0:00:03 > 0:00:08Welcome to this week's Inside Out West Midlands,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10from beautiful - if a little misty - Worcestershire.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Coming up, we have a report on the sinister side
0:00:13 > 0:00:15of live music gigs.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17This guy came up behind me and he started trying
0:00:17 > 0:00:18to unzip my shorts.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19He would not leave me alone.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Also tonight ? Land Rovers.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24One of the Midlands' proudest creations,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28but a prime target for thieves.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31There is no code stamped on most of the parts.
0:00:31 > 0:00:39There is a market, unfortunately, for stolen bits.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41And how a location somewhere here in Worcestershire
0:00:41 > 0:00:44could have played a key role in the event of a nuclear war.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47These tunnels were earmarked to be the regional seat for
0:00:47 > 0:00:48a new post-apocalyptic government.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52I'm Ayo Akinwolere, this is Inside Out West Midlands.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Welcome to the show.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Tonight, we're in Malvern, and this is - look at at it -
0:01:07 > 0:01:17this is Worcestershire.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Later, we'll be find out how a secret location in this county
0:01:20 > 0:01:22could have played a major role in the Cold War.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23But first...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Watching live music is one of life's great pleasures,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27but whilst you're watching the band, who's watching you?
0:01:27 > 0:01:30There's been growing reports of sexual assaults at live gigs,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32so we sent Qasa Alom to investigate.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33There's something going on at concerts that's literally
0:01:33 > 0:01:40violating thousands of people.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44It leaves them feeling isolated and alone.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46For me, that's not how music should make you feel.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And this problem is putting a whole new generation of fans
0:01:49 > 0:01:50off from live music.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Fans like Amy.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56I was, like, 14 when I started going to gigs with just me and my friends.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58And ever since then, it's just been, like,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00getting groped and felt up.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Amy was barely in her teens when this started.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04No wonder she's been put off.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07This guy came up behind me and he started trying
0:02:07 > 0:02:10to unzip my shorts and put his hand down my shorts, and he was
0:02:10 > 0:02:13just grinding behind me and he wouldn't leave me alone.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Yeah, it was just disgusting.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Shockingly, this vile attack - and it is an attack -
0:02:18 > 0:02:21happened in the middle of a crowd.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22No-one even notices.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25It's just so easy.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28It makes me more angry than it makes me upset
0:02:28 > 0:02:30because it's happened before, so you get over it
0:02:30 > 0:02:32after a couple of times.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34You just get used to it.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36So what are you hoping that we can do out of this?
0:02:37 > 0:02:38It is getting worse.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Girls are giving up and they just want to talk
0:02:40 > 0:02:42about it - we want change.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Something needs to happen.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50And if anything's going to change, this is where it needs to start.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53We all know gigs are loud, sweaty and crowded ? it
0:02:53 > 0:02:56comes with the territory.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00And, sadly, these girls say so does being groped.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Well, a lot of friends of ours are being grabbed just
0:03:02 > 0:03:04like that ? especially in university, I would say.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Yeah, I think it's bad.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09We've almost become desensitized to it and think that, oh,
0:03:09 > 0:03:14that's like normal behavior, but, really, we should change that.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Having spoken to people from all over the UK,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20I'm finding out it's a national problem.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24There's a support group called Girls Against that's created
0:03:24 > 0:03:27an online movement to raise awareness about these attacks.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31The response they've had from other victims is massive.
0:03:31 > 0:03:41So far, more than a thousand girls and some guys have been in touch
0:03:44 > 0:03:47So far, more than a thousand girls and some guys have with them,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49all with similar cases of sexual harrassment at gigs.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52In the 21st century, I am really surprised.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Why is this sort of thing still happening?
0:03:54 > 0:03:56After all, we've had success at stamping out most sexual
0:03:56 > 0:03:57harassment in the workplace.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And more is being done now to educate boys about consent.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04So why do some guys still think it's OK to abuse women on a night out?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07For a girl to be stood there, watching a band or watching an act
0:04:07 > 0:04:09and somebody comes up dancing behind her and getting
0:04:09 > 0:04:11a little bit too close without her permission, it's...
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Yeah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14They can take certain liberties, kind of thing.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Just because they know they're not going to get caught.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Definitely been stood in close proximity to it happening in clubs
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and I've not done nothing about it, so I guess in that way,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I'm kind of culpable, you know?
