Burgled

Overview

Sean is 15 and well known to the Gateshead police as a juvenile car thief and burglar. He reckons he can break into a house with "good gear", grab the TV and video and get away in less than five minutes. Gladys Smith is 80 and suffering from Alzheimer's disease. When a man posing as a council officer burgled her home she couldn't remember anything about him or tell the police what had been stolen. Filmed on the streets of Gateshead, this Inside Story investigates breaking and entering by talking to the cops, the robbers and the victims. It includes footage of a police stake-out in which detectives watch a street they believe is a haven for the area's most prolific house-breakers. After many uncomfortable days, they finally move in. There is a break-in every 20 seconds in Britain - so in the time it takes to read about this documentary, another home will be burgled.