CLOCK TICKING
Bulbs in the sink?
I've never seen that before.
You don't get this good without practice.
The minute he sets foot on these properties,
he's in control. It's his house.
It's outrageous.
Not with just what he's done, but how long he's got away with it.
Nathan, that possible Minstead case the borough sent over -
when was that? Last night.
Colbridge Road in Bromley.
And what ruled it out, the victimology? Yeah.
We could do worse than give it a second look.
This is Gavin Forbes, son of the homeowner.
When I got back from the hospital,
I went to get a glass of orange from the fridge.
The carton was almost empty.
What, and you think the intruder might've helped himself?
It's the only explanation.
It's not that bloke attacking old ladies?
Yes, it is, I'm afraid. Oh, Jesus.
What is it, Gavin?
Mum's room is downstairs.
Let's figure out how he got in.
Any luck? We've got him on camera.
Coming and going.
DNA on the orange carton is a 100% match for Minstead Man.
We're gonna need to widen our screening criteria.
That means more offences.
Well, so be it. But you haven't got the manpower.
Not when you're treating every offence like a murder.
Yeah.
Then something's got to change.
What are you thinking?
It's too much. It's too late.
Good work, Nathan.
Taking a closer look.
Er, no, that was all Mr Sutton, boss.
Oh, well, the DNA from the juice carton
would've linked them soon enough. Yes, it would.
What does needs a look at is the screening criteria,
cos if it's as flawed as this offence suggests,
we could be missing scores of Minstead crimes.
Such as?
Burglaries with, er, no sexual assault.
Burglaries with no attempt to engage with the homeowner.
Well, I'm confident we're not missing scores of crimes, Colin.
He's one man, but, of course...
the criteria will be reviewed.
OK.
Can I have a word, Nathan?
Yes, guv.
With all respect, sir, we're not the bloody burglary squad.
They're acting like a murder squad,
but they're dealing with four times the cases
on half the resources.
Any manpower left over gets pissed up the wall
swabbing for DNA.
As an analyst, I can tell you,
if they're screening out legitimate Minstead cases,
that's chronic.
Maybe they ought to be a bloody burglary squad.
They're trying to find a bloody burglar, after all.
Did you hear what I said?
Incomplete data is bad data,
and bad data is diesel in a petrol car.
It's worse than nothing. Yeah, I get it.
They want to preserve and gather evidence,
but what's their underlying objective?
They don't need to prove new offences.
Once he's caught, the DNA from the historic offences
guarantees he goes down for life.
Yeah. Yeah. We just need to find him,
and anything that doesn't serve that has got to stop.
Call it Minstead Lite.
That's good. SHE LAUGHS
Actually, that's brilliant, I'm having that.
That's gonna be my pitch to Hamish - Minstead Lite.
Copyright Surrey Police, please.
Is that gonna be enough, though? How d'you mean?
Well, it might free up some manpower and time,
but what are they gonna do with it? More bloody swabbing?
DISTANT SIRENS
VOICE INSIDE: Come in.
Richard?
Hello, Colin. Richard, when you get a moment,
could you trawl through all the recent burglaries in the area...
That took place at night,
involved elderly occupiers,
which we sent back to Borough?
Yes.
I can run you off a copy, if you like.
How d'you know I was gonna ask for that?
Well, truth is, a few of us have been worried
about the screening process for a while.
What, incomplete data is bad data?
Hmm.
I call that the longlist.
OK.
Well, limited resources means
we can only focus on a limited number of cases.
That means burglaries without sufficient Minstead signatures
get returned to Borough.
But that could be him? Yes.
And could potentially be the one where he slips up.
Which is why I keep my own expanded tally
alongside the official one.
But if even half of these are Minstead...
He's offending on a scale that nobody's publicly acknowledged.
Yeah, I will have a copy of that.
Sure, but...
Yeah, I didn't get it from you.
Thanks, Richard.
DCI Colin Sutton for Hamish Campbell.
You can go through. Thank you.
CAMPBELL: Current screening processes are excluding
genuine Minstead cases. How many are we talking?
Course, they might not all be him,
but there's no doubt the majority are.
Bloody hell.
What makes you so sure?
Cos there's nowhere else in the country
where burglaries with these specific hallmarks are occurring.