0:04:24 > 0:04:26These guys think it's because neither the crowd nor
0:04:26 > 0:04:28security are doing enough to stop any wrongdoing going on.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30What do the music venues make of that?
0:04:30 > 0:04:32I think harassment happens everywhere ? do
0:04:32 > 0:04:34you know what I am saying?
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Anybody who says that they aren't aware of this sort of thing
0:04:36 > 0:04:38happening in a venue is lying.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41This is Ben ? venue manager at the Zephyr Lounge in Leamington,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and someone who puts crowd safety as his number one priority.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46If you guys are aware that this is going on in the crowds,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49what are you actually doing to try and stop this happening?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52We work with two great security firms and from the moment
0:04:52 > 0:04:54the complaint is made, security take it seriously.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56They deal with the individuals involved, they take it away
0:04:56 > 0:05:02from everybody else so it can be a clear, grown-up conversation.
0:05:02 > 0:05:11But for every good security company, like the one you've got,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13there are also those that don't have the protocols in place.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16In that something that needs to be looked at, quality control?
0:05:16 > 0:05:19I think you've been very polite there ? there are some
0:05:19 > 0:05:21companies that are terrible.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24There are some companies that don't care about that experience enough.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Where our frustration comes in is, if we are working so hard to do this
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and spending money and time putting these policies in place,
0:05:35 > 0:05:35why shouldn't everybody?
0:05:35 > 0:05:38But should it be up to the venues alone?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40At the Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent, manager Danni thinks the authority
0:05:40 > 0:05:42that regulates security firms should be doing more.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The SIA training in the main tends to focus on the sort of issues
0:05:45 > 0:05:50that affect security in nightclubs and pubs.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55We add on to their training ourselves, but it'd be more useful
0:05:55 > 0:05:58if they came to us completely aware of these things and able
0:05:58 > 0:05:59to deal with them.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It'd save us a lot of time, for sure.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05The Security Industry Authority regulates every
0:06:05 > 0:06:08private security firm - they make sure each security guard
0:06:08 > 0:06:11has the right licenses and is qualified to work.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13I'm checking out everything the guards learn to
0:06:13 > 0:06:16become "SIA approved".
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Danni thinks this training could be better, but regulations
0:06:20 > 0:06:23are pretty thorough, to be fair, with seven separate
0:06:23 > 0:06:25"required qualifications" needed - covering everything from conflict
0:06:25 > 0:06:31management to terrorism training.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35An independent report found this SIA training has generally improved
0:06:35 > 0:06:37standards in the industry, but what do the security
0:06:37 > 0:06:38companies think?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41The SIA training is like taking your driving test -
0:06:41 > 0:06:43the real training comes afterwards.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46So when a security guard comes to ourselves, what we do
0:06:46 > 0:06:47is we take them out, get them shadowing
0:06:48 > 0:06:48an experienced guard.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50We do our own training here.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53I will go in each class and give my own experience.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54I've been in the business 23 years now.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58A lot of these training centres need to be regulated a lot more
0:06:58 > 0:07:01because a lot of people are just doing it for the money ? churning
0:07:01 > 0:07:02over high volumes of staff.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08So, acording to Jonathan, the SIA training is a good
0:07:08 > 0:07:13foundation for entry level guards.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15But here's the thing - the training holds only one vague
0:07:15 > 0:07:17mention of sexual harrassment and offers security guards no
0:07:17 > 0:07:20guidance on how to act if someone comes to them after being groped.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24And this is where victims have a big problem.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27There's no training given to guards on how to support people like Amy
0:07:27 > 0:07:32after a sexual attack.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37Some people have been told not to dress a certain way if they don't
0:07:37 > 0:07:40want to be treated that way, others have been told it's
0:07:40 > 0:07:45not their job, they don't have to deal with it.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Others have been told to forget about it or told,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50yeah, we'll report it, and then do nothing about it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54We tried to take Amy's concerns to the SIA to see if they'd put
0:07:54 > 0:07:55victim support training into the SIA licence.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57They initially agreed to an interview, but then cancelled
0:07:58 > 0:07:59and sent a statement.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Evidence we were hoping to show them, until they
0:08:17 > 0:08:21cancelled our interview.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26And if you need proof the system needs improvement, amazingly enough,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28some of the bands say they're now having to step in to
0:08:29 > 0:08:30protect their own fans.
