Trading standards officers investigate a multi-million-pound driving school after hundreds of learner drivers complained that they haven’t had the lessons they paid for. Seventeen-year-old Harry Burton is among them. Harry booked an intensive course of lessons and paid a £400 deposit up front. But he got nothing in return. \n\nWhen the UK went into lockdown, many of us feared for our health and our livelihoods. But to the criminals, the spread of Covid-19 wasn’t so much a crisis as an opportunity. They started sending out bogus text messages claiming to be from the NHS, tricking people into handing over their bank details. Now, a specialist police unit is closing in on these fraudsters and bringing them to justice. Over a 12-month period, more than 30,000 Covid-related scams have been successfully blocked.
Source: BBC 1
Series 6: 10. Holiday Hell
The holiday scam raking in millions of pounds. But the net is closing on the shameless travel agent who is leaving families out of pocket and stranded in the sun. Also, danger o ...
24-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 9. River Of Sewage
Shocking river pollution – but is Britain’s biggest water company to blame? The Defenders investigate as thousands of dead fish are discovered in contaminated &lsquo ...
23-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 8. Deadly Toy Stories
Buyers beware! The lethal danger of button batteries in toys. In one case, a baby almost dies after swallowing a battery from a dangerous toy. The Defenders raid suspect shops t ...
22-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 7. Child Vaping Crisis
A teen schoolgirl goes undercover to expose shops selling illegal vapes to children, while a head teacher claims pupils can’t get through a lesson without vaping. In anoth ...
21-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 6. Death On The Railway
A young boy is electrocuted on a train track. But who is to blame? The Defenders investigate and make a shocking discovery. In another case, they take on a driveway conman with ...
20-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 5. Asbestos Dump
Dangerous asbestos is found illegally dumped in a storage container near a school. But who put it there? The Defenders are determined to hunt them down and bring them to justice ...
17-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 4. Forever Home Heartbreak
A young couple are left in pieces when a cowboy builder charges them nearly £60,000 – then ruins their home. But the Defenders step in, determined to get justice on ...
16-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 3. Driving Test Cheats
The Defenders catch a man helping people cheat their driving test. He’s captured on CCTV at several driving test centres around the country, each time pretending to be a d ...
15-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 2. Danger In The Skies
Can the Defenders find the pilot of a rogue drone that nearly caused a catastrophic mid-air collision with a World War II Hurricane? The incident is captured by an amateur photo ...
14-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 6: 1. Falling Off The Back Of A Lorry
A couple are lucky to escape with their lives when a pallet of paving slabs and bricks falls off the back of a lorry and smashes into their car. There are thousands of incidents ...
13-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 4 (shortened Versions): Episode 10
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency investigates a collision involving a party boat on the River Thames. The boat had been hosting a Christmas party, and there were well over 100 ...
08-04-2022
BBC 1
Series 5: Episode 4
The Civil Aviation Authority catches a fraudster who lied to get a job as a captain with one of the UK’s largest airlines. After looking into his background, they discover ...
05-12-2023
BBC 1
Series 6: 1. Falling Off The Back Of A Lorry
A couple are lucky to escape with their lives when a pallet of paving slabs and bricks falls off the back of a lorry and smashes into their car. There are thousands of incidents ...
13-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 5: Episode 5
Hundreds of pensioners are left stranded after booking a five-day holiday in Torquay. They only discover they’ve been conned when the coaches that are supposed to pick the ...
06-12-2023
BBC 1
Series 6: 3. Driving Test Cheats
The Defenders catch a man helping people cheat their driving test. He’s captured on CCTV at several driving test centres around the country, each time pretending to be a d ...
15-05-2024
BBC 1
Series 5 (shortened Versions): Episode 1
This factual series sees the return of our defenders – enforcement officers who protect us from the crooks and the cheats who exploit our trust, take our money and threate ...
15-05-2023
BBC 1
Series 4: Episode 9
The Office of Rail and Road examines the causes behind a fatal road traffic collision in which two men died. Investigators discover that the man driving had been asked by his bo ...
17-08-2023
BBC 1
Series 5: Episode 8
A secret surveillance operation uncovers a shocking case of human trafficking and modern slavery. Scores of young men and women are being kept as prisoners and forced into unpai ...
08-12-2023
BBC 1
Series 4: Episode 2
Officers crack down on a company fitting vehicles with special devices that are supposed to reduce toxic fumes and improve air quality. The devices cost thousands of pounds and ...
08-08-2023
BBC 1
Series 4 (shortened Versions): Episode 8
The Environment Agency responds to a major incident after several canisters containing the deadly chemical weapon mustard gas are dumped in a lake. The race is on to find the ca ...
06-04-2022
BBC 1