- 7 weeks ago
Crimewatch Live S22E05 (10 Oct 2025)
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00:01Welcome to the programme.
00:03Today a rapist used his position as a hotel manager to attack female guests.
00:09His role gave him the opportunity to exploit vulnerable victims.
00:14The allegations went back a significant period of time.
00:17How big is this investigation going to be and how many victims are out there?
00:23The Met Police are with us to urge any other potential victims to come forward.
00:28This is Crimewatch Live.
00:31We've been jamming the switchboard both here and at the instant room.
00:35Just to remind you, this was the abduction and reno-drop campaign and the handgun debate.
00:42Hello and welcome to Crimewatch.
00:44Well, people rang and giving the same of those fantastic results.
00:48Good morning and thank you for watching.
00:58I should say your calls have already made a huge difference this week.
01:02So do please stay with us.
01:03Yeah, they really have.
01:04Now, today a family's plea to be reunited with their mum's jewellery after it was stolen from her home just days after she passed away.
01:12Someone out there is going to know who he is, surely.
01:14They must have, they're such clear images, aren't they?
01:17And we'll see how a trio of Cambridgeshire cops got more than they bargained for when they confronted a balaclava-wearing brute.
01:25Over the air, I hear help us.
01:29Help us, help us, help us.
01:30Fly, let's turn to five.
01:31He's got a gun.
01:32He's got a gun.
01:33He could have pulled the gun and shot any of us at any point.
01:35You're also under a session of a firearm.
01:38And we'll be hearing some incredible updates from recent appeals we've run including how police closed in on the man responsible for the brutal killing of mum of six Anita Rose.
01:48We just haven't, we haven't got our mum and our mum isn't here to look after us anymore.
01:59As ever, our team and the officers from today are here ready to take your calls.
02:05Just scan our QR code below using your phone's camera and follow the link to see all of our contact details.
02:11But you can call us on 08000 468 999.
02:16You can text us on 633 99.
02:19Start with the word crime, leave a space and then write your message.
02:22Or just send us an email at cwl at bbc.co, excuse me, dot UK.
02:28But first, this spring a man called Ahmed Fahmy was sentenced to ten years for sexually assaulting women who were unlucky enough to be staying at one of the hotels he worked in.
02:39He may have been convicted, but the Met Police still need your help.
02:43This film has some distressing descriptions.
02:46His role gave him the opportunity to exploit vulnerable victims.
02:52The allegations went back a significant period of time that all had a similar MO.
02:59How big is this investigation going to be and how many victims are out there?
03:09On the 21st of January 2024, the Metropolitan Police were made aware of a female who was confused in one of the parks areas.
03:21The woman was a tourist who had been staying at a hotel with friends.
03:26She spoke to a female police officer and at that point made a disclosure that she'd been raped on the previous evening by the hotel manager.
03:38She had been out with friends to a club that evening.
03:42She had travelled back to the hotel on her own.
03:45And on realising she didn't have a hotel key, she spoke to the hotel manager.
03:50And he explained to her that he didn't have another room for her, but that she would be able to stay in his room.
03:56During the night, the victim was raped.
04:09She wakes up in the morning, around six o'clock, and she sees the hotel manager standing over her.
04:16The victim made her way out of the room and found her friends who were staying in different rooms at the same hotel.
04:31She goes and speaks to her friends who she'd been separated from.
04:35Her friend explained to her that she had also returned to the hotel that night and she didn't have a key.
04:41And the hotel manager said to her that she had to pay £80 for an additional room,
04:47that this room didn't come with a key, and that it should be alright and that no one would enter.
04:55And she woke in the night to the hotel manager, licking her feet.
05:01She remembers being incredibly tired at the time and told him to leave, pushed him away with her feet.
05:11And immediately fell back to sleep.
05:13Later on in the night, she woke again, to this time with him sucking her toes and licking her feet.
05:21At which point, she again told him to leave.
05:24Following that, the group of girls confronted the hotel manager and said that they would leave.
05:34He said to them, well, before you do that, I need to make you aware that £2,000 has been stolen by one of your party.
05:43Looking back, I'd suggest, was a form of manipulation or control to prevent them from reporting anything.
05:48In any event, they left the hotel that day.
05:51Knowing the full story, officers moved quickly to arrest the hotel manager, Ahmed Farmi.
05:59You're currently under arrest.
06:01Why?
06:02On suspicion of rape.
06:05Whoa!