0:08:30 > 0:08:36Somehow, we ended up getting sent a really detailed account of someone
0:08:36 > 0:08:42who'd been sexually assaulted at the show.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44And we'd never realised that this happened at our shows
0:08:44 > 0:08:46and it was a regular thing.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49We were sat there, thinking, it is our responsibility to act on this.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55To do something.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59After then, on stage, I just started saying,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02if you feel comfortable doing this, you have to leave immediately.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04The Worcester band are one of the biggest indie
0:09:04 > 0:09:07rock groups in the UK, with two smash-hit albums,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09sold-out tours and now, a personal crusade to help their fans be
0:09:09 > 0:09:11safe at gigs.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14I spoke to my tour manager about what we can do about it,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and he was really helpful.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20He was like, we have a security briefing every day, where they speak
0:09:20 > 0:09:22to all the security, so we made that the focus
0:09:22 > 0:09:23of the security briefing.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Because the girl had said that she'd gone to security that night,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29explained what happened and they'd kind of said, there's
0:09:29 > 0:09:31nothing we can do.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35And that just wasn't really good enough.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38So our tour manager, whenever he has a security briefing
0:09:38 > 0:09:40with all the security, made sure they knew
0:09:40 > 0:09:40exactly what to do.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42So is this the bleak future ahead?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44The stars themselves making sure their own gigs
0:09:44 > 0:09:47are safe enough for fans?
0:09:47 > 0:09:52It's great to see some of the bands starting to call it out now,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55but you need much stronger action from the venues, from security,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58from everybody to say, actually, this is unacceptable behavior
0:09:58 > 0:10:01and if it happens, we will take action on it.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03The Home Office say they're confident the SIA's licensing
0:10:03 > 0:10:09criteria is robust ? but is that enough?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I think the Home Office are going to need to do more about this,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16because when it's affecting so many young women who are going to gigs
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and being treated like this and there's no proper action
0:10:19 > 0:10:23to follow it up, you need to look at the training, the response,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27the way the regulation system works to make sure there is strong enough
0:10:27 > 0:10:31action to deal with this.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33So the pressure is growing for the authorities to do more.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38And with venues, fans and bands leading by example,
0:10:38 > 0:10:39we're perhaps one step closer to reclaiming live
0:10:40 > 0:10:44music for everyone.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52If you've been affected by any of the issues in that film,
0:10:52 > 0:10:57head over to bbc.co.uk/actionline.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Still to come on the show...
0:11:03 > 0:11:08The story of the mystery tunnels somewhere here in Worcestershire.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11The tunnels under the ground, which would have held a small,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14small number of people, not members of the public,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17not even politicians, mainly, but administrators who would just
0:11:17 > 0:11:23about keep government going, they hoped, if a nuclear attack,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26particularly on the capital, was to take place.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31But first, Land Rovers.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Last year, we reported when the last-ever Defender rolled
0:11:33 > 0:11:35off the production line at the famous factory in Solihull.
0:11:35 > 0:11:41These vehicles have always been real collectors' items.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46Let's face it, that makes them very attractive to thieves.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48So, Glen Campbell has been finding out who's taking them
0:11:48 > 0:11:53and what's happening to them.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59They are an iconic British vehicle.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03A workhorse for the army and for farmers and also a whole generation
0:12:03 > 0:12:04of families and hobbyists.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09It is the Land Rover.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Some of these Land Rovers are worth north of ?50,000.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15The problem is, to organised gangs of car thieves,
0:12:15 > 0:12:21the Land Rover has become a top target.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23We have a couple of Facebook pages to give people
0:12:23 > 0:12:24information about the club.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Always somebody coming on there ? please help me,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28my Land Rover has been stolen.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33So, I would say it is probably once a week.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35The last Land Rover Defender rolled off the Solihull production
0:12:35 > 0:12:39line in January 2016.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Since then, this car has become one of the most stolen
0:12:42 > 0:12:43vehicles in England.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46The NFU mutual insurance company saw a surge in theft claims
0:12:46 > 0:12:48when production stopped.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51When you buy a Land Rover, you're not buying a car.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52You're buying a hobby.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55It is the heart and soul that people put into these vehicles.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58It is not just a car that people drive.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00It is a car that people love and cherish.
