

see what happens. Hopefully either the police or Mr Chapman will show

out. After 20 minutes, Mr Chapman arrives. Mr Chapman? Yes. Mr Griggs.

I will show you some ID. Lawrence make some checks. Is there anything

here he can see is to help Joseph Louis recover his cash? Mr Chapman

says he is borderline bankrupt. If someone wants to make him bankrupt,

he will be bankrupt. His business is gone. Everything is gone. The

house is on the market. The car belongs to the lady inside. He has

gone to get proof of that just now. On the face of it, he seems quite

genuine but we do take that with a pinch of salt. It turns out Mr

Chapman's cleaner is also his partner. But she has nothing to do

with the debt dispute. Joseph gets nothing. Despite his former

business partner's luxury lifestyle. I can see my business partner's

palace. He is living in luxury and I am struggling. But I will see my

money regardless. I will. After the bailiff's visit, the builder from

Somerset paid his debt in full. Martin Chapel got his money back

and his gardening business is doing well. As for Joseph, he is still

waiting. Mr Chapman is not bankrupt and still living in his luxury home.

If nothing else, Joseph has learned an unfortunate lesson. Do not be

me,, do not be so stupid and trusting but at the same time I do

hope I do not change. It has to be trust somehow but not too trusting.

Do not be a Joseph, do not be a fool.

Because of the riots in England this summer, there's been a lot of

talk about youth crime and disorder. In the south west, the talk's been

of cuts - to the very workers whose job it is to keep young people on

the straight and narrow. We've been investigating.

This is a public order audit. Will you please disperse now or force

may be used. The Southwest may have been spared the horror of the riots

but they shook the whole of England. While the causes will be debated

for years, politicians were quick to offer their take. Youth workers,

probation officers, as well as police are very important. We have

to look at the issue of intervening earlier when young people are first

showing signs of getting into difficulties rather than waiting

until there are real problems. Shall we get this garlic then

before it rains? That is what Frank James spent the last 19 years doing,

until his job was axed. I feel angry more for the young people.

Than for myself. For me it is a job, for them, cuts mean limiting their

future. Frank worked for the Exeter-based Ivy Project until its

funding was cut. Do not weed those. They always take the good things

away from young people. Being with Frank helps Neil stop drinking.

work together basically, don't we? Trying to keep me out of trouble.

Frank now keeps an eye on Neil voluntarily, leaving him wondering

if this is the big society or a big rip-off. Everyone should be doing

their bit, everyone should be putting in but they should not be

an expectation that everyone will do that for free. If the government

wants to invest in young people, at some point there needs to be a

financial element to that. Frank does still get a small wage to run

this youth group but it has just a few thousand pounds funding and

when that one is out, Frank will have to do this for free too.

know the group so well, I have worked with some of these young

people for nearly 5 years and I am so worried that if it does end, it

will have a detrimental effect on them. It is my responsibility as a

person to put a little bit back. The club is a sanctuary. Every week

I know on the Wednesday I have this. I can meet my friends. I have a set

time when I go to Tag, which means the rest of the week I can just

about deal with. If I did not have this I would struggle. They all

want to help keep it going so they have found a car wash to raise

funds but it is proving surprisingly hard to organise.

have been trying to contact the car park people and I have been phoning

them, e-mail them a couple of times but no one has got to me. It is

going to get even tougher. In the meantime, Frank and Neil head out

on another mission. Today we will head to Maximus. We will speak to

Neil's JobCentre adviser and get him some voluntary work that is

more appropriate into what he enjoys and what will be beneficial

for him. A lot of young people need someone to give them a bit of

support, advocate for them, give them a voice. Neil has been given a

placement that is not really appropriate for him, I feel, and

hopefully if I go and talk to them I will find him something more

suitable. But the office is There is no one there. Back home,

Frank's carwash quest is proving just as frustrating. We were just

wondering if it is an option to do it in one of your car parks.

Unfortunately the lady I spoke to seemed to think that was something

they would not go with, let us use a car park for a couple of hours to

wash a few cars. A bit of a shame. I have e-mailed this manager and

hopefully he will be a bit nicer. Frank is running out of time. His

wife Kate is expecting a baby and he will soon have to focus on his

family. Kate admires what he has done. It has taken him a long time

and effort and a lot of support to get where they are now. I think it

is brilliant. I am really proud of him for working with them still.

Otherwise it could have caused a lot of upset for those young people.

The Ivy project closed because of cuts in funding from the government

and Devon county council. We asked for an interview with the leader of

the council but our request was declined. For Conservative MP Gary

Streeter, the harsh economic climate means some harsh decisions

about public spending have to be made. It is inevitable that if the

money from the top is being reduced, some things will have to go and

sometimes that is a good thing, it is a bit like bringing back in the

garden. What we want to survive are the things that work. We have to

get behind the organisation that do work. We have to see new players

come into this field. People who have that big compassionate heart

like Frank. These are the people we have to get behind. But Frank's big

heart proves no match for the bureaucracy thwarting his car wash.