Nowhere. They check every morning,
so it's very hard to believe that there's two blokes out there
committing identical crimes in South-East London.
What do you propose?
To cope with the scale of his offending,
our response needs to change.
We need to be more, er, nimble, fleet-footed.
Sounds easier said than done.
Well, if it's a choice between depth and breadth,
then it has to be breadth.
Meaning?
New offences aren't treated as crimes to be fully investigated,
but as intelligence opportunities.
We make sure that we're caring for the victims,
but we focus our attention on aspects of the case
that could help us ID Minstead Man.
No need to generate all the actions the murder squad approach requires?
Reducing that workload will free them up
to assess all potential Minstead cases,
and it'll accelerate the DNA swabbing.
Call it Minstead Lite.
I like the sound of that.
One way or the other, I'll see it's implemented.
But we're still reliant on him making a mistake,
which so far he's shown no sign of doing.
Despite the depravity of his acts, his planning is meticulous.
You're not convinced this is the best way forward?
Well, I think it's better than what we have.
What do you really think?
If you were starting from scratch, what would you do?
Ah, well, it's frustrating, really.
I haven't been able to devise a proper plan, not in ten days.
It's just too complex for quick fixes.
It's like, erm, do you remember that old joke
about a tourist going up to a farmer and saying,
"what's the best way to Dingle?"
and he gets the reply, "Ah, well, now,
"if I was you, I wouldn't be starting from here."
That's pretty much where I think we are with it.
Where would you start from?
I wrote this down at the very first meeting that I attended.
It's all about the DNA.
The DNA has slanted every avenue of enquiry that they have followed.
You and I both know that a mass swabbing programme
is very hard to pull off.
It's a tactic of last resort.
But they've got so much invested in the DNA,
that change has become unthinkable.
As an outsider looking in, I think there must be another way.
I just don't know what it is yet.
Will you hang around and give this some more thought, Colin?
If there is a change of direction, it can't come from me.
Simon's got so much invested in Minstead.
I can't walk in there and tell him it's all got to change.
It's awkward, I agree.
No, it's not awkward, it's untenable.
I'll make sure we look after Simon if you tell me now
that you'll stick around and devise a workable alternative plan?
And by "stick around,"
I mean past your retirement date if necessary.
Yes, course I will.
All right.
See anything you like, Diamanda?
Yeah.
The lighter.
Can I take a look?
What?
I think you're losing your touch.
Always coming in here empty-handed.
You're just like a fucking window shopper these days.
Suit yourself.
All right, all right, all right.
GROANS
Morning, sir. All right?
Guv - he hit Colbridge Road again last night.
What? Come on.
Colin.
Simon.
Most of the Minstead hallmarks present and correct.
He stole cash and jewellery,
but he made no attempt to engage with the victims.
Victims?
Yeah, another elderly couple. Shaken but unhurt.
Well, if targeting couples is becoming a thing,
we'll need to alter the screening criteria.
Colin?
Every time we're just hoping that this is the one where he slips up.
But he doesn't, so we wait for the next one,
and the next and the next one.
We've got to get ahead of him, Simon.
I don't disagree.
But the first thing that needs to change is this
"we're not a bloody burglary squad" mantra.
I've never heard anyone say that, Colin.
Well, I have. And do you know what?
He IS a bloody burglar.
He's a bright one, and a weird one, but he's still a burglar.
No cordon, no house-to-house.
I read your report last night, Colin.
It's good work.
Minstead Lite takes effect from today.
Thank you.
Look, erm...
..I haven't told the others this yet,
but as of next week I have to go on restricted duties
because of my back,
so I'm gonna need an SIO who's really gonna be boots on the ground.
You want me to do it?
I've cleared it with Hamish.
Course, I'll still be in overall command. Yeah.
And on the end of a phone. Yeah, of course.
Going forward, fresh Minstead crimes will be viewed
as intelligence-gathering opportunities,
but not processed to the letter.
We'll exploit any lead that might identify him,
but otherwise dispense with statements, actions,
attend and bureaucracy.
Nice one, boss. Yeah, that'll really free us up.
No, it's Colin's idea. Benefit of a fresh pair of eyes.
Well, let's hope something comes of it.
