星空传媒

THE HOUSING OFFICER

鈥業 know of one council worker who was shot in the legs during a raid鈥�

鈥淲e used to go on raids to remove the equipment every four weeks, but now it鈥檚 every other day. The worst thing about the job is the intimidation. Obviously, these people don鈥檛 like having their equipment taken down and they鈥檙e going to let you know that. They can make thousands in a weekend, so there鈥檚 a lot at stake.

I know of one council worker who was shot in the legs during a raid. There have been cases where 20 or 30 kids turn up and try to intimidate people taking the equipment down.

There are six illegal stations broadcasting in Tower Hamlets. We鈥檝e probably spent 拢50,000 this year repairing the damage they do to our buildings. They cause no end of problems with radio signals. They also smash CCTV cameras.

I鈥檝e worked for the council鈥檚 maintenance department for more than 10 years and it鈥檚 always been a problem, but in the past three to four years it鈥檚 gone mad. It鈥檚 a problem across the country, but particularly for Tower Hamlets because we鈥檝e got so many tower blocks.

Once we鈥檝e spotted an aerial on a roof or a tenant has told us it鈥檚 there, the first step is to call broadcasting watchdog Ofcom and let them know, and then they gather intelligence and go in, confiscate equipment and prosecute people. But they鈥檝e got the whole of the UK to deal with and they鈥檙e so over-stretched it could take them eight weeks to get round to it.

So in the end it鈥檚 often the council which has to sort things out because we鈥檒l have residents phoning up complaining their televisions aren鈥檛 working. They get very upset, particularly when the football starts. I鈥檝e no objection to the music 鈥� it鈥檚 mostly rap and rave 鈥� but it鈥檚 not fair to people who can鈥檛 watch their TVs.

The police are more interested in the antisocial behaviour than the aerials, but they support us if we鈥檙e going in somewhere. We also bring in specialist security contractors to gather intelligence and support us on raids. Mostly it is just a matter of going up onto the roof and taking down the transmitter, often a piece of scaffolding pole stuck in an air shaft. We can take the stuff down but it goes straight back up.

At the moment, if we find out where operators live we can evict them, Ofcom can take them to court and they鈥檒l get a fine of between 拢350 and 拢500. But we鈥檙e also looking into the possibility of charging the cost of all the damage done to buildings directly to the operators.

It鈥檚 not all bad. The work is interesting and challenging. You get to meet a lot of people, and the environment is always changing and I really enjoy making people feel safe. But you鈥檝e got to have the right attitude for the job.

At the end of the day, young people are always going to like the idea of listening to something a bit underground, so there will always be pirate radio stations. It鈥檚 not really a gap that the BBC can plug, is it?鈥�

A housing worker at Tower Hamlets council who wished to remain anonymous

THE TENANT

鈥�They鈥檙e nasty characters so people know not to approach them鈥�

鈥淲hen the pirate radio people show up, I stay out of their way. They just stroll in, in broad daylight, with all their equipment. All the tenants know what they鈥檙e up to but they look like hard cases that you wouldn鈥檛 mess with. They鈥檙e nasty characters so people know not to approach them. We鈥檝e all heard the rumours about them dangling people they don鈥檛 like off the roof.

I live in a six-floor tower block and the roof is the perfect spot to stick an aerial, so we鈥檙e always having them turn up. We鈥檝e got a concierge so they shouldn鈥檛 be able to get in, but they intimidate him. There are often five or six of them. They go up to the roof, put their aerials up and they鈥檙e off. It can be quite quick, but some tenants hear them drilling and that can be a pain.

Once they broadcast we have all sorts of problems with our telly going on the blink. It also affects the radio, and if I鈥檓 playing a CD I鈥檒l get bleedover. You can hear their adverts and talking coming through over the music.

I鈥檓 paying a TV licence but I鈥檓 being forced to listen to a station I don鈥檛 want. I鈥檓 an electrician, so I know why it鈥檚 happening 鈥� their equipment is just so powerful.

It really brings the area down and doesn鈥檛 help to make Tower Hamlets a nice place to live. I don鈥檛 appreciate feeling intimidated in my own home; when I come home from work in the evening I just want to relax and listen to what I want.

I have complained to the council鈥檚 antisocial behaviour department, but I don鈥檛 want to help them too much because I don鈥檛 want any trouble from the pirate radio. I鈥檓 living here with my two kids, aged nine and 10, so I鈥檝e got to be careful.鈥�

A Tower Hamlets tenant who wished to remain anonymous

THE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OFFICER

鈥榃e鈥檙e not old fogeys trying to stop young people from playing their music. What鈥檚 happening is actually very dangerous鈥�

鈥淭his isn鈥檛 good old cuddly Radio Caroline up against the nasty establishment and the big BBC. The people who operate these pirate stations are generally not very nice and they鈥檒l intimidate residents to make sure they don鈥檛 report them.