06:06OK, you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence.
06:08Do not mention when questioned, something which you may later rely on in court.
06:11Ahmed Farmi, on being interviewed about the allegations, said that the sex that had taken place had been consensual.
06:24And he had said that he hadn't or there had been no touching or licking of anybody's feet.
06:34Officers obtained CCTV from the night of the attacks and could clearly see Farmi prowling the hotel corridors.
06:42We see that Ahmed Farmi enters a third room.
06:45Now, we know that Ahmed Farmi doesn't do anything in that room because it's for a matter of seconds.
07:03But that was a point, I think, in the investigation when the team took a step back almost and went,
07:09wow, you know, was he looking to commit another offence there?
07:13Or what was he doing in someone else's room?
07:15And that's when we had to really think, you know, how wide was the offending of Ahmed Farmi?
07:20We had someone who I believe presented a significant risk to the public.
07:30And the right thing to do was to look into Ahmed Farmi's past.
07:35We were able to see that a number of allegations had been made against him.
07:39So it was quite alarming.
07:41The allegations went back a significant period of time, some 17 years.
07:46They centred around him working within the hotel industry,
07:51either as the manager targeting employees or targeting guests.
07:56And one thing stood out, a number of the offences were centred around feet
08:01and what appeared to be a sexual fetish or desire in respect of feet.
08:06And that extended to allegations of, you know, massaging people's feet,
08:11licking people's feet, touching people's feet.
08:16A case that came to our attention was a case from 2008.
08:25When we investigated that, the victim told us that she had attended Ahmed Farmi's home address
08:30because he had offered her an interview for a job in a hotel.
08:33And he had said that he had studied podiatry, so because she was going to be on her feet a lot in her role,
08:43he would need to examine her feet.
08:45And he asked her to take off her shoes.
08:49And he began to massage her feet.
08:52During doing so, he then went to kiss her and she pulled away and told him that's not what she was there for.
09:04No further action was taken at that time because there wasn't sufficient evidence.
09:09It was in light of the new allegations that were made that we were able to review that.
09:14There were multiple victims who didn't know each other, hadn't communicated with each other,
09:19but they were all saying the same or very similar things.
09:23Ahmed Farmi was charged with a number of offences all the way from 2008 through to 2024.
09:31Following a trial, he was convicted in relation to rape in regards to one of the victims
09:37and sexual assaults against three other victims.
09:43Ahmed Farmi was sentenced to a period of ten years in custody with three years on extended licence.
09:49There was a real sense of relief at that point.
09:54However, I know from looking at the frequency with which he's alleged to have offended
09:59and the type of victims that he targeted,
10:03I have to consider whether there are other victims out there.
10:10While this is clearly a deeply disturbing case,
10:13and while we're relieved he's now behind bars,
10:16this is certainly not the end of the investigation.
10:19I'm now with DC James Gomm from the Met Police.
10:22Thanks for coming in, James.
10:23Can you just recap what we just heard there about the sentence that Farmi got?
10:28Yes.
10:29Ahmed Farmi was convicted of one rape and three sexual assaults,
10:33for which he is now imprisoned for ten years,
10:35with another three years extended on licence.
10:38He's going to be on the Sex Offenders Register for life,
10:40and he also has an order that prevents him from ever working in the hospitality industry.
10:45OK, so that is a strong conviction,
10:47but the reason you are here is because you actually think there may well be further victims out there.
10:53Yes, this investigation was launched in January 2024,
10:56after a report of rape and sexual assault at a hotel in West Heath Drive in Barmuth.
11:02As we dug further into Farmi's background, we unearth allegations that dated back to 2008,
11:08and these allegations typically involved sexual acts with feet.
11:13Now, we know that he's worked in a variety of hotels, typically as a night manager,
11:18and we want people to know that we're still looking into him,
11:21and hopefully that will give them the confidence for any further victim survivors
11:25that there might be to come forward, not just here, but in the rest of the world as well.
11:29We hope some people do come forward, because this man, Ahmed Farmi,
11:33he's distinctive, not just the MO that you just mentioned with his fixation with feet,
11:37but actually his physical appearance as well.
11:40Yes, you're right. He's quite a tall, imposing figure.
11:43He's over six foot five, and yes, he does seem to have a fixation, a strong interest with feet.
11:51As I said, he's worked in a number of hotels, and he would have had access to rooms,
11:56and in some cases women found that he'd entered the room without their knowledge and carried out these acts.