It's timely,
cos we need to widen the screening after the Colbridge Road offences.
Nathan.
Yeah, er, Minstead Man has now hit two residences
with multiple occupants,
and in neither case has he engaged with his victims.
We're barely on top of our existing cases,
and we're adding more?
Barely? We're not even touching the sides.
Well, now you'll have more time. Well, not much, guv.
Because we're also suspending DNA swabbing.
As of next week,
I have to go on restricted duties on account of my back,
so Colin will be taking over the day-to-day,
but reporting to me directly. Thank you, Simon.
Yeah, Mr Morgan will very much remain in command,
but I'm looking forward to working with you all much more closely.
And, apologies in advance if I'm still catching up
with what I appreciate is a vast and complex case. Thank you.
You'll be sorely missed, guv. Thanks, Kenny.
Won't be the same without you.
I want to mount limited surveillance around Colbridge Road.
He's hit there twice in two weeks.
If that's not provocation, I don't know what is.
He hits it a third time, we're gonna look seriously inept.
We'll look like we can't find our arse with both hands.
When you say "limited", do you mean low-key?
Just a couple of blokes in cars?
Yeah, maybe a van or two.
Yeah, he hasn't made a significant mistake in 17 years.
Do you think he'll fall for it?
I think it's worth a punt.
Yeah and if he doesn't risk a third go-round,
then no harm done. Yeah, we had it covered.
Exactly. Set it up. Nice one, guv.
Sorry I'm late, boss.
Informant kept me waiting.
Best ones always do. OK, what've you got?
Well, I showed my snout the jewellery pics.
She reckons she's seen the silver necklace
belonging to the Allenhall Road victim, Sandra Nelson.
Where's she seen it?
Pawn shop in Forest Hill.
Do you trust her?
Oh, wouldn't go that far, but here you are.
She sneaked a photo.
That looks like the same necklace to me.
Now, the owner is a Brian Royce,
and he should've taken the details of the seller,
but even if he didn't, there's cameras inside and out.
So, potentially, this Brian Royce could give us Minstead Man's name?
Potentially, but Royce does have a history of non-cooperation.
So, why haven't you picked him up?
Well, er, cos he's also got form for GBH.
Team effort, I think, guv.
I'll leave this for you, Colin, I think.
I can certainly help with the stab vests.
LAUGHTER
All units, all units.
'Be aware, I have eyes on the suspect
'approaching the pawn shop on foot from the high street end.'
If it's safe, we take him before he enters the shop.
'Copy that.'
He's just approaching the shop now. Move in.
Go. Take him.
Morning, Brian.
Now, behave yourself. What's going on?
I'm arresting you on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence
if you fail to mention when questioned
something which you later rely on in court.
Who sold you this, Brian?
No comment.
Well, we know the sale's very recent.
Last few days.
'No comment.'
'This man's done some terrible things.'
He's not someone you want to protect,
not someone you want to be associated with.
But if you don't tell us, the cameras in your shop will.
We're viewing that footage right now.
There's no downside in co-operating.
Who sold you the necklace, Brian?
We need a name.
Otherwise we'll have to re-focus our inquiry
onto the provenance of every piece of jewellery in your shop, say.
I'd like to take a break, so I can speak to my lawyer.
Of course.
'Interview paused at...' Scared, isn't he? For a tough guy?
Hmm.
Got to be somewhere? Oh, it's just a family thing.
Go, I'll call if anything changes.
Thanks, Nathan.
Oh, hang on.
'You said he'd done some terrible things?'
What kind of things?
He's a serial rapist who targets elderly women.
The Night Stalker?
The Old Dear Hunter?
'Yeah.'
'You're barking up the wrong tree, love.
'I'd have given you his name in a fucking heartbeat.'
I found these two loitering with intent.
Oh! Sorry we're late.
Oh, don't be silly. LAUGHTER
All right, Dad? These wings are done.
Er... yeah, they are, yeah.
How are you, Dad?
How are YOU, is more to the point.
I hear you're busy again. Yeah. Yeah, I am.
Watch your back.
I know things have changed since my day.
There you go, have a beer. Oh, thank you.
The grass is always greener, isn't it?
Taking over someone else's case is always a bit messy.
