- 21 hours ago
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The Highlands and Islands of Scotland is Britain's biggest beat.
00:07I'm injured. There's a car on fire.
00:10I've got three wounded persons.
00:13It is really easy to underestimate the Highlands.
00:16Patrolling 12,000 square miles of mountains, lochs and islands.
00:22We're going to need a launch to be able to go out and get this boy lifted.
00:27And searching for suspects deep in the wilderness.
00:30Police for the dog. Anyone housing? Show yourself.
00:33The Highland cops must go above and beyond to protect their communities.
00:38We realised it was human remains, so we came back down and phoned the police.
00:42I think in the Highlands, the blue line is very thin.
00:45Tackling traditional rural crimes.
00:47It's absolutely related with shotgun pellet.
00:50It's clear evidence that these birds are being persecuted.
00:53And crimes that plague the nation.
00:56Oh, good effort.
01:00Bags of a white crystalline powder.
01:02If you're getting one person off the street, then it's like you've done your job.
01:07This series goes inside the UK's most distinctive police force.
01:12We are close. We live in close-knit communities.
01:14Alright, let's go.
01:15We look out for each other.
01:17To find out what it takes to walk the beach.
01:20There's monkeys, there's parrots.
01:22It's all completely a lot of our comfort zone.
01:25And keep the peace.
01:26You just threatened to kill it.
01:27You said you were going to strangle it.
01:29In some of the most beautiful and wild places in the UK.
01:33The Highlands is a beautiful, spectacular area.
01:51But inevitably, the vast geography does mean that it does present challenges for policing.
02:00But in the Highlands, we're used to being historically quite self-reliant.
02:04Because we have to be when something happens.
02:07On the Isle of Skye, the small team of police officers know that specialist backup is often hours away.
02:22And in the summer, 650,000 visitors swell the population, filling the roads.
02:30The bread and butter in Skye is road crashes.
02:34That's a kind of big one, just with the nature of the roads and how difficult they are to drive.
02:37And with the amount of tourists on them who aren't familiar driving these roads.
02:42What's the address of the emergency?
02:45There's been an accident just outside Sconca.
02:48I'm injured.
02:49There's a car on fire.
02:54In Skye, you get a lot more crashes and you get a lot more kind of road traffic offences centred around that.
03:01How many vehicles are involved, sir?
03:05Three.
03:06OK, I can see you're on a rural location, but I do have your coordinates.
03:10I'll get somebody there as quickly as I can.
03:13PC Darren Reid and Sergeant Chris Tate are on their way to a road traffic collision in the south of the island.
03:20The roads are difficult up here and even the kind of locals and the Scottish people find the roads difficult to drive, so...
03:29We'll try and get there as quick as we can.
03:32This collision is on the island's main road, which is the only way to travel the 30 miles between the bridge and Skye's biggest town, Portree.
03:41There's one road and that's it. You can't go anywhere else.
03:47Anything that happens there, the road's closed or blocked.
03:50People are trapped on either side of it.
03:52You can't get on the island, you can't get off the island.
03:57As they approach the scene, smoke fills the air.
04:00Is there someone in the car or is there going to be some serious injuries?
04:10If the car's on fire, potentially even risk of explosion.
04:24I think it's either one or two vehicles on fire there now.
04:27Is everyone fit and able to stand up and just kind of clear out of the...
04:32Both injured. Right, no worries.
04:33Yes, sir.
04:38Yeah, I've got three wounded persons.
04:41One of them is walking wounded.
04:42The road is completely blocked.
04:44Two cars actively on fire.
04:47Received.
04:48Yeah, are any of the other two injured parties
04:52possibly life-threatening state of or life changing?
04:57Can't see at the moment. Paramedics have just arrived on scene.
05:00They're conscious and breathing at the moment.
05:02As soon as they get an update from the paramedics,
05:05they'll pass it to yourself.
05:06Guys, can you just take a further step back?
05:08I don't want anyone too near this car just in case.
05:10It's probably fuel.
05:11Aye, no, I'm just concerned about the rest of you.
05:13See if whoever doesn't need to be here,
05:15if you just kind of move up a wee bit further,
05:16just in case the car explodes.
05:20Amidst the chaotic scene,
05:22the scene, the team tries to establish
05:24how the crash may have happened.
05:26It's going in the direction of poetry.
05:28It's head-on collision.
05:30And then that's when it bursts in flames.
05:36Three people are injured too seriously.
05:42But the burning cars are blocking the road
05:44and there's no sign of the fire service.
05:51The fire service up here are retained,
05:53so they have jobs that are out and about
05:55and they're potentially, you know, 20-plus miles away.
06:03Can you contact the fire service and see if you can get a need A?
06:05I've not seen any sight of them yet.
06:07If the fire service don't arrive soon,
06:12this accident could turn into a disaster.
06:17See, that's it starting to pop and explode there just now.
06:38A world away from the island communities off the west coast
06:44is a rapidly growing city
06:46with a host of different demands for its police.
06:51The Highlands capital, Inverness.
07:02It's changed a lot and it's grown exponentially since I was young.
07:05There's obviously a lot more people.
07:08I do think there has been a rise in violence in the last few years,
07:10especially against the police
07:12and the public against each other as well.
07:15Today, as their shift begins,
07:17PC's Laurie Cuthbertson and Kevin Simpson
07:20are responding to a 999 call.
07:23We're going to a new housing estate.
07:25Somebody's come home, seen two of their other neighbours.
07:29Something's happened and then someone's got blood on their face,
07:31whether or not they're fighting or something.