0:13:00 > 0:13:09Sometimes it is a car that is passed down through the family.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12The impact for these people, when they have had it stolen,
0:13:12 > 0:13:13it is like losing your dog.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14It is not nice.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17This Land Rover was the pride and joy of Leicestershire Police
0:13:17 > 0:13:19until the thieves took it apart overnight.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21It was parked outside a local police station.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22But all these stolen Land Rovers have got
0:13:22 > 0:13:24to be going somewhere, so what exactly
0:13:24 > 0:13:25is happening to them?
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Police say that high-end vehicles like these Range Rovers
0:13:27 > 0:13:29are being stolen to order and shipped abroad,
0:13:29 > 0:13:35mostly to Africa.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Older, more vintage models are equally as desirable
0:13:37 > 0:13:40to the thieves because Land Rovers were designed to be simple
0:13:40 > 0:13:43to fix out in the field, so they can be easily stripped down
0:13:43 > 0:13:46into parts, parts which are now more valuable because they are
0:13:46 > 0:13:47no longer being made.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Because they stopped making them, the spare parts
0:13:49 > 0:13:51are few and far between.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53However, unfortunately, with a box of spanners
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and an hour, you can have one in bits, completely.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02There is no code stamped on most of the parts,
0:14:02 > 0:14:07so they appear on eBay and there is a market,
0:14:07 > 0:14:08unfortunately, for stolen bits.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11John Rush is a Land Rover mechanic who was hit
0:14:11 > 0:14:12by the thieves last year.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14As someone who knows Land Rovers inside out,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18I have set him a little challenge.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Just how easy is it for the criminals to strip a Land Rover?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Well, we have come up with a little experiment.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29We're calling it Gone In 60 Minutes.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32The plan is to unbolt parts of the Land Rover until we end up
0:14:32 > 0:14:36with as big a pile of bits and as little Land Rover
0:14:36 > 0:14:42as we can finish with.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43OK, fellas, that is 23 minutes.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45With the clock ticking and multiple cameras running,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48we will check back in with John in a while.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Nathan Ricketts is a detective on the national car squad
0:14:53 > 0:14:57and he knows all the latest tricks and tactics that hard
0:14:57 > 0:15:06crime gangs are using.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Have you ever come across cases where organised car thieves
0:15:08 > 0:15:17are putting tracking devices on commuters' cars at railway
0:15:17 > 0:15:19stations, where they follow them home to steal the vehicle?
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Is that is what is happening?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25In my experience, I have come across and organised crime groups
0:15:25 > 0:15:27who were particularly selecting the high-end cars.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30They would see them in a car park or parked up at the railway
0:15:30 > 0:15:32stations or supermarkets.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33They would drive into them, basically pretending
0:15:33 > 0:15:35they had an accident, leave a note on the windscreen
0:15:35 > 0:15:38to say, I am really sorry, I have clipped your car,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41cost a bit of damage, my friend runs a paint shop,
0:15:41 > 0:15:42he will repeat it for you.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I really don't want to claim off my insurance.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47So you think, OK, brilliant, someone is willing to face up to it,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50their responsibility, they do a great job at repairing
0:15:50 > 0:15:51the little scratch on the bumper
0:15:51 > 0:15:55or a small dent, but they also clone a third key and put the tracking
0:15:55 > 0:15:56device into the vehicle.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57Car crime is now a high-tech business.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01This garage is full of top-end Range Rovers.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03The manufacturers fit all these cars with at least one tracker
0:16:03 > 0:16:05for the benefit of the owners.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07But the car gangs have a trick up their sleeve.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10They are now using one of these, a magic wand, to sniff
0:16:10 > 0:16:11the tracker and disable it.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13I will just turn that up.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15So they will know that there is something in the vehicle.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16A tracker?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18A tracker.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Now, when people steal a car, they will block the signal.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23So they will block any signal coming out of the car,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26take it to somewhere safe, take it to a side road
0:16:26 > 0:16:28or in a unit somewhere, and when they feel safe,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31they will switch this unit on and try and find
0:16:31 > 0:16:34the tracking unit.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37As soon as they find it, they'll disconnect it.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Being one step ahead of the thieves is the only way to catch them,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42and the latest gadget does just that.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44It is a tiny, highly intelligent tracker that cannot be sniffed
0:16:44 > 0:16:45out by the magic wand.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48What is the product you have come up with?