I'm not taking over, I'm just helping out.
Oh, yeah? Oh yeah, your mum picked this up for you.
I did not! Oh, yes, you did.
LAUGHTER
It's an early birthday present, isn't it?
LAUGHTER
I've finally got my way about a cruise.
You haven't!
Christ! LAUGHTER
Only took me 20 years.
Why the change of heart, Dave? What change of heart?
You're going, aren't you?
I always say being shut up on the high seas
with a bunch of numpties sounds like a nightmare,
only now I'll be able to say so with authority!
LAUGHTER
I won't be a moment.
I bet you'll enjoy it.
RINGING TONE
'Yes, guv?' Any luck with that necklace?
'Lab just called.'
Three sets of female DNA on the chain and clasp,
not one is a match to Sandra Nelson.
HE SIGHS
So it's probably not her necklace, then?
I really think it's a coincidence, guv.
What about Brian Royce? 'Sticking to his story.'
Won't tell us where he got the necklace,
but insists it wasn't Minstead Man.
All right. OK, thanks, Nathan.
LAUGHTER
Now, make sure you lock the front door
and bolt the French windows, eh?
If your man tries breaking into ours,
it'll be the last thing he does.
Oh, blimey, have a word, Mum, will you?
Bye, love. Bye-bye.
Bye-bye. Take care of yourself. Bye-bye.
Night-night.
Bye.
HORN BEEPS
PHONE RINGS
Nathan?
'Just had local CID on the phone. He's gone berserk.
'Hit three homes in the last two hours,
'and we're hearing reports of a fourth.'
Colbridge Road? 'Miles away - Thornton Heath.'
Are you short-handed? 'That's an understatement.'
All right, I'll try and get you a HAT team.
'No, I already tried.
'Busy with a fatal stabbing in Lambeth.'
Where are you? 'Boss, you don't...'
I'll be an extra pair of hands. Where are you?
Nathan.
Boss.
The victim is an 85-year-old male, a Mr Tomczyk, and get this -
he insists he was burgled by the same man three months ago.
Is there a record of that offence?
Yeah, local CID sent it our way.
I see. We sent it back cos it didn't have Minstead's MO?
Correct.
Mr Tomczyk's in the garden. He didn't want to be inside,
and doesn't want to go to hospital. He was very clear about that.
OK. Is this where he got in? Yes, guv.
Anything?
The tool marks look very much like our man's favourite screwdriver.
Microscope analysis should confirm.
Mr Tomczyk?
This is Mr Sutton, he's in charge.
How do you do, Mr Tomczyk?
I'm very sorry to hear about the ordeal you've had tonight.
Are you sure you wouldn't like us to drive you to the hospital
just to make sure?
I was in war, Mr Sutton.
You go to hospital when you are shot,
or when you step on a mine and your foot is hanging off.
Fair enough.
I understand you think you've been burgled by this man before?
I don't think it, I know it.
Did you recognise him?
His voice. His smell.
The way he sat there watching me through his mask.
I said, "Oh, hello, it's you again."
What did he say?
He asked me for money. I said no.
He said he would hurt me if I did not give it to him.
So, I, er... I gave him some cash.
I think that was a good idea.
Yes and no.
When I opened wallet, he saw bank card.
And he took that as well?
He asked me for PIN.
No way was I giving him the right number...
..and I reckoned you would be here before he knew I'd tricked him.
Oh. You're a very brave man.
After you give him the PIN, did he leave?
When I was in the army, I was boxer.
They called me Kon Roboczy, which means "workhorse" in Polish.
I wasn't strongest, I wasn't fastest...
..but I was stubborn.
I stayed on my feet whatever...
..whatever they threw at me.
He didn't leave after you gave him the PIN, did he?
I don't want to talk about it.
No. No, I understand.
When you do feel ready,
Patricia here is a very, very good listener.
In fact, she's so good, we pay her to do it.
Thank you.
Cup of tea?
Have you got a map?
Yeah, in the car.
Mr Tomczyk gave him the wrong PIN for his credit card.
CHUCKLES Good on him.
Yeah. Well, he must know that we'll stop the card,
so he couldn't use it ASAP.
I'm assuming he has a favourite bank machine?
Yeah, a couple.