07:33And we'll find out what happens.
07:35It's been raining for months now.
07:44Just like, the one day it's nice, I'm in work.
07:49After a long Highland winter,
07:51it's the first warm day of the year
07:53and from the sounds of the 999 call,
07:56this incident has taken place at a house party.
08:00I certainly think the typical Scottish sun can bring out some typical Scottish attitudes.
08:06We've all been there on a nice day having a drink.
08:11However, sometimes people take it a little bit too far.
08:15You come in as well. Look. How's he getting on?
08:16It can be unpredictable, what people may do.
08:21How's it going?
08:23Like, who lives here?
08:25Right, OK.
08:26What we'll do is we'll get all your details just now before we get in here.
08:30OK, yeah.
08:31What's your day of birth?
08:33But as the police try to work out what is going on...
08:37..one person decides to make a dramatic exit through the bathroom window.
08:42MUSIC PLAYS
08:59Stop!
09:02Stop where you are!
09:07Just go down the floor, will you?
09:09Just go on the floor.
09:11Mind your back.
09:13I know.
09:15We're not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say,
09:16well, we're not going to be using the evidence.
09:18What was that about?
09:22He was obviously up for getting away,
09:24but he obviously didn't realise that we were up for chasing him, so...
09:27We hadn't quite got round to what crime was involved in this,
09:30but if you're running, you're guilty.
09:33So, we just wanted to catch up with him,
09:35so we had him, so we could kind of establish what had happened.
09:38I haven't checked him yet.
09:40Yeah, Mike, did you do a full check of him,
09:42do what he's wanted for?
09:44A background check reveals the man is currently on bail,
09:48but it's still not known why he fled from the house.
09:52Just sit there for a minute while we decide.
09:54The wife has the handcuffs on, like, I know I ran, like...
09:58Why'd you run?
09:59I don't know, I see police normally.
10:00You went?
10:01OK.
10:03We're just trying to decide if you've done anything wrong.
10:06You certainly act like a guilty man, don't you?
10:07I'm sorry, like, every time I see police, I know I'm getting in trouble,
10:09so I just run.
10:10We'll walk over, OK?
10:11OK.
10:12Because you're not arrested right now,
10:13but I want to walk you over to the street just there anyway.
10:15All right, you're OK.
10:16Then we'll decide, OK?
10:17Right.
10:18But then a message from base makes it clear
10:19why he was so keen to avoid the police.
10:20I don't know.
10:21I don't know.
10:22Is he in the house?
10:23She was in the house.
10:24I don't know.
10:25Oh, all right.
10:26Well, it's a breach of bail then.
10:27Oh, yeah.
10:28I don't know.
10:29Right.
10:30She's part of it.
10:31Yeah, she's part of it.
10:32She's part of it.
10:33OK.
10:34Can you grab this?
10:35Because I've got a key in the house.
10:36So, you're under arrest.
10:37Right for a breach of bail.
10:38OK.
10:39OK.
10:40OK.
10:41OK.
10:42OK.
10:43OK.
10:44OK.
10:45OK.
10:46OK.
10:47OK.
10:48OK.
10:49The man is currently on bail after a previous, unrelated domestic incident.
11:01The bail conditions stipulate he cannot be in the same property as his ex-partner.
11:07And it was her house he was in when the police arrived.
11:10Bail conditions are given by the courts.
11:13So, they've set conditions, whether that be the suspect doesn't, you know, communicate
11:18with or approach the victim.
11:20It just gives the victim some kind of safeguarding and an easy way for us to deal with them,
11:25should they break them as well.
11:27Oi, what the ****?
11:29So, don't be shouting out on the street like that.
11:32Just come and swear.
11:33OK.
11:34Sorry, I won't swear.
11:35Like, what the hell?
11:38With the suspect taken into custody by their colleagues, Laurie and Kevin can now check if
11:44an assault was committed as reported and that his ex-partner is safe.
11:50In relation to domestic abuse, you know, I think it's something that probably most places deal with.
11:54However, in the Highlands, because we're such a kind of small-knit community, it can be quite challenging to deal with.
11:59We're not saying you're inciting.
12:01It's up to him to be not in there, you know what I mean?
12:03It's up to you to be not in there, but at the same time...
12:05He was there first, but I can't be ashamed.
12:07It's obviously a bit of a volatile situation, but we're always thinking about her wellbeing.
12:11There's a kind of criteria for risk assessing the victims involved.
12:15Would you prefer if we go in the van so that way no one's overhearing them?
12:17You're absolutely sure?
12:18OK.
12:19Is there anything at all you're afraid of?
12:21It's a gateway for us to kind of delve into why this has happened and has anything happened in the past that they might not think is a crime or they might not think is a risk in themselves.
12:34Do you feel like you're isolated from family, friends, that you can't go and speak to folk, that you're on your own?
12:39As Kevin checks on the man's ex-partner, Laurie checks in on some of the locals.
12:45How tall are you now?
12:4772.
12:4872?
12:49Yeah.
12:50I'm getting grown a bit.
12:52Still here?
12:53Yeah.
12:54I know you did when you were younger now, but you've grown a bit since then.
12:57We deal with a lot of the same people.
12:59You know, if you deal with them purely and you have a bad attitude towards them, they're maybe less likely to come and speak to you about their problems.
13:07So being able to be open and honest with them and kind of build that rapport gives us a better opportunity to get to know the people that live in our city.
13:16On this occasion, it seems the 999 call was made after a misunderstanding and no assault has taken place at the address.
13:25Right.