So at Tower Hamlets council we鈥檙e developing with other London councils a zero-tolerance policy on pirate radio. We need to work together on this because when a pirate station is dismantled in one borough they鈥檒l simply set up in the one next door, often the same day.

It鈥檚 not that we鈥檙e old fogeys trying to stop young people from playing their music 鈥� what鈥檚 happening is actually very dangerous. Transmitters disrupt television and radio signals and interfere with the airwaves, including those used by ambulances and other emergency services, as well as London City Airport. Then there鈥檚 the damage to landlords鈥� property 鈥� they force entry, smash locks and tap into the building鈥檚 power source, which is theft. There is also a massive health and safety issue with setting up very large radio masts on top of tower blocks. The masts are made with scaffolding poles and gaffer tape; then they鈥檙e stuck precariously right on the edge of a building, which is incredibly dangerous for the people underneath.

We locate the transmitters with the help of Ofcom or through residents. The next step is to raid the site, dismantling and confiscating the equipment. The key is to find the recording studio, which will be at a separate location, in some cases miles away. Then Ofcom can go in and confiscate the equipment 鈥� it鈥檚 the studio equipment that鈥檚 really valuable.

When we send in council workers, security contractors and police to investigate the transmitter sites, they鈥檒l be un-manned and booby-trapped. The doors might be wired up to the mains so anyone trying to get in could get a huge electric shock, and sometimes razor blades are glued to access ladders. Microphones might be set up nearby, so pirates can hear when the equipment is being taken down and send in the heavies.

They are incredibly well organised. They have websites and magazines and are really well-equipped with aerials and transmitters. Basically, they are businesses that make money by charging DJs for access to the airwaves, perhaps 拢20 for a weekly slot. They also make money by advertising illegal parties and local businesses, such as pubs.

We had the first meeting for pirate radio enforcement practitioners on 31 August this year with people from Hackney, Barking and Dagenham and Newham. Each London borough tackles pirate radio in a different way, so it was a bit of a Sherlock Holmes job finding the right person to deal with. We鈥檙e hoping for a much better turn-out for the next meeting, in Hackney on 26 November. The idea is to promote good practice, share intelligence and increase the pressure on the operators by raiding them more often.

Barking and Dagenham council put a huge amount of resources into taking the equipment down as soon as it goes up, but many other London boroughs don鈥檛 have that kind of money. It becomes a game of cat and mouse.

The only way to stop them for good is to identify the individuals involved and take legal action against them, that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e trying to work together.

Heather Mallinder, principal investigation officer for the antisocial behaviour control unit for Tower Hamlets council

THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

鈥楤efore we got out we find out if the police have dealt with these people before and whether they have convictions for violence鈥�

You have to be very careful how you go about this work. You need good communication skills and intelligence-gathering abilities, you need to be able to understand the risks and act accordingly.

Before we start any investigation with a local authority, we agree a plan of action and carry out a thorough risk analysis. Authority is sought under the Regulation of Investigating Powers Act 2000, and once the investigation is under way, we have regular meetings so the council can monitor us.

Our operatives start by checking intelligence from the police, local boroughs and Ofcom about where pirate radio operators live, where their transmitters are and where the studio may be. We also speak to residents. Sometimes they have already complained to Tower Hamlets council but we also knock on people鈥檚 doors to ask if they鈥檝e seen anything. Some are more willing to help than others, but typically they give us a statement telling us, say, how they saw someone go into the building and up onto the roof, where they parked and what their car registration was.

Then we will follow suspects and take photos of any damage to buildings in order to start building a case. Obviously, you need to make sure the kind of evidence you amass is likely to be admissible in court. Once we have proof that someone is working with pirate radio, the next step is to obtain a search warrant from the police.

Before we go in we find out if the police have dealt with these people before and whether they have convictions for violence. Then we decide how much manpower we鈥檒l need.

When we get into the place the station is operating from, we鈥檒l either find that they鈥檙e broadcasting or just find their equipment. We鈥檒l arrest whoever is there including the DJs, though we鈥檙e more concerned with the people who actually run the station. If they鈥檙e not there we鈥檒l search the premises for information and question the DJs. How much information you get out of them varies. It can be difficult, but there are people who鈥檒l pass information on. Some are adults; others just young kids.

Often we find the doors standing open and people coming and going. You can just turn the handle and walk in. At this moment, how you treat people will determine how they react. You need to be courteous and business-like about it.

The pirate operators will try to prove in court they鈥檙e just providing a service to the public 鈥� but the hazards to the public caused by setting up and defending the radio itself fly in the face of that. If there is enough evidence to charge a DJ or the person running the station, they might be prosecuted by Ofcom or the council might bring an antisocial behaviour order against them. If they breach an ASBO, they could be fined up to 拢5000 and possibly spend some time in prison.鈥�

Fred Bain, managing director of CIL Worldwide, the security firm used by Tower Hamlets council and others to track down the pirates