Well, what's the nearest one?
Erm...
There.
Yeah, it's close. Who've we got up and about?
Kenny and Cath attended the first and second.
Adam and Neville went to the third.
Right. Well, they're closer than us, then.
Tell them I want them all watching that cash machine,
and they don't leave until I say so. Right.
How far? Two minutes.
We can take a shortcut. Left here.
Fuck's sake, Kenny!
Downshire Gardens.
It's a cross street. Right at the end, and you're there.
We should have a view of the cash machine... there.
HORN BLARING
Well, there's our Ken.
Oh, bollocks! Nice one.
How Special Branch didn't snap him up, I'll never know.
LAUGHTER
Come on, you bastard. Come and get it.
Yeah, I'll let him know. He's just arrived.
Yeah. OK, cheers.
I thought we were watching and waiting?
Too late, boss. We missed him. What?
Financial boys just called.
He tried to get cash out of there right before we got here.
We must've missed him by seconds. Oh, fuck!
Did the machine swallow his card? No.
Well, he might've discarded it nearby, then.
Close but no cigar, eh?
I'm kidding. Good punt, sir.
Trip down memory lane, coming back here.
Why, did you attend before?
And the two times before that.
Yeah, he seemed to like that machine so much,
we went proactive. Oh, yeah?
We arranged for hidden cameras to be installed near the ATM
just in case he returned.
It was the guv'nor's idea, as I recall.
And you didn't think to mention that before?
Well, I'm mentioning it now, aren't I?
Are they still there? Are they working?
TSU are en route to retrieve the footage.
We're gonna get a look at Minstead Man, a proper look.
If you'd got here five minutes sooner,
he'd be in fucking handcuffs!
I'm not sure that's fair, boss. No, it's not.
All right, look, we've had the nearest of near misses.
It's infuriating and it hurts, but we move on.
Let's see what the TSU bring.
They're in the phone box. Eh?
The cameras.
At 12:36am, he walks briskly from Lessing Street,
makes a couple of "lifesaver" glances behind,
as he approaches the ATM.
Erm... this is from the second camera.
Looks like he's wearing some kind of blue cagoule.
Yeah, he wears it well.
Zipped up to his nose, and hood pulled over his face.
Is that the best shot we've got of him?
Yeah. He's nothing if not cautious.
Well, maybe there's other things we can glean beyond his appearance.
Like what? I don't know, Adam,
but there's two cameras there. There's got to be something.
What about his exit route?
Yeah, let's have a look at that, Cathy.
Whoa, hang on a minute. That's us!
Neville, that's... fucking us, mate.
If we'd have gotten there 30 seconds earlier...
That's spilt milk, Adam. Cathy?
When he gives up on the ATM,
he doesn't go in the direction he came.
He heads west.
Right, what road's that?
It's Ballina Street.
Right. So, applying a bit of street tradecraft,
what do we think? He's arriving by car?
Well, there's no way he got there that fast any other way.
And not at that time of night. So, where's he parked?
Well, based on his approach,
I'd say near the top end of Lessing Street.
Maybe Flintock Street.
Agreed, but then he goes off in a different direction.
So, how's he getting back to his car?
What about here?
There's a little cut-through further down Ballina Street.
Crosses back under the railway bridge
and comes out on Flintock Street. Loop the loop.
Back in his car in two minutes, guv.
Entrance is about 200 yards west of the ATM.
We did look at putting a camera on it.
Yeah. That's the cut-through there.
Looks like the bushes extend all the way down.
If you were looking to ditch a hot bank card,
it beats a bin or a drain cover, doesn't it?
Kenny, I want a POLSA team down there this afternoon, OK?
Yes, boss. All right, good work everyone. Well done.
Can I have a word, boss? Yeah, sure.
I mean before we get in a POLSA team.
Hang on one, Kenny.
Mr Morgan called for an update earlier.
Right. Do you know why he called you and not me?
I think he said your phone was busy.
Go on.
Well, I told him about him using his favourite ATM again.
OK?
He doesn't want us making a big fuss.
Says it might put him off returning,
and those cameras weren't cheap to install.
And how's he defining a fuss?
He specifically said not to get in a POLSA team.
With respect, that's not his call.
Right, well...