13:26We need to get going, all right?
13:27Good to see you.
13:28All right.
13:29All right.
13:30See you later.
13:31Bye.
13:32Bye.
13:33Well done, Kev.
13:36You're rapid there.
13:38After an active start, Laurie and Kevin can now continue with the rest of the shift.
13:44Running in this kit is really, really not ideal.
13:48It's when it bounces and it's hitting you in the face.
13:50Yeah.
13:51Your body armour.
13:53If only he knew that, if only he knew that I was about 30 seconds away from giving up.
13:57We knew that he was going to be in some type of trouble, but maybe didn't anticipate him being so athletic and jumping out of a window.
14:05Yeah.
14:06But he misinterpreted how athletic we were as a team.
14:09Yeah.
14:10And he's having to do it.
14:11He's moving.
14:12He's been moving in the middle of a run.
14:13He's getting into a lot of trouble.
14:14His bear just requires closure and clean-up.
14:18Yes, yes.
14:19There's no suitable diversions that can take place.
14:21Yes, yes, there's no suitable diversions that can take place.
14:34This is the main route on and off the island, so there's, unfortunately, everybody's stuck
14:37here at the moment.
14:38On Skye, a car crash on the island's main road has left two people with serious injuries.
14:46Two vehicles are on fire, and the police are worried they might explode.
15:02Fire service are on the scene now, just for your information, for traffic's information.
15:06The road is closed at this time.
15:14As firefighters control the flames, the police help the paramedics to move one of the injured
15:24passengers to the ambulance.
15:27Yes, yes, to confirm possible life-threatening injuries.
15:34This patient's condition is so serious he will need to be transported by helicopter to the
15:49mainland.
15:50I'm going to get a cop to try and move cars out the road.
15:56They're probably better back there, are they?
15:59Probably.
16:00That's where the smoke's flowing.
16:01Yeah, possibly.
16:02Right, guys, we can get at least the first good row of cars turned around in the centre
16:19so we can get a sterile site for the helicopter.
16:28Just kind of clearing this lay-by because it's the largest kind of flattest area for it
16:32to land.
16:33While space is cleared for the helicopter, the drivers in the traffic jam aren't so lucky.
16:40The police now need to completely close the road.
16:46This trap here has been deemed by the paramedics to be life-threatening, or potentially life-threatening
16:50injuries, which for us has a certain set of protocols.
16:53Now we've got to lock the road down.
16:55The road is kept sterile and nobody's allowed through.
17:00When a crash has resulted in potentially life-threatening injuries, analysis of the scene is required
17:06by collision investigators.
17:08But they are currently 130 miles away on the mainland.
17:12We are really isolated up here and that can have an impact on people waiting for the road
17:18to be open.
17:20But we know that there's nothing we can do about it.
17:24With no-one moving, the police can now speak to witnesses, including those caught up in
17:31the crash.
17:32All do, I'll just take a quick note of your details just now, just so I've got them.
17:36I'll get a little statement off you at some point.
17:38But what we'll do is get out what we're doing here and then I'll recontact you once you get
17:43seen.
17:44Are you still feeling okay?
17:45Yeah.
17:46Should I get my wife to come and get me?
17:47Just hang fire here just now because I think the paramedics will more likely want to
17:50check you out, just given what's happened.
17:52I'm fine.
17:53These are just glass fragments from the windscreen, I think.
17:57All in slow motion.
17:59I can see it vividly.
18:01I was on my way home from picking up the car from the garage in Inverness.
18:07So this is the height of irony.
18:10It's that time of the year we just get used to it living here.
18:16So how many cars were you behind the actual accident then do you think?
18:22Probably two or three.
18:25So what was the state of play when you got down then?
18:28There was a wee fire that had just started under the bonnet and then we realised that there
18:33was still somebody inside out.
18:35He was slumped over the steering wheel, the airbags had gone off.
18:38What side did the vehicle he was in?
18:40He was on the driver's side.
18:41He was on the driver's side.
18:42If his neck's okay, then you can still feel his legs.
18:44Exactly.
18:45You've got to make that.
18:46It's a judgement call thing.
18:47Get him out before it goes up because you would hate to be there and witnessing somebody
18:52being trapped inside a car and then going up.
18:55While they wait for the helicopter to arrive, Darren and Chris need to deal with the drivers
19:01stuck on the road.
19:03If there's going to be a long closure, I've got concerns about the welfare of the people
19:08on both sides that are stuck in traffic because they've not got access to their house or access
19:12to any provisions.
19:16We don't really have much of an answer to people just now.
19:19We know we're going to have to wait at least five hours until somebody gets here from
19:23the collision investigation team, so that's the only kind of update I have for you now.
19:31Although it's a road, it's a crime scene.
19:34It's essentially the same as if somebody had been stabbed or injured or something.
19:37We need to treat it as the same.
19:39So, yeah, apologies are right.
19:53Given how expansive the Highland Road network is, it can be challenging for police from local
20:05stations to monitor, so a specialist roads policing team is tasked with taking on much
20:11of that work.
20:12It's a vast road network we cover.
20:16We get to go to some cracking places, get to drive on some fantastic roads and really
20:21nice scenery as well, but I suppose at times we don't tend to look around too often.
20:26We're that busy with our job of enforcement on the roads.
20:31Today, PC's Donny Stevenson and Craig McIver are patrolling the roads that link Inverness with
20:39the coastal towns in the west.
20:41It's about snow west and 85.
20:42It's about two miles now.
20:43Point two.