12:02Absolutely chilling. Well, we can see now a map of some of the areas where he has actually worked,
12:07or you've known that he has worked at some point. Can you just talk us through these, James?
12:11Yes. This is a list of places where some offences have taken place, or he has worked.
12:19There's nothing to suggest that the hotel's involved, and no way to blame whatsoever.
12:24But there's the Anker Hotel on West Heath Drive in Barnet.
12:28We also have the Royal Sunborne Yacht in Royal Victoria Docks in East London.
12:33We know he's worked at the Ibis Hotel in Southway in Wembley,
12:36and we know also that he's worked for a very short time in a complete Angler Hotel,
12:40which is a hotel in Marlow.
12:42OK, and there's one other location. It's not a hotel, this one,
12:46but it's another area that you believe he may have frequented at some point that is of interest to you.
12:52Yes, not a hotel, as you suggest. It is a residence in Alliance Close in Wembley that he has a connection to.
12:58OK, so who do you really want to hear from today?
13:01We want to know if you've stayed in these hotels and something like this has happened to you.
13:05You will be listened to and supported with specialist officers, and we wish to take the report from you.
13:11Again, it could be for people who are in the UK, or maybe people who have not lived in the UK,
13:16just due to the nature of the hotel business and the patrons.
13:20But as you say, it is so important for people to have the confidence to come forward,
13:24as you mentioned, there will be specialist officers and staff who can speak to them,
13:28can take those all-important details. James, thank you.
13:32Do please pick up the phone if you want to report anything about this awful series of crimes.
13:38The contact details are on screen.
13:40Now, I'm joined by Stephanie Grimshaw from Welsh Women's Aid, an organisation that provides help and resources for women that have experienced forms of sexual or domestic abuse.
13:50Hi, Stephanie. Thank you so much for joining us.
13:52So, Stephanie, first of all, why would people maybe feel that they can't report a crime like this?
13:58There's a lot of reasons for that, and there are a lot of barriers that kind of make it more and more difficult for a survivor to come forward,
14:05whether they're telling a loved one, whether they're telling the police.
14:08They're not always safe spaces, so it's really important for those conversations to go really well.
14:13It's also really difficult to actually leave abusive situations, so it takes on average about seven times for a survivor to leave an abusive situation.
14:21So imagine having to figure that out whilst also facing the potential idea of disclosing what's happened to them.
14:27It's a tall order, really.
14:29Yeah, it is. It's a lot to deal with.
14:31And also sometimes there seems to be an element of shame, which I don't understand at all.
14:36Surely there should be no shame associated with this?
14:38Yeah, there absolutely shouldn't be no shame. And the shame that survivors feel is completely misplaced.
14:43But it comes from a society that's built up and the mechanisms that are built up to place this blame on survivors.
14:50So whether that's asking questions like, why didn't you leave? How drunk you were? What were you wearing?
14:55And also when we're at school, we've got, you know, well, he's only being mean to you because he fancies you.
14:59We're in a society, unfortunately, that normalises violence against women and girls.
15:04And we need to make it very clear through conversations like this that the things that are happening are not OK.
15:10And more importantly, you've not caused them in any way whatsoever.
15:13Yeah, that's such an important message.
15:15And Welsh Women's Aid support victims of domestic abuse as well as sexual assault.
15:19He tells a wee bit about the work that you do.
15:21Yeah, so Welsh Women's Aid runs the Live Fear Free helpline.
15:25And if you call the Live Fear Free helpline, there's really well trained advocates who will listen to what's happened.
15:31Or even if you want to call because you want to support someone and you're not sure what to say, you can ring those helpline numbers.
15:37It's completely anonymous and you can talk through your challenges and look at the kind of next steps, whether you do want to go to the police or whether you need kind of localised support.
15:46They have good connections like that.
15:48Yeah. And talking of talking, these conversations are so important to have, aren't they?
15:52Absolutely. Someone could be watching this or similar programmes and they don't realise that that's happened to me and I did not know that that was a crime or I did not know that that is violence against women and girls.
16:03So having conversations about this where we explore topics like this, whilst it is really difficult, you know, and we can't name everything that could happen, you know, it starts to trigger those kind of realisations in people that this shouldn't have happened to me.
16:18And there are steps I can take to seek some justice, hopefully.
16:22Yeah, absolutely. And perpetrators can use quite sophisticated methods to keep survivors within that abuse circle, can't they?
