Hall of Fame

Allan Sharpe’s Hall of Fame;

some of over 250 films, and 600 court cases that made the headlines

Court Cases

1. 1972. The first was the largest department store in the area, Debenhams Harrow, and a lunch time stroll revealed all sorts of price discrepancies in their Sale, when I spoke to the manager he could not justify them. I had just qualified, the week before, the boss had sent me out on weighbridge inspections, I came back late with a van full of promotion signs, products and a case that made front page headline news.

2. 1998. Derrick James Davies made £1m benefit from the manufacture of counterfeit clothing – 52 brands – he also sold fake champagne, perfume and cigarettes. DJD got 4+ years and lost his mansion in Essex, Villa in Spain and several cars. He had jumped bail and was extradited from Spain and