20:44Yeah, so the vehicle ahead of us at the moment just overtook us, but we were sitting at a
20:48speed of 60, which is the speed limit for this road that we were on.
20:49And we followed it for a number of miles.
20:50And its speed was in excess of several miles.
20:51The speed was in excess of more than two miles.
20:52So the vehicle ahead of us at the moment just overtook us, but we were sitting at a speed
21:11of 60, which is the speed limit for this road that we were on.
21:14and we followed it for a number of miles
21:18and its speed was in excess of the start train speed line.
21:22It was 60 miles per hour, so just pulling it over here now.
21:25I'm just going to go and have a chat with the driver
21:27and see what's what.
21:39Hello, driver.
21:40Yeah, no bad, how are you?
21:42No reason to tell you why we've stopped you.
21:44OK, you've overtaken us there.
21:47You've been in excess of 80 miles an hour at a point.
21:49We then followed you over 0.4 of a mile.
21:52The speed's no less than 85 miles an hour, OK?
21:55You were up near 90 at one point.
21:57Is it your own car?
21:58No, it's not. I do have an insurance of links.
22:00Yeah, if you'd like, that's grand. Cheers.
22:02It's just a temporary insurance and way to pick up my boss.
22:05What do you do for work?
22:07Working in the state.
22:10Have you got a lot of work on just now, have you?
22:12Yeah, a lot, yeah, we're landing at the moment, so...
22:15Oh!
22:16It's been pretty hectic, I can't lie.
22:18I think there is a lot of complacency with folk when doing short journeys,
22:21be it if they're in work sites or on farms,
22:23any outlying areas, rural areas,
22:25that it's maybe just a short journey.
22:27However, you never know what's going to happen on the road.
22:29How many of you are doing it?
22:30Yeah, just the two of us.
22:31OK.
22:32OK.
22:33On many occasions, it's a case of they've maybe worked a night shift,
22:37they've maybe been doing really long hours,
22:39and I think maybe there's a...
22:40let's just get on with the attitude, take that risk,
22:42drive at excess speed, not wear a seat belt.
22:44There's no police here,
22:45or have not seen a police here,
22:46but I think that it's just a short journey.
22:48It's just a short journey.
22:49However, you never know what's going to happen on the road.
22:51How many of you are doing it?
22:52Yeah, just the two of us.
22:53OK.
22:54So...
22:55On many occasions, it's a case of they've maybe worked a night shift,
22:58they've maybe been doing really long hours,
23:00and I think maybe there's a...
23:02let's just get on with the attitude, take that risk,
23:05drive at excess speed, not wear a seat belt.
23:07There's no police here, so...
23:09or have not seen a police car in ages,
23:10so they'll just break the rules and regulations of the road.
23:15By driving 25 miles an hour over the speed limit,
23:19this offence falls into the more serious category of excessive speeding.
23:25You're over a point where we can offer you a fixed penalty ticket.
23:28You're over a threshold.
23:29So...
23:30So first thing is,
23:32if this car goes past an Obligation Form in terms of Section 1
23:35of the Road Traffic Offenders Act of 1988,
23:38that you will be reported for a question of consideration
23:40of the prosecution for speeding.
23:42Yeah.
23:43Would you like to make a reply?
23:44Don't have to if you don't want to.
23:46No.
23:47OK.
23:48I'll take that one on the chin.
23:50I'll take that one on the chin.
23:52I'll take that one on the chin.
23:54For a couple of years when I left school,
23:56I was writing to modifying cars,
23:58doing them up,
23:59spending thousands on them.
24:01I think it wasn't until...
24:03I think I was probably 21 at the time.
24:0520, 21.
24:06Erm...
24:07I lost someone I knew
24:09following a road traffic collision.
24:12You know, and after that, I sold my car.
24:15I had no interest in maybe, yeah, driving around quick.
24:19I was just...
24:20It shocked me.
24:21Stunned me.
24:23That really was a...
24:25an eye-opener as such, you know.
24:28Losing someone you know due to a fatal road traffic collision.
24:32Erm...
24:33Yeah.
24:34So...
24:35Before Donny and Craig can let the driver leave,
24:41they give the car a once-over
24:43and perform a breathalyser test.
24:45Keep going.
24:46Keep going.
24:47Grand.
24:48Perfect.
24:49And you can take that tube off the uniformity, please.
24:52Just pull it off.
24:54Grand.
24:55Zero.
24:56Excellent.
24:57So, you're tired, you're speeding.
24:59Recipe for disaster.
25:00If you need a coffee, you need a break, pull over.
25:02Get a rest, because you're not a robot.
25:04Can't do everything.
25:05I know you're knackered, so...
25:06You know, just take a rest when you have to.
25:08Don't put yourself or others at risk.
25:09All right, then.
25:10Take it easy.
25:11Good luck with Lamine.
25:12Please watch your speed.
25:13It's now up to the court to decide if this driver
25:17will be given a fine and points on his licence,
25:20or will be banned from driving.
25:23On Sky, the police are dealing with the aftermath
25:26of a multi-vehicle collision on the island's main road
25:30that's left one driver in a serious condition.
25:32The police are dealing with the aftermath of a multi-vehicle collision
25:35on the island's main road that's left one driver in a serious condition.
25:38They're doing more assessments at the moment, but they're still classing him as...
25:40He's stable, but he's still in a life-threatening condition.
25:53So the helicopter that's coming from Aberdeen, you can see it up there, I'm hoping.
26:06We've cleared a sterile space for it there to land,
26:08so it's got an easy, easy access for the casualty.