16:29Unfortunately, yeah, many perpetrators use their positions of power to keep that lack of knowledge away from that survivor.
16:36And, you know, people in positions of authority do have that kind of weight to them.
16:41And it's really important that we don't allow that weight.
16:43And we say that no matter who you are, you are not allowed to commit violence against women and girls.
16:48And it is absolutely not OK.
16:50It is definitely not OK. And you can really sense your passion there as well.
16:53Why is it something you care so deeply about?
16:56Yeah. So whilst anyone who is passionate about it doesn't have to experience violence against women and girls, I did experience adverse experiences as a child.
17:04And I didn't understand that whilst I knew it was bad and I didn't like what was going on, I didn't understand that actually that person doesn't have a right to do what they were doing.
17:13So I think it's really important, like to link it back to these conversations.
17:16You know, if someone sees that and goes that happened to me, I didn't like it, but I didn't really know that it wasn't allowed.
17:22We can then take the next step saying, right, that wasn't allowed to happen.
17:26Where do I go next? And that's where support services are really important.
17:29Yeah, I think just to sort of really highlight that point, you said those conversations are vital because people might be experiencing it saying this isn't something I obviously enjoy.
17:38It's not something that I want to be part of, but they don't necessarily realise it's wrong.
17:42Yeah, absolutely.
17:43And that's you saying from your experience, that's something that that's why the support in Welsh Women's Aid is there.
17:48Yeah, it's absolutely vital because we don't know who might, like I said, who might be watching something, having that awful realisation that this has happened to me, it shouldn't have happened to me.
17:57And then they're left with not knowing where to go.
18:00So it's really important that those support services are there to be able to take in that information.
18:05And also someone might not be ready to go to the police, although that is something.
18:08And that's OK, isn't it?
18:09Yeah, absolutely.
18:10That's important.
18:11It's really important.
18:12But what comes first is looking after that survivor and actually making sure they're in a place to understand what they've been through.
18:17And then they might be able to feel stronger to go to the police.
18:21Yeah, exactly.
18:22The support is there.
18:23That's the important message.
18:24So thank you so much.
18:25You're doing incredible work and we really appreciate you coming in to talk to us today.
18:28Thank you so much.
18:29And remember, you can visit BBC Action Line if you need any information on groups or agencies that can offer support with this issue.
18:38Coming up, we'll be meeting some fire and rescue workers who are toughening up for the British firefighter challenge.
18:47But first, we wanted to share some more positive updates on appeal that we've recently run with you.
18:56Earlier this year, we spoke to Police Scotland about a 30-year-old cold case into the tragic murder of mother of one, Shona Stevens.
19:04Shona was brutally attacked in broad daylight in Irvine back in 1994.
19:09She died as a result of her injuries just a few days later in hospital.
19:12Her daughter spoke to us about the impact that her mum's killing had had on her and how important it was, even all these years later, to find the person who did this.
19:23She was my inspiration.
19:30I was seven years old when I lost my mum.
19:34I was used to seeing her every day and then all of a sudden I was taken aside and told,
19:40Oh, your mum's at a hospital.
19:43I've been...
19:44She's not well.
19:49Well, shortly after we ran that appeal, a 67-year-old man was arrested.
19:53He has since been charged with Shona's murder.
19:56And we'll, of course, update you on how that plays out as soon as we can.
20:00And in October last year, we had another heart-wrenching appeal from the parents of Matthew Dalby,
20:05a teenager who was fatally stabbed in July 2023 in Ormskirk, Lancashire.
20:10Matthew's distraught parents, Gary and Angela, gave an emotional plea.
20:14The yearning to see Matthew again is overwhelming.
20:27I would give anything, anything in the world, a five minutes with Matthew.
20:32Just five minutes.
20:37Well, since then, we are so pleased to share that in July this year,
20:4122-year-old Thomas Durez was found guilty of Matthew's murder
20:46and sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison.
20:49Another man, Henry Houghton, was also jailed last year for a minimum of 20 years for his role in Matthew's murder.
20:56Last October, we also ran an appeal into the senseless murder of mother of six Anita Rose,
21:02who was left for dead after going on a dog walk.
21:05This is what's happened since.
21:11My mum, she's a beautiful, strong, independent woman.
21:16She's funny and she's so kind.
21:21I've got four brothers and a sister.
21:25And she looks after all of us and we miss her.
21:30On Wednesday, the 24th of July, 2024, Anita Rose had taken her dog Bruce out for a walk in the Suffolk village of Brantham.