0:16:48 > 0:16:49What is the secret tracker?
0:16:49 > 0:16:50Well, and that is the point.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53I would love to be able to show you the device.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54We don't do that.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56It could be anything on the car.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57It is not one particular unit.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58It is well hidden.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00We do not talk about it.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06It could be in the headlights, it could be anywhere.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08I wouldn't be showing you any specification for it.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12We do not want the thieves to get the upper hand on us.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16And Neil's intelligent tracker is getting results.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It can run for months and send a signal from inside
0:17:19 > 0:17:22the shipping container.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Here, police are recovering Land Rovers at Southampton docks,
0:17:24 > 0:17:25just about to be shipped abroad.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27And then here they are again.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32Dozens more being recovered, this time in Uganda.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35To steal the whole car, they will take bits of the car.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37I mean, there are shots on the internet of a Land
0:17:37 > 0:17:38Rover taken to bits.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Why do they take them to bits?
0:17:40 > 0:17:41It reduces the risk.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44If you take a whole car and try and sell it or move it,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46that still is that vehicle.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47It can be identified.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50If you take it apart, it reduces the fact that it is a vehicle.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53It could look like scrap, it could look like a few car parts,
0:17:53 > 0:17:54it reduces what it is.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56And, of course, it is a stolen vehicle.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58With stolen Land Rover parts vanishing so quickly,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02police need to catch the criminals in the act.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07And that is exactly what happened to these three Land Rover thieves.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09A call from a neighbour led to a quick police
0:18:09 > 0:18:10reaction, and last October,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12this trio were handed prison sentences totalling
0:18:12 > 0:18:136.5 years in all.
0:18:13 > 0:18:19I believe it was quite a slick operation.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21These vehicles, in my mind, were going to be taken
0:18:21 > 0:18:26either to another country
0:18:26 > 0:18:29or stripped down for parts and sent out to another country for money.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Back in John's barn, how was his attempt at stripping
0:18:31 > 0:18:33a Land Rover in under one hour going?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Was it a case of gone in 60 minutes?
0:18:36 > 0:18:37Now you see it, now you don't.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38Time!
0:18:38 > 0:18:41That is a Land Rover stripped in 60 minutes.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Are you surprised that you did at this quick?
0:18:43 > 0:18:44I am quite surprised.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45Yes.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I don't think I would want to do it as a business, though.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51No. Now, put it back together.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Thank you! That would take longer.
0:18:55 > 0:19:01So I'm here in beautiful Malvern, in Worcestershire.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04It's a great place for walking and also relaxing, and it was this
0:19:04 > 0:19:06tranquillity that made it the perfect base for a top-secret
0:19:06 > 0:19:09research unit during World War II.
0:19:09 > 0:19:15It might seem hard to believe, but this small town was home
0:19:15 > 0:19:17to a team of crack scientists who developed crucial radar
0:19:17 > 0:19:23technology and played a vital role in winning World War II.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25But that is not the only link to clandestine military operations
0:19:25 > 0:19:26that Worcestershire has.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Rebecca Wood has been finding out about a network of underground
0:19:30 > 0:19:37top-secret tunnels earmarked for war-time roles.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39The Cold War.
0:19:39 > 0:19:48For decades, the world lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation.
0:19:48 > 0:19:56Had the unthinkable happened, and Britain been bombed,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58society would have had to be rebuilt from the ruins.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01And hidden under this quiet Worcestershire hillside was a secret
0:20:01 > 0:20:09government bunker that would've been central to our struggle to survive.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11What we're looking at here, the tunnels under the ground
0:20:11 > 0:20:14which would have held a small, small number of people,
0:20:14 > 0:20:15not members of the public, not even politicians,
0:20:15 > 0:20:16mainly, but administrators who were just about keep
0:20:21 > 0:20:23mainly, but administrators who would just about keep
0:20:23 > 0:20:24government going, they hoped.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27If a nuclear attack, particularly on the capital, was to take place.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29This was one of 11 regional civil defence headquarters set
0:20:29 > 0:20:31up by the Government.