Can you ring him and tell him that, please?
That's not a conversation I want to have, not now.
Then you're putting me in a difficult position.
That's not my intention.
Right, so call him. Look, I know, he's your boss.
It's not about that. Well, what is it about?
Loyalty. I'm his number two, he trusts me.
I'm not about to betray that trust for someone I've known five minutes.
No offence.
None taken. You've welcomed me like no-one else on this team.
Right, well, now you can return the favour.
No, sorry. I'm the acting SIO on this,
and my decision is that we search that cut-through.
If there's any problem, I'll be sure he knows you gave me the message,
and I ignored it. It's on me.
OK.
Be worth it for the chance of some evidence,
cos, Christ, we need something.
Go on, then, Kenny. Call 'em up.
TRAIN HORN BLARES
POLICE CHATTER
He's here.
Found a bank card.
Looks weather-damaged.
I'd be surprised if it was stashed there last night.
It's a different name as well. Mrs A Waynflete.
Anne Waynflete? Yeah.
She a Minstead victim?
Yeah, two years ago.
And did he use this card in that ATM two years ago?
Well, looks like.
Thanks, Tabs, good work. Thank you.
Well, if they'd have searched this place two years ago,
they might've got prints and DNA. Still might.
Not after two years' weather damage. Not a chance.
In fairness, she didn't report a card being stolen.
I took her statement, guv.
If you've got any other questions, I'll be happy to help.
Yes, thank you.
If you want somewhere bigger, just say.
Nah. Feels like home now.
What's on your mind?
Errol Dobson.
Can you get the team together, please?
Yeah, sure. Thanks, Nathan.
Errol Dobson was a prolific burglar of the elderly
in the early nineties.
He was even more prolific than Minstead Man.
He also favoured the night, and he'd been at it for years.
His patch was only small,
just a dozen or so streets in Tottenham.
That just made it all the more galling
when we couldn't catch him.
Some of the team lost faith, you know.
They said, "How can one man be responsible for so many offences?"
We were chasing a phantom or a ghost.
And everything we tried, everything failed,
until my boss went proactive.
What did that involve?
Cobbling together 30 bodies and saturating those streets.
We knew how sharp he was, so we had to stay well hidden.
There was no hunkering down in the passenger seat.
D'you get him? Night five. Caught in the act.
And that is how we'll catch Minstead Man.
Are you serious?
If you've got a better idea, Kenny, I'm all ears.
But we're not looking at a corner of Tottenham, guv.
Looking at most of South London from the Thames to the M23.
He's right. And we tried going proactive before.
Yes, I know you have,
and Simon agrees it's worth another shot.
By his own admission, that effort was hampered by resources.
And this time it won't be?
We just need a bigger boat. Ocean liner.
Fucking aircraft carrier.
Yeah, I'm not feeling this, er, boat analogy.
It's from Jaws. Yeah, thanks, Cathy.
No, what I mean is that boat doesn't exist.
It'd take hundreds of officers.
You'd get to keep 'em for two nights max.
This is a bloke who stopped dead for three years.
You finished?
I'm just saying.
No, they're good points, well made.
But we have to try something new, Adam. We have to.
Now, analysis can shave down the target area, right, Richard?
To a degree. How?
Well, he never goes for flats, local authority, social housing.
It's always private dwellings - houses, bungalows.
What, that's it?
And there's the crimes themselves. The way they're clustered.
Oh, come on. He's offended all over!
Yeah, he has. But going back '92, there's a density of offending
in the Shirley area
that makes it what we call an anchor point.
His hunting ground of choice.
Yeah, and that's the patch where we're most likely
to catch him in the act.
From there we build out a map
of other target areas around Shirley.
Might be a square mile, might be a single street.
This map - what are we supposed to do with it?
We refine it, we cost it,
and then we flog it to the Force Tasking Group.
No-one else can fund an operation of this scale.
And then we go out and nick him.
Sorry, guv, I was with Mr Tomczyk.
How's he doing?
Oh, OK under the circumstances.
He told me what happened, so that's a start.
And?
The offender fondled his genitals,
and after threats of violence, forced him to touch his own.
Oh, God.
My sense is that was the extent of the sexual contact.
I'll be able to say that with more confidence
after another session.