21:49Anita and Bruce circled the church and walked down south on Rectory Lane out into the open countryside.
21:59At 6.25am, a male cycling found Anita unconscious on the path.
22:05He could see facial injuries and immediately called an ambulance.
22:09Bruce, her dog, was by her side with the lead wrapped round her leg.
22:13Anita was rushed to Adam Brooks Hospital.
22:16Her injuries that she sustained, she didn't look like my mum.
22:23The doctors tried to do what they could, but she passed away on the Sunday morning.
22:34A murder investigation was launched.
22:44Detectives quickly established that Anita's jacket, phone case and earbuds were all missing.
22:50They spoke to more than 3,000 people in the area and trawled through CCTV.
22:56Crucially, one camera showed Anita just minutes before she was killed.
23:00Just 16 minutes later, a man was seen walking in the same direction.
23:05Police asked for the public's help to find him.
23:15We've got an image here that we can see. Talk us through this.
23:18That's right. If you are that person or you know that person, please come forward.
23:23The day after that appeal, a police officer in Manningtree spotted someone who he thought was the same man on the CCTV and took his photo.
23:33The man claimed to be called John Leslie, but when he gave his real date of birth and phone number, police were able to identify him as Roy Barclay.
23:42Barclay had previously been jailed for a violent attack on an elderly man in Essex and was wanted by police for breaching his parole terms.
23:51A few days later, officers tracked him down to Ipswich County Library.
23:55Hi, Roy. Roy, my name's PC. I'm from Suffolk and Stowberry.
24:00It's time I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Anita Rose in Brownfield and Suffolk on Wednesday 24th of July.
24:06Detectives discovered that Barclay had spent the last two years hiding from police in secret camps.
24:13One was just a mile from where Anita Rose was attacked and when police searched another,
24:18they found a pair of earbuds containing Anita's DNA.
24:22In August 2025, Roy Barclay was jailed for life for Anita Rose's murder and ordered to serve at least 25 years.
24:31We don't understand how someone could brutally, horrifically attack someone when they're walking their dog.
24:41We just haven't, we haven't got our mum and our mum isn't here to look after us anymore.
24:56It really is such a sad case, but a fantastic result to have that dangerous man behind bars so quickly.
25:11Now, we have an appeal from Bedfordshire Police who really need your help finding a man in relation to a burglary.
25:19We're joined now by DS Jason Wheeler to find out more.
25:22Jason, good morning. Thanks for coming in. What can you tell us about this horrible crime?
25:26Yes, on the 9th of May this year, around 7pm, a male attended a semi-detached property in Luton, which is showing there on the map.
25:35He's tried to force open a key safe at the front of the property and has then gone round the front of the property, smashed a window and then the property was burgled.
25:46Okay, and we're going to come to the amount of property and what was stolen in a moment, because it is quite staggering and a huge sentimental value.
25:54But the reason the property was actually empty at the time, it's actually heartbreaking, isn't it?
25:59Yes, unfortunately, the lady who lived at the property recently died, literally days before the burglary.
26:07So it's been really terrible for the family. Devastating.
26:11Yeah, double hit. So not only was it burgled, a massive amount stolen, but as you say, she's recently just passed away.
26:16Now, some positive news is she had a video doorbell and that has got some really clear images of someone you want to speak to.
26:24Just talk us through what we're seeing here, Jason.
26:26She did. This is a male approaching the front of the property.
26:30He rings the doorbell and then stands there for a couple of minutes, but returns five minutes later with a screwdriver.
26:40A pair of them red and black gloves, as you can see, tries to force open the key safe.
26:46Yeah, we can see that there, and that's just literally minutes later.
26:49Literally minutes.
26:50And this is the individual here. Really clear image of that person there.
26:53As you say, literally trying to force open a key safe with that screwdriver there.
26:58Now, just off camera, this is what happened there. The burglary took place and window was smashed.
27:04It had gone inside. That's right.
27:06And a massive amount of property was stolen, around £30,000 worth of jewellery.
27:11Some of which we can see here on screen.
27:14It's not just the value though, is it, Jason? It was hugely sentimental to this family.
27:19Hugely sentimental. The jewellery was going to be passed down through the ladies' children.
27:25And not only have they had to suffer the death of their mother, but also losing family heirlooms and jewellery.
27:32Incredibly sad. And as I say, some of that jewellery is on screen now. It's worth just taking a look at.