26:14I don't think they're going to be here for very long,
26:16but it's going to hopefully land, get him on board
26:19and get him away to where he needs to be.
26:29The helicopter's here and the doctors will go and get him
26:33and take him down to Aberdeen to get properly assessed down there.
26:40As the patient is transferred to the helicopter,
26:43there's a crucial update.
26:45The guys come round a bit more and the paramedics have reassessed him
26:48and found him not to be life-threatening.
26:50So that is good news, really good news, actually.
26:53And it's also good news for everybody stuck on either side of this corridor
26:56because it means that they only do collision investigations
26:59if it's been life-threatening, fatal or life-changing injuries.
27:06With the downgrading of the patient's condition,
27:08this road crash is no longer classed as a crime scene.
27:12So the police can give the go-ahead to clear the road.
27:16These things take time, I suppose.
27:18These things happen and it's the start of the season
27:21where there is more and more cars on the roads up here.
27:24So, yeah, it almost comes part and parcel.
27:28We're living up here.
27:31Ultimately, we've all got to be careful.
27:33As the air ambulance takes off,
27:37the end is in sight for the cops managing the scene.
27:42Yeah, I think that's at least four hours, possibly longer.
27:45Yeah.
27:46These things happen and we can't do too much about it.
27:49I would be extremely frustrated if I was at the other end of the queue.
27:54Are you hungry?
27:57Yeah.
27:58I am hungry.
28:01After five hours and major disruption to travel on the island,
28:07the road can finally reopen.
28:19Time for dinner.
28:20Cold co-op sandwich away.
28:21Let's go.
28:24–
28:39Kyle of Lacharsh,
28:41the last port of call on mainland Scotland
28:44before the famous Bridge to Skye.
28:49We are here for execution of a drug search warrant
28:52warrant at a property in Ardvasar down in Salate. Today in Kyle's small police station a large team
29:00is assembling for a major operation. In charge is Steve Turnbow. We got some information that
29:08has been used as a cannabis cultivation. The whole property being used to grow plants. Somebody comes
29:15up every month or so takes bits away and the gardener essentially inside looking after the place.
29:21We basically got an anonymous tip off that that's what had been going on there and we looked into it
29:26and found out some more about the property. The property itself is a four bedroom house with an
29:32annex. It's two floors and there's a loft space which is believed to be accessible and there has
29:39been lights visible recently on the roof. There's always one or two males at the address and there
29:44may be weapons in the address. The cops here are used to raiding local drug dealers
29:50but this is on another level. Backup has come from Inverness, the operational support unit or OSU
29:59led by Sergeant Graham McPherson. Can we all stop where the identified point was before you guys head
30:05off so that we know where we're stopping and then we can get our kit on and we'll just wait for your word.
30:11Sky is fairly remote from Inverness so the officers in Sky very rarely see
30:18us unless they have a specialist job for us to do. Quite often with the cannabis cultivations the
30:26premises is fortified in one way or another so people don't access it easy. We've got the kit,
30:33we know how to use it, we're specially trained in it. We'll get in one way or another. Suited up the team hits the road.
30:41The house is in a secluded spot in the south of Sky, 20 miles away.
30:52It's an old property that would need some renovation so people probably wouldn't suspect
30:59anything's going on with it being empty. The neighbours won't be happy to know that there is
31:04that sort of activity going on. But this shows you that it can't happen anywhere. This seemingly vacant
31:10house isn't owned by a local. Intelligence suggests it's been used by an organised criminal gang.
31:17With all these resources committed to today's raid, Steve has to hope the information proves correct.
31:25Communities tell us regularly this sort of stuff. We've got an intelligence unit who are based in
31:31Inverness and Inverness and they can do a lot of background work on the sale of the property.
31:38And then vehicles that are linked to that people, where them vehicles have been.
31:43And we know that vehicles have been in the Highland area fairly regularly.
31:56Graham's OSU team has plenty of experience of raids like this.
32:01But that doesn't mean it's going to be easy.
32:06We didn't know how many people could be inside, were inside. It's not uncommon for a front door to be
32:13hooked up to the mains so that if you were to touch a handle you would get electrocuted.
32:21We've got to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.
32:23It's a huge buzz going there, putting a door in and not having a clue what you get into.
32:33After a 30 minute drive, the convoy approaches the house. It appears abandoned.
32:40It's set back from the road, surrounded by trees, away from prying eyes.
32:47We've got to be prepared for the worst.
32:49Control from Whiskey 170.
32:53Go ahead.
32:55Just, you know, that's us just approaching the workers for this water ground.
32:59That's safe, thank you.
33:00For Graham and the OSU team, this is very different from a typical raid in the city.
33:07I'm approaching the house, big house. I've got fields to the right. To my left, you've got water.
33:18Long drive, huge garden, endless woods behind it. We're going to be exposed as soon as we get there.
33:25It's kind of unique in terms of the places that somebody could run off to.
33:31Worried they could be spotted, the plan now is to force entry as quickly as possible
33:36and try to take anyone inside by surprise.
33:46On the mainland, amongst the sea lochs of northwest Scotland, is one of the most remote parts of the highlands.
33:54In this spectacular, mountainous terrain, police stations are few and far between.
34:07And on shifts like today, there's often just a couple of officers to cover a beat of nearly 2,000 square miles.
34:17Thank you, mate. So, your car's coming back as no MOT?
34:21I just had that done, like, two weeks ago.
34:24PC's Steve Harry Young is carrying out routine traffic stops on a busy road near his base.