Poor man. Yeah.
And you.
How long have you been on Minstead?
Five years.
It's a lot of victims.
It's gonna take its toll.
I'm like anyone, boss. There's good days and bad.
Yeah, but you're at the sharp end, aren't you?
Oh, at first it was just finding the... vocabulary
to coax the information we needed.
Finding other ways to say "What happened?,
"What did he do to you?"
I used to pause the interviews
so they wouldn't see how upset I was.
Then I was dealing with their children,
and oh, God, that was a whole other thing.
In what way?
First, there's just breaking it to them.
Telling a son or daughter that their mum's been sexually assaulted.
Then you see the dynamics change.
The kids become the parents,
and these... wonderful, totally autonomous adults
become dependent, become the kids.
Hard not to get emotionally involved.
Hmm. Lately I've been going from funeral to funeral
with this terrible sadness, and I won't lie - fury,
that they won't see justice done.
When it's all over, it will hit me, I know it will.
I'm almost looking forward to it.
Richard?
Thanks for backing me up in there.
Hope I didn't come across as a total chancer.
Well, we are taking a chance, aren't we?
Yeah. Yeah, a big one.
I want you to book me a meeting room
at Scotland Yard next Monday. No problem.
And I want your help with an email. Concise as possible,
but that conveys the rate and gravity of the offences,
and the need to take urgent action.
Yeah, sure. It'll come from the heart.
Who's it for?
Heads of all the squads that can give us a chance
with the Force Tasking Group.
Oh, you'll need it. FTG reject 92% of funding requests.
Better make that email count, then, eh?
DISTANT SIRENS
You definitely said Monday?
Only just coming up to ten.
PHONE RINGS
Reminds me of my eighth birthday party.
PHONE RINGS
Neville?
'He was out last night. Lady of 70 in Coulsdon.
'He started assaulting her, and she begged him to stop.
'She says he did. Whether or not that's true, TBC.'
Is Patricia with her?
'Yeah, as we speak.' All right. Thanks, Neville.
Keep me posted.
Boss.
Colin?
Superintendent Jackie Miller and DCI Greg Burns, Covert Policing.
Good to meet you. Thanks so much for coming.
Well, it was a compelling email.
Oh. Oh, good. Come on in. Come on in. This way.
Get dry. Morning. Cup of tea? Cup of coffee? Morning.
I've never made a request to the Force Tasking Group,
but I understand that many of you here are regular bidders,
and I hear that one of you even saw some money once.
Yeah, that was me.
Fucking cheque bounced. LAUGHTER
So, we're here to listen and to learn.
I'm a big believer in laying out the plan
in frankly idiot-proof language. I'd say something like,
"By observing every inch of the targeted streets,
"you're seeking to control them."
No-one will be able to walk in or out without you seeing them.
If Minstead Man steps on your plot, you will get him, no ifs no buts.
That means no officers walking around the plot.
Everyone needs to be inside a building.
I'd also suggest having surveillance teams on standby
just outside the plot.
If a suspect needs to be questioned,
they can be tailed and pulled over well away from the target area.
Yeah, that's crucial. You don't want word getting out
that there's surveillance going on in Shirley.
We'd be very happy to supply air support
for whatever mission you end up running.
We can watch from an altitude
and be completely undetectable from the ground.
Kevin and I run Central Control.
We can have access to 24/7 live feeds
from thousands of Local Authority and Transport For London cameras.
Looking at your proposed plot,
you'd need at least 150 bodies to throw a net over that.
Right. Which you'll never get.
There is a smaller area I've devised...
..here in and around Shirley.
Still big, but more achievable.
75 officers should be able to deliver that.
And what are our chances of getting that?
If you ask for 150 officers, they'll probably give you 50.
But if you ask for 75, and you make a good case,
you might get 75.
If we shrink the plot,
the odds of him offending obviously shrink, too.
By how much? Well, based on past offences,
they drop from one in three to one in six.
One in six.
You know what?
They're still good odds. I'll take that.
So, when do you pitch to the FTG?
Well, now I know what to ask for, as soon as possible.
Listen - thank you.
Thank you all for your support and your expertise.
I just want to say how much it means
that so many of you responded and clearly care about this case
and its many, many victims.
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