27:37Now, you've got these images. You've got the clear images of the person you want to speak to.
27:41You've done a lot of work, haven't you, trying to find out just who he is.
27:45Just tell us some of what you've done.
27:46I have. We've sent this still out across forces.
27:49I've also placed this image on social media platforms.
27:54And also we use something called facial recognition.
27:58Unfortunately, he hasn't been negative, all them inquiries.
28:02He's either not known to the police or he could be from a foreign country.
28:09He could be visiting or, as you say, not known, but at the moment we haven't got him.
28:13However, we've got a lot of pairs of eyes at home at the moment that can take a look at this person.
28:17So let's just play that one more time as he walks in here, because he's quite distinctive in many ways.
28:23Not just his physical stature there, but the clothing he's wearing, the logo on the front, the red hat.
28:28There's a lot there, isn't it? As well as this lovely, clear image of his face.
28:33Surely someone will recognise this individual.
28:36We're really hopeful someone's going to recognise him.
28:38Yeah. So our viewers at home now, how can they help you today?
28:42If you know this male, then please, please get in touch with us.
28:46I'm in contact with the family and they're distraught and they'd really like him.
28:52Yeah, they want some answers, don't they? They want some answers.
28:55And of course, they want this jewellery back. They do.
28:58They want it back and they want to know who this person is.
29:01Hopefully we can get some answers.
29:02And if anyone is watching this at home, Jason, and they're nervous, they're worried about their own property.
29:07Is there any quick, simple advice that you can give people just to try and keep their homes as safe and secure as possible?
29:14Yeah, it sounds simple, but keep your doors locked, windows locked, valuable items out of view.
29:22These doorbells are good and also sensor lights and not only outside, but also inside.
29:30All of that is simple, but really, really worthwhile advice.
29:33Jason, thank you. Have a good look at the image. If you can help, please do get in touch.
29:37Now, I've come behind the scenes here at BBC Wales to meet some of the crew from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
29:46You're here to tell us about the British Firefighter Challenge.
29:49Dominic, Kim, lovely to see you. Thank you so much for joining us.
29:52Now, Dominic, tell us, what is the British Firefighter Challenge?
29:55The British Firefighter Challenge is a race we run every year up and down the country.
30:00It's open to all firefighters, serving or retired, to come and test their fitness and just to challenge themselves against and with some of the kits and techniques that we use.
30:09OK. And this is not just any old obstacle course, is it, Kim? Because you've got proper gear.
30:14This is actual sort of things you do in training, isn't it?
30:17Yep. So, obviously, we're using the casualty drag here. These casualties are about 70 kgs.
30:24So, looking at your average shoo-man, training to pull them out of buildings.
30:29So, nice and heavy, hose running out on instant grounds for fires, anything, really.
30:37RTC equipment, big lifting carries.
30:41And these are things you do not just for a challenge, but, like, day-to-day to make sure you're up to speed.
30:44So, day-to-day we'll be doing a lot of this at incidents and on tour.
30:50Yeah. And, Dominic, talk us through, Kim told us some of the bits and pieces there, what's happening behind us.
30:54We've got Ket Lane out here, you've got sledgehammers happening in the background.
30:58Yeah, we've got sledgehammers. This is the way we actually train.
31:01We do have machines on the day on the race, but, yeah, we're forced entry, so we obviously have to gain entry for ambulance or police,
31:07or if there's a fire, we'll have to gain entry to a building.
31:11Making up and rolling out hoses.
31:13Obviously, the dummy carries and drags.
31:16And then we've got the two hose packs, which we call them Cleveland Lays.
31:19Yeah. Which are for high-rise.
31:21So, obviously, we put them up our shoulder and we'll climb the stairs to the high-rise builder.
31:25So much equipment, so much to think about.
31:27And it's about a lot of endurance as well, isn't it, Kim?
31:30I mean, even wearing the kit must be hard work.
31:32Yeah, so the kit adds almost 16 kg, nearly.
31:36So, you're looking at your own body weight plus some and all your equipment.
31:41It does get a little uncomfortable at times.
31:44I can imagine, but why is that endurance so important in your role?
31:48On a day-to-day basis, we don't know what we're facing.
31:51So, you could be doing something really small, right down to, obviously, RTCs, carrying around equipment.
32:00Like, just keeping that endurance so that you're ready and prepared for anything that comes along.
32:05Yeah, exactly. You can't just stop mid-job, can you? You've got to keep it going.