34:32No, that's fine. No, I appreciate it. Yeah, sometimes I'll, for some reason,
34:35our police system can be a couple of weeks out.
34:37Cracky. Good to see you again. Have a good day.
34:43But a call comes in for him from much further afield.
34:46Yes, yes, just myself and Alpha. We'll respond from Kyle.
35:0250 miles away, on winding country roads, Steve is the closest police unit to what appears to be a serious road crash.
35:09So, we're heading to RTC, which I think at Ryan's name is a motorcycle versus a car.
35:14And we know that they've already requested the helicopter and paramedics and fire all en route.
35:20The incident has taken place near the village of Applecross on a remote west coast peninsula.
35:29It's at least an hour away, even on blue lights.
35:32You're completely prone to, at any moment, the radio's going to go and that will send you here.
35:38You know, it's not uncommon to do two-hour emergency runs just because of the sheer nature of the scale in which the size of our beat.
35:46We're now being sped away further and further into the remoteness of our beat.
35:59As Steve races to the scene, the challenges of driving in this part of the world become all too clear.
36:10The narrow roads are busy with tourists.
36:16Passing is difficult.
36:25As is driving at speed.
36:37And the only route to this incident happens to be one of Scotland's most famous roads.
36:42A steep mountain pass, known as Bialak Numbar, which rises 2,000 feet and is often impassable in winter.
36:53We're blessed in the highlands with some spectacular roads.
36:58They are breathtaking and they are a joy to drive and ride.
37:02With that comes some problems in terms of safety.
37:04It's a teacher that at driving school.
37:22115 mile an hour on a motorway, great.
37:2515 mile an hour on blue lights.
37:2616 mile an hour on a motorway, great.
37:37After a challenging drive over the pass, Steve now needs to work out the exact location of the crash.
37:39MUSIC CONTINUES
38:00Hiya. Is it an accident?
38:03Yeah. One of our colleagues.
38:05Where? He's in the hospital now.
38:07He's gone away already? Yes.
38:11It seems the injured patients have already been taken from the scene,
38:15so Steve now needs to establish what happened.
38:19Luckily, these bikers are expert witnesses.
38:24Hiya. We are drama policeman.
38:27Ah, OK, yeah. They're coming from here.
38:29Yeah. We are both retired policemen.
38:32Yeah, that's OK.
38:33And we stopped. Yeah.
38:35And he jumped down and slide away with his leg.
38:39Yeah. The motorbike lies here and both under there.
38:43OK. Only one bike, no car.
38:46OK. And you think he had broken shoulder maybe?
38:50Broken shoulder maybe, yes.
38:51I think he can't move his arm.
38:53Yeah.
38:54And I think his wife has broken ribs.
38:59What is it here?
39:00OK. She was on the back?
39:01Yeah.
39:02Aha.
39:03They've been able to confirm that it was actually just one motorbike,
39:09a single vehicle RTC.
39:11However, there's two persons on it, both of whom have suffered some broken bones.
39:16Help may have been miles away, but quick-thinking villagers were able to step in.
39:22Around here, often the quickest response is local and members of the public.
39:28And what's happened is, a member of the public has gone to get a first aider in the community,
39:33who's then come, ferried the injured parties to a doctor's address,
39:38and then the helicopter has been able to land much closer to the doctor's address.
39:42It's OK. Glad the rest of you are OK.
39:44It wasn't more serious.
39:46We're waiting now.
39:47Yeah.
39:48That's right.
39:49Always a little bit of waiting in the Highlands.
39:51No escaping the police, eh?
39:53It doesn't matter where you go, what you do.
39:55No pleasure.
39:56Have a nice day.
39:58While the incident appears to have been dealt with,
40:01Steve still needs to check in with the other emergency services,
40:04so he can file a full report.
40:07In a remote area like this,
40:09that often means tracking down the flying doctors.
40:14Thank you, bye.
40:15Bye, lovely people.
40:24Hiya.
40:25Hello.
40:26Hiya.
40:27Apparently some injured people have been taken to the doctors.
40:29Yes, I think the helicopter's coming in.
40:31They might be at the helipad by the village hall.
40:33The helipad by the village hall?
40:34Is that just straight along here?
40:35Straight along here, about a mile.
40:37And I'll eventually hit a helicopter.
40:38It will.
40:39Yeah.
40:40Cracking.
40:55How you doing?
40:57No life-changing, no life-threatening.
40:59Yeah, they're going to Inverness.
41:01Cracking.
41:02Cracking.
41:03Given the limited resources we have,
41:05it helps determine my approach to how I handle incidents
41:08if I know that help is at least half an hour away,
41:11and oftentimes two hours if it's a specialism.
41:14It makes it a truly unique islands and islands experience,
41:19which is its beauty and its peril.
41:21Pretty much right on the edge of our beat.
41:22And now we're back to the station so we can finish out the paperwork.
41:34Back on Skye, a team of police are about to raid a secluded house,
41:53believed to be a cannabis farm linked to an organised crime gang.
41:59going in first are the Specialist Cops from the Operational Support Unit.
42:12If you're hitting a door, you're going to be nervous
42:16because you want that door to go in.
42:19You don't know what was on the other side of the door.
42:24You could have the best intelligence in the world
42:26to say there's going to be one person in there.
42:30You put the door in and you're suddenly faced with four or five individuals
42:33or a snarling dog coming towards you that you didn't expect.
42:38It's all part of the buzz. Adrenaline gets you through.
42:42There's a bit of a barricade behind the door.
42:53The guys got in and made an entry.
42:56Nobody within the house.
