I stood outside our building and watched several members of an Indian family empty the ground floor flat. When yet another a young man came out of the front door – this one carrying a neat pile of brown bed linen – it dawned on me that this could be a very sophisticated burglary, executed in plain sight.

I called for TPR. He ran up the steps from the basement flat, made a charge for the first ‘burglar’ that he saw, and wrestled him to the ground. Both men scuffled on the pavement for a few minutes, TPR shouting accusations, and the other pleading his innocence.

It was later confirmed that N and S really had commissioned this Indian family to complete a house clearance on their behalf.