32:08No.
32:09But also, this is a bit of fun. It's competition. There's some serious elements to it.
32:13But there also is another message that you want to put out to the public for this, isn't it, Dominic?
32:17Yeah, we do. When we run the challenges and things like that, we do try and have a safety village alongside it.
32:22So, we're getting across our community safety and safety in terms of road safety and things like that.
32:29We get those messages out there.
32:31But we also try and get an inclusive part to the race.
32:35It's open to the day you join, even to retired firefighters.
32:39So, they come along and catch up with their old crews, male, female.
32:44It's a completely inclusive race.
32:47Yeah, that sounds absolutely brilliant.
32:48And it's something that's quite good, as well, for getting the public involved.
32:51Because it's not just for the firefighters, is it, Kim?
32:53No, so, with obviously, like, the community coming down to watch, it gets them all involved in seeing what we do, how we do it.
33:02They're aware that we're able to do our jobs, puts a little bit of trust in us, and it opens up a bit of recruitment potential as well.
33:11Because you come down and you see us doing this, and it's all exciting, and you kind of want to give it a go, see if you can do it.
33:18Yeah, it's quite inspiring.
33:19I mean, I kind of want to give that a go, but I'm also quite tired just looking at it.
33:23As we've said, there's a big competitive element to it.
33:26It's not just in the UK, though. You were talking about potentially going international.
33:30Yeah, there's a big circuit in America and Canada where it actually started this kind of sport.
33:36It was set out as a fitness test, and the person who designed it came back a couple of months later and realised there were times on the wall.
33:45And he then realised that they were actually competing against each other to complete the race.
33:51And that's born the firefighter challenge across the globe, then.
33:55That's amazing. So how often does this happen? Is this an annual event here for you, or do you do it regularly?
34:00The British happens once a year, the last weekend of July, but we do have regionals.
34:05We have one in Wales, the south coast, up in the north, Midlands, Oxfordshire are going to come on board this year, and then across Europe, then.
34:14That's amazing. And have you both competed? What have the results been? Have you been quite...
34:21From last year to this year, there's been big improvements, and I've started to podium, so...
34:28Oh, very nice. And what about you, Dominic?
34:31I do okay in my age group, but that's only because there's not many left in us.
34:36I like that. There's different categories, and you're doing some amazing work.
34:39As I said, it's very important. A bit of healthy competition as well, guys.
34:42Thank you so much for all the amazing work you're doing, and well done to the guys who are still doing their exercises today.
34:46I'm knackered just thinking about it.
34:48Now, another set of first responders were put through their paces when they gave chase to a suspect.
34:54Little did they realise what they would be confronted with.
34:58Stay there! Stay there! You're going to hit me!
35:00He had a full bataclava on, dressed all in dark.
35:04He's off! He's off! Stay there! Please don't do it!
35:07And then over the air, I just hear, help us.
35:10Help us! Help us! Help us!
35:11His flight has turned to five.
35:14Get on the floor! Nicky and bladed article!
35:16Get on the floor!
35:18He's got a gun! He's got a gun!
35:19He could have pulled the gun and shot any of us at any point.
35:22You also have the arrest session of the firearm.
35:31My name's Harvey Noble. I'm a PC.
35:35I'm PC Chris Winchester.
35:37I'm PC James Ferris. I work for Cambridge Constabulary.
35:43The neighbourhood policing team I work on focus on community engagement, problem solving,
35:48and then also we work on targeted action.
35:50So taking action towards criminals, organised crime groups and persons who are causing issues in the community.
35:58Our team is very enthusiastic about our work.
36:00We like catching people, getting the bad guys.
36:03There's been an increase in robberies using mopeds and e-bikes.
36:09They're fast. They're nimble.
36:11They can go down alleyways and pedestrianised areas.
36:14We go out on patrols in order to locate the criminals who are using stolen bikes to commit the robberies.
36:20September 19th, 2024, I was with my colleague PC Ferris, James.
36:29He was passenger when I was driving.
36:31We were in a hotspot for robberies, Mill Road, Cambridge.
36:35It was about five minutes into our patrol and I see one of these e-bikes and I looked at the rider and he had a full bataclava on, dressed all in dark.
36:47A gut instinct kind of hit and we had to stop that bike.
36:52He was heading down a road where there is a known bollard system where these bikes can get through them and they know police cars can't follow.
37:04Thankfully, my colleague Harvey was there waiting for him.