42:59A closer look reveals the back door is open,
43:03suggesting whoever was inside saw the cops coming and made their escape.
43:08I go into the house and it's a wreck.
43:13There was clear signs that somebody had been in just before we arrived.
43:18The mobile phone was left, the TV was on.
43:21While the front door was barricaded, the back door was left open.
43:28I'm guessing that they've seen us coming or they've heard the hit on the door and they have escaped.
43:34However, the good thing about it was, I'm going around room to room to room and there's cannabis plants everywhere.
43:46It was clearly a professional operation.
43:52There was over 150 plants in total.
43:56There's massive big tubs filled with plant fertilizer to feed the plants.
44:04There's obviously evidence of somebody living there who's looking after the whole place.
44:08It was a great result with the quantity, it's certainly the biggest I've been involved in on Sky and the biggest I've seen.
44:15Certainly in the north region, it's one of, if not the biggest hall that I've been involved in with my team.
44:23A lot of the officers I've worked with haven't seen a cultivation that big, so they were delighted to get a result out of it.
44:31The question is, how could a large cannabis farm go unnoticed until now in this small community?
44:41The property itself was set back quite a bit from the road.
44:45It was needing quite a lot of work done to it, it was in quite a bad state of repair.
44:49So that's kind of why they kind of got away with it not looking like a home as such for so long,
44:55looking as if it was somewhere that was getting work done.
44:58You could have reasonably assumed it had just been renovated.
45:01And outside the house, there's more evidence of the gang's audacity.
45:06They're stealing electricity direct from the mains to power the bright lights needed to grow cannabis.
45:13What they've done is somehow, or they've wired from the house under that window down to wherever these underground cables are.
45:22But they've used like professional equipment to do that.
45:25I was going to say, you'll know what you're doing.
45:27They've essentially disconnected the electricity meter so that the usage isn't being tracked.
45:34And they've dug directly into a mains power cable that's in the garden.
45:38It's massively dangerous. We have to get the electricity company to come and make it all safe.
45:46The electricity company are here just now trying to disconnect that, now that they've found exactly where it's coming from.
45:53They've had to turn off all the homes in the local area to let them do the work to turn the power off to this house.
45:59It's great to have found what we've found, sort of an estimate of £125,000 in total.
46:07That's a potential value. That's what they could get selling it.
46:11So it's a big haul.
46:13It's disappointing that we don't have anybody here that's responsible for it.
46:16But we've disrupted their activity and made a difference.
46:19The house is photographed, everything that can be safely removed, plants and equipment, is seized.
46:29It's a big job.
46:31The biggest challenge we've got is just the sheer amount of time and manpower it's going to take to do it.
46:37It's also across both floors and three separate rooms.
46:41And then there's also the rooms that have got the plants that have already been harvested.
46:45They need to be sorted as well. So it's a big task.
46:49We had to hire a van so we could get all of the plants bagged up to dispose of them.
46:58House cleared. The team heads back to Kyle Police Station.
47:08And then there's just an example of some of the electrics that they've put in themselves.
47:14And all this just goes back outside and into that mains wire.
47:21As well as the plants and growing kit, the pictures of the house will be vital evidence if the case comes to court.
47:28They tell a grim story.
47:30This is the living area.
47:32So whoever was in here, who was living in here, is either trainers still on the bed.
47:38There was letters that were addressed to people.
47:41So obviously that gave us some information as to who it might have been that was staying there.
47:45And yeah, it's just a total, total mess.
47:48It looked like there was maybe only one person staying at a time, but they would have been getting rotated, so every so often someone else would have came and stayed for a spell.
48:00These are big bags of plant fertilizer, and this will lead through to the area that contained, if I remember rightly, around 70 plants that had recently been harvested.
48:16So that's over and above the 150 alive ones that we found.
48:19And that's one of the carbon filters that's used to purify the air, there to get rid of the smell.
48:31Through here is the annex area, the walls and the floor have been lined with insulation.
48:39And this is all the plants that had been fairly recently harvested.
48:43And all the lights along the roof to give them their warmth and the light that they need.
48:52As well as growing illegal drugs, the criminals clearly aren't concerned about health and safety.
48:58It's a really dangerous environment for the people that are there to work in, because it's a major fire hazard and they could obviously electrocate themselves at any stage if they're not careful.
49:07Over 200 plants were taken from the house, but Kyle Police Station is one of the smallest in the division, so something has to be done with this huge hall.
49:18This is all the items that we've taken from the property as evidence, everything in the black bags. We've seized all that, but that gets destroyed.
49:28This is stuff we need to keep if it ever goes to court. So we take a sample, a selection of each plant, and they get kept as evidence.
49:36But until we can be taken away, the station, including the cells, is filled with cannabis plants.
49:42We never have enough space, there'll just be far too many of them to try and storage and be practical.
49:48And they all look the same, smell the same, so it kind of gets presumed that it's all the same.
49:53You have to keep them open for a while to let them dry out, because if you seal them up, the moisture will cause them to rot.
49:58So we let them dry out, then we'll seal them up.
50:01We take a selection of the equipment that's used as well, like the lights and the ducting.
50:05There's quite a bit of work to do now in trying to identify who's been using that house and producing these drugs.
50:18Tracking down the criminals responsible will be a challenge, but with drug use and the increase in the Highlands,
50:24it's essential the cops do everything they can to disrupt the gangs.
50:28We're hopeful we'll get a positive outcome, we're always hopeful, we'll just see where the inquiry takes us,
50:34we'll follow what we've got and see where it ends up.