0:20:31 > 0:20:37If the UK came under attack, people chosen to report for duty
0:20:37 > 0:20:40at Drakelow would have had to deal with the devastation aboveground.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45They would have been safe, but there was a price.
0:20:45 > 0:20:55They signed the Official Secrets Act, so they could not tell
0:20:57 > 0:21:00They signed the Official Secrets Act, so they could not their
0:21:00 > 0:21:01families where they were going.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04So they would give them a last hug and last kiss goodbye and then
0:21:04 > 0:21:08disappear off in the full knowledge that they are probably going to die
0:21:08 > 0:21:10a horrible death and you're going to be working down here,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and come out to a world that no-one would recognise.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15In 1945, the world had witnessed the horror unleashed
0:21:15 > 0:21:17on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20A new era of fear descended as the Second World War ended
0:21:20 > 0:21:21and two superpowers emerged.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23America and the Soviet Union amassed enough nuclear weapons
0:21:23 > 0:21:27to wipe out civilisation.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30If either side had actually pushed the button, civilisation as we knew
0:21:30 > 0:21:32it would have come to an end.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35These tunnels were earmarked to be the regional seat
0:21:35 > 0:21:41a new post-apocalyptic government.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43The British public had of course witnessed,
0:21:43 > 0:21:48at the end of the Second World War, the impact of nuclear weapons.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51What they were not aware of, to a full extent,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53was the escalation and strength of nuclear weaponry in the post-war
0:21:53 > 0:21:57period, the development of the H-bomb and the development
0:21:57 > 0:22:05of intercontinental ballistic missiles far more powerful
0:22:05 > 0:22:07than what were used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10When you hear the attack warning, you and your family must
0:22:10 > 0:22:11take cover at once.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13In the 1970s, the Government made public information films like this
0:22:13 > 0:22:14in case of nuclear attack.
0:22:14 > 0:22:20If you're caught in the open, lie down.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23They offered simple though, in hindsight, maybe questionable
0:22:23 > 0:22:25advice about what to do with the bomb dropped,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29and would only be shown if the threat became imminent.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Then, cover the wood with bags or boxes filled
0:22:31 > 0:22:38with some heavy material, like sand, earth...
0:22:38 > 0:22:41They even told you how to build a basic nuclear shelter.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43But not everyone would have been relying on doors
0:22:43 > 0:22:45and sandbags to keep them safe.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Some people designated as essential by the authorities had to live
0:22:47 > 0:22:51with the knowledge that if the four-minute morning did
0:22:51 > 0:22:54sound, they would have to come and live down
0:22:54 > 0:23:02here for who knows how long.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Everything the hundreds of military and government staff would need
0:23:05 > 0:23:08to survive once the doors were sealed was here.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Clean, filtered air and water, generators for power,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12food and communications equipment.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13They had thought of everything.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15How long would people have been able to live down here?
0:23:15 > 0:23:21During the Cold War, it would have been between 2-3 months,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25which was enough time for them to actually get plans in place
0:23:25 > 0:23:32to run the area outside when they left the bunker.
0:23:32 > 0:23:38Originally built as a secret factory for World War II aircraft parts,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40the tunnels were taken over as a Cold War bunker
0:23:40 > 0:23:42by the Ministry of Defence in 1961.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44This film, made 30 years later, shows how it would
0:23:44 > 0:23:50have looked back then.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51So, through here, during the Cold War,
0:23:51 > 0:23:52were the male dormitories.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55We have kind of turned it into a galley area so that people
0:23:55 > 0:23:56can see some artefacts.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59But, back then, there would have been bunk beds in here,
0:23:59 > 0:24:00so we can just see...
0:24:00 > 0:24:06Oh, gosh!
0:24:06 > 0:24:09So there we have some stuff donated to us by the British Army.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11But how would you sleep down here had World War III
0:24:11 > 0:24:13actually broken out, not knowing what was really
0:24:13 > 0:24:17happening to the world outside?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19This is the wartime broadcasting service.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22This country has been attacked with nuclear weapons.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Communications have been severely disrupted...
0:24:26 > 0:24:28For those suffering inside, there was a lifeline.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Broadcasts like these would let people know
0:24:30 > 0:24:33that they had not been abandoned.