37:08He sees Harvey and he takes a left.
37:11Stay there! Stay there! You're near me!
37:13I've basically stood in the alleyway just to try and stop him from coming through.
37:21I can see Harvey running after him on foot.
37:23And as we're catching up, he decamps the bike.
37:27He's off! He's off! Stay there, mate! Stay there!
37:29Please not to a taser!
37:31It is a dead end, but he keeps running.
37:34I've identified myself at this point. I've shouted, police officer with a taser, stay there.
37:39And he's turned around and he's run back towards me.
37:41So now it's like his flight has turned to fight.
37:46I've gone to get hold of him and he's managed to barge past.
37:52Thankfully, Chris was there.
37:55Go for me!
37:57He managed to get past James back towards me.
38:00So I've grabbed hold of him and we've had a real kind of tussle with him.
38:04Hang up on! Hang up on! Get off me! Hang up on!
38:08Hang up on!
38:09We get him on the floor and then he manages to get back onto his feet with me and Chris on him.
38:14Woohoo!
38:16Get on the floor, mate!
38:18Get on the floor!
38:19I just hear shouting from the end of the road and then over the air I just hear James say, help us.
38:26Help us! Help us! Help us!
38:28That was a shock for them two. I've not really heard them say that before. So I've started running.
38:35I felt like I took ages to get there.
38:42Yeah, units first.
38:44I get round the corner, the suspect's on the floor and they're both on top of him.
38:48I just look down and there's a sort of zombie style knife in a sheath hanging out of his waistband.
38:55Get on the floor!
38:56Nick Kim played an article! Nick Kim played an article!
38:59But I was also concerned as, like, there was a lot of screaming going on. Has it been used? Is there something else that's been used?
39:07I just needed to get the knife away from my colleagues and away out of the suspect's reach and to think that someone was carrying that is quite scary.
39:14I've used my Parva spray. So I've sprayed that in his face just to try and get him detained and we've managed to get the handcuffs on.
39:29Handcuffs on! I'm not resisting! Stop resisting! You are!
39:34I'm thinking, Harvey's found a knife. Has he got any other weapons? There's only one reason why he was carrying that and that was to inflict pain on someone.
39:42And I noticed that he had his man bag on him.
39:46And I opened that and pulled out a gun.
39:49Massive knife!
39:51You've got a gun! You've got a gun! You've also had an arrest session of a firearm!
39:55I guess I was in shock for a minute or so.
39:59I suppose later on you think, what could have happened? He could have pulled the gun and shot any of us at any point.
40:06We managed to search the rest of him and we had, I think, about £4,000 worth of solid cocaine.
40:12In his pocket and then over £2,000 in cash.
40:16To have a kind of full whammy of a gun, a knife and the drugs and the cash, it was quite a surprise and it goes to show we were in the right place at the right time.
40:28I want to know what the end game was for the firearm. Was it going to be used to murder someone?
40:34He was fully equipped for whatever he wanted to do that night.
40:37The suspect was a man called Jermaine Rowe. Rowe was actually someone we were looking for and someone who was linked to knife point robberies.
40:48He got sentenced for six and a half years. So overall, it's a good result.
40:56Looking back, I could see that we put ourselves in an incredibly dangerous situation.
41:00It's not until you kind of get home, you think about the what ifs. What if he used the gun? What if I had the fight on my own and James and Chris weren't there? There's all those things that you think about.
41:11We come out with a good result and we're all still here.
41:16We've always said in our team, if you lose the fight, you lose the streets. So it was a fight we had to win and thankfully we did.
41:27They did indeed. The bravery of those three officers, not just taking a known criminal off the streets, but being faced with knives and a loaded gun too.
41:34Pretty incredible. Very brave indeed. But that's all we have time for today. So thank you for watching.
41:40Remember, you can catch us on iPlayer up to 30 days after broadcast and details of organisations that can provide support with some of the issue raised today are available at bbc.co.uk forward slash action line.
41:52Next week, we see how a smash and grab gang who stole cash from around the country was stopped in their tracks.
41:59We were dealing with some sophisticated criminals.
42:02They were cynically committing crime in our communities.
42:07And they had to be stopped.
42:11Wow, it is an incredible one.
42:12It certainly is.
42:13Steph McGovern's going to be back with us on Monday, but Gem, we're going to see you on Wednesday.
42:17Yes, you will indeed. Until then, bye for now.
42:32Bye.
42:33Bye.
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