50:39It is an uphill battle, but we've just got to keep our plugging away and disrupting them as best we can
50:45and get the message out there that we don't want it happening here and the people living here don't want it happening here.
50:50In Potri, PC's Darren and Chris are back on shift.
51:19They've been asked by the Sheriff Court in Inverness to find a local woman who witnessed a serious incident on the island.
51:34Today she failed to turn up to court, so the police need to pick her up so she can give evidence.
51:40So the witness that we're going to collect hopefully is a witness in some form to a sheriff and jury trial.
51:50It is quite important that we do manage to get them, but as I say, they are only a witness to it.
51:57It's not as if they've been the accused and they've not turned up, so hopefully we get an answer to the door.
52:03The court case, which is on hold 100 miles away in Inverness, will need to be postponed if the witness can't be found.
52:17It's the police, can you come to the door?
52:31But then, a stroke of luck.
52:37Whoa!
52:39You've got...
52:40Do you know you've got caught today?
52:41Yeah, listen, I was at the doctors and I was meant to get an exemption note and I'm still waiting for them to phone me back.
52:46But my sister phoned the PF to let you know, I'm taking an exemption note.
52:51Well, they phoned us today and they need you, they're requiring you up there to give evidence today, alright?
52:56I can't go up, man. I genuinely cannot go up. My mental health's just too bad.
53:01Yeah, we're not asking you to go up to Inverness Court, we're just...
53:03The plan was to take you back to Portree and you would appear via video link and give your evidence that way.
53:09Is that something that's been discussed with you?
53:11No, nothing.
53:12We can take you up the road, just sit you in a wee room out the road in Portree and you'll just do it all via video link.
53:16You won't have to be in the courtroom, you won't have to see anybody apart from the fiscal and the sheriff.
53:22The police can arrest witnesses who refuse to attend court, but on this occasion, there's no need.
53:29We'll get you in a room, get you a cup of tea or something and then the clerk of the court will come and get you when it's your time.
53:34But it saves you, saves you going all the way through Inverness.
53:36Obviously there's a lot going on in her life and she was, I think, a bit worried about this particular court case and worried about giving evidence.
53:45Which I think was possibly the reason why she didn't turn up.
53:48Which can be quite common, you get people who are vulnerable witnesses who find it really daunting to have to stand up in such a formal environment and speak.
53:58Giving evidence in court can be an anxious experience for anyone.
54:04But it seems for this witness, it's just the latest challenge life has thrown her way.
54:10I haven't paid my phone bill, so they've cut me off and then they've cut me off so nobody can phone me, which is so strange.
54:17Are you having issues with money and stuff like that?
54:21Yeah, it's just because I'm not getting much hours at work in the room.
54:25Have you spoken to anybody about that?
54:27No, not really. I don't know what to say. It's just, no.
54:33It might be an option to put into the Citizens Advice Bureau. It's free.
54:37Is there? Is it free?
54:40What do I say to them?
54:42Because they've got a specialist financial advice service.
54:46They can just go in and just say, look, this is my issue and I'm just, I don't know what to do.
54:51The job description of a police officer to me is not just about investigating and prosecuting crime, it's about helping people.
54:58That's what drives me to come into my work every day, is knowing that there's always going to be an opportunity for me to at least try and make a difference in someone's life.
55:07You know, she was a bit overwhelmed with the circumstances she found herself in.
55:13These folk deal with it all the time, so they'll be able to point you in the right direction and give you some good advice.
55:18I feel like I'm suffocating because the council tax, I actually had two sheriff officers at my door.
55:23Really?
55:24I missed one payment and they've charged me for the whole year, so it's one thousand something, plus obviously my phone bill.
55:31It's just all gets on top of you, so I think I will do that, actually.
55:35In the sky, from what I've seen, really, really expensive to live here.
55:41It's almost impossible to find private rent.
55:44A lot of it's holiday homes, second homes, they're really, really expensive.
55:49With the witness now present, the case can continue on schedule.
55:54I'm going to take the advice from the police officer and I'm going to go and get an appointment from them,
56:00because I do need help if I keep leaving it and leaving it.
56:04I didn't realise the sentence of advice you could actually go in and ask for help.
56:07That's why, as well, my mental health's got a wee bit worse,
56:10because I'm just trying to do all these things at once.
56:12I'm trying to, like, be an adult and it's so difficult.
56:16They're going to start the video conference in two.
56:19OK.
56:20They'll get you across, get you done, and that'll be you and my other controller.
56:23Thank you, sorry for that.
56:24No, no, don't be daft, don't be daft, don't be daft.
56:27So I don't have much interacting with the police, but when I do, they're OK,
56:32they seem to be OK with you.
56:34But, yeah, it made it really comfortable for me, so...
56:39Once the woman has given her evidence, Chris can help her to take a crucial first step.
56:45Right, listen, take care, OK?
56:50In Sky, we do have quite a close-knit community where a lot of people know each other,
56:55but not always what's going on with them.
56:57And when we speak to people at a moment of crisis or vulnerability,
57:00quite often we'll get a longer-term solution or a longer-term fix for that person
57:04and for the community, rather than just, kind of, in the city,
57:07you're going from call to call, person to person, and you don't have the time.
57:11But here, we do.
57:15We do.
57:16We do.
57:17We do.
57:18We do.
57:19We do.
57:20We do.
57:21We do.
57:27Next time, police bust a suspected drug dealer in Stornoway.
57:54Try to rescue a wild pine marten being kept in captivity and negotiate with an armed suspect.
58:24We'll see you next time.
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