0:24:33 > 0:24:34Meanwhile, stay tuned to this wavelength, stay calm
0:24:34 > 0:24:40and stay in your home.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Every regional government headquarters had a BBC studio
0:24:42 > 0:24:46to broadcast essential information to survivors.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Simon was a BBC engineer who would be expected to go
0:24:49 > 0:24:53into one of the studios.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56It was his job to get the day-to-day survival information out.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Advice will be given to you on the radio,
0:24:58 > 0:24:59so keep listening.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Where are we going to get the food from?
0:25:02 > 0:25:03Where are we going to get milk from?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Is milk going to be contaminated?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Is the water safe to drink?
0:25:07 > 0:25:08Those sort of things.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10That is only...
0:25:10 > 0:25:16That is what would have been happening, you know.
0:25:16 > 0:25:16What about the hospital?
0:25:16 > 0:25:20I've got health care.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Somebody is having a baby, what are we going to do?
0:25:23 > 0:25:24All those sorts of things.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26That is the essential information that would have been broadcast.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30But how would they know what to say?
0:25:30 > 0:25:31Throughout the Midlands, there were smaller bunkers
0:25:31 > 0:25:34like this one in Staffordshire, gathering vital information.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37And these are the aboveground post-instruments.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39These measured the bomb blast and the levels
0:25:39 > 0:25:40of radioactive fallout in the air.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43But it was underground that the real work of
0:25:43 > 0:25:44the Royal Observer Corps happened.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46There we are. Welcome.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50So, this is where you would have been stationed.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54This is where we would have been in the event of a nuclear attack.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56This would have been the home for three of us
0:25:56 > 0:25:59for up to a fortnight.
0:25:59 > 0:26:05In here, you would have been taking readings,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08and then what would have happened to the information you got?
0:26:08 > 0:26:12How would you have got that out?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15We have our post teletalk, which is that these there.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17That is our direct communications to group headquarters.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19That is where all the readings and any other relevant information
0:26:19 > 0:26:24that we gathered was passed.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27It all fed into the secret underground network and would have
0:26:27 > 0:26:30been used by the Government to help civilians.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33But, despite careful planning and millions of pounds spent
0:26:33 > 0:26:38preparing the country for a nuclear attack, realistically,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40would we have been ready if the missiles hit?
0:26:40 > 0:26:42The breakdown in civilisation and communication would have been
0:26:42 > 0:26:48so colossal, so comprehensive, it seems unlikely that
0:26:48 > 0:26:51a World War II set of tunnels, taken over and used to try to defend
0:26:51 > 0:26:56ourselves against what was late 20th-century nuclear
0:26:56 > 0:26:58weaponry...
0:26:58 > 0:27:00It would have been a rather forlorn hope.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Thankfully, we never found out.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06And by the early 1990s, the Cold War had come to an end.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Bunkers were decommissioned and sold off by the MOD.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Drakelow Tunnels are now privately owned, and a group
0:27:12 > 0:27:15of volunteers want to share the subterranean secrets.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17You have big plans for them, haven't you?
0:27:17 > 0:27:22Yes.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25We are looking at turning the regional government
0:27:25 > 0:27:26headquarter area into a museum.
0:27:26 > 0:27:32We would like to show the different ages of the bunker.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36So, from World War II, all the way through the Cold War, to the 1990s.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39We think it will be a great place for people to learn
0:27:39 > 0:27:40the history of our recent wars.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Drakelow's defensive role ended along with the Cold War.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44But as threats to our national security still exist,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46so do some secret bunkers.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47They do have other bunkers.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50They have some in Corsham, down in Wiltshire, that basically
0:27:50 > 0:27:57no-one really knows much about.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Corsham is the type of place that you would drive down
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and if you park your car at the side of the road, the MOD police
0:28:03 > 0:28:06would come down and move you off quite quickly.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11And maybe one day, those bunkers will give up their secrets, too.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15What a wonderful film.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Before we go, don't forget, if you have missed anything,
0:28:18 > 0:28:19head over to the iPlayer.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22And we are also on Twitter - @bbciowm.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Or email me at ayo@bbc.co.uk.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27That is your lot for tonight.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30We will see you at the same time next week.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Have a good one, bye-bye.