Maybe if we have not heard by next week we might have to come up with

another plan or another way of approaching the council. It is two

months later. The carwash never happened. Frank is busy with his

baby and Neil is drinking again. Everything has cocked up. I have

been in and out of a cell since it closed. What has happened with the

drinking? Keep going. I did 53 cans in three days. Are you drunk now?

No. Not really. I wish I was but I am not. Spending cuts however

necessary and did the help that kept me on the straight and narrow.

Village life seems to be constantly under threat, but as poet Matt

Harvey has been finding out some Tonight I am going to deploy the

cultural expert that is Matt Harvey. Thank you. Thank you for that

wonderful introduction. It quite took me aback. I am on a mission. I

am on a mission to assess the state of rural communities. To see what I

can do to help through the medium of poetry. LAUGHTER. I started in

South Devon, where only two out of every ten houses are actually lived

in all year round. It is easy to see why people would want a second

home here. But a local landowner has made the news by donating more

than �2 million in land and property to offer working people an

affordable home. Isabelle is clear about the need. When we started

this project, we were desperate to help the village because it is

rapidly dying and becoming a tourist ghetto. Three years later,

Bakers Piece is fully occupied. But many second home owners here do not

like change. They fought to stop the development, arguing that it is

in the wrong place. There is no doubt the people living here have

had their view spoiled. Getting these homes built has been a real

struggle. It has caused real arguments, divisive arguments in

the village but has this act of civic generosity actually worked?

This is the house of Tim Stone. He lives in the village. What does he

think about the new houses? people who live there are very

pleasant people and there are a lovely lot of children there. They

have started taking part in the village life. So they have brought

life to the village? They have brought life. Would a shop help the

village, do you think? The village shop would have to charge quite

high prices to justify itself, especially if the owners were

looking for a bit of income from it. But there is another way when it

comes to the village store. It is not profit that motivates the

owners here, it is public service. I have discovered in some places,

the villages have stopped shops closing down by banding together,

buying it and running it themselves. We do that! Do you? Yeah! If I had

known that earlier I would have come here and interviewed people,

all of you, but instead I went locally. I went to Hempstead

because I wanted to cut down on poetry miles! There are 250

community shops in the country, half of them here in the West

Country. They are very successful. Profit is ploughed back into the

business. They sell everything here and they have plans to expand with

a cafe and a library corner. All this with only one paid employee.

And she is part-time. We are living in a society where everyone has to

drive miles to go shopping and food is brought from miles away. As far

as I am concerned, this should be the way for our future. For people

who volunteer in the shop, it really gives them something to feel

involved in. I just love the fist determination of so many people who

put so much into the place. sounds to me like a very gentle and

non-threatening way to be radical. It offers much more than local

retail outlets. It offers a social centre and they feel they are

involved in a project, which is really enhancing the village life.

This is something you do not know about, that there is a place in

Cornwall where they have gone beyond the shop and they have

started growing their own veg. At the Camelford Community Supported

Agriculture Project, they set me to work all morning which did give me

a good overview of the organisation. I even got my hands dirty. I just

want to help. If I can wield my spade to this effect, I will be

carrying on long after the cameras have left. It did not come to that.

Luckily. I got to talk to Jane, an expert grower. How does this

benefit rural life? There are lots of benefits. We are all quite

spread out and it is important we have something that is committed to

building, builds community spirit and there is a chance for people to

get involved here. We reduce our carbon footprint and make new

friends and be part of building something in the local community.

You make it sound like a good thing. I think it is a fantastic thing.

They have opposition to the community farm but not from lack of

affordable housing, lack of transport. There are no objections

to it. The only opposition they have is from slugs. Lowborn land

mollusc, high impact intruder, easy boozer, slime exuder, you are a

squishity spoiled sport. A glistening drag. The licorice all

sort nobody wants to find in the bag. You are disposable. Look at my

thumb, it is opposable. Unwelcome invertebrate, this might just hurt

a bit. I pluck you and chuck you into distant dew drenched greenery.

Isn't that mean of me? Slug, when all is said and done, you can hide

but you cannot run. APPLAUSE. you. So just as the veg resists the

slugs, I am thinking now at the end of my journey that perhaps our

village communities are also more resistant, more robust, more

resilient than we give them credit for. Rural life has been under

threat since before I was born. I know that poetry cannot save it,

not by itself. But what I think makes the difference is people

acting collectively with determination, sometimes with

fierce determination. I have seen that when people decide to fight

for something together, then small That's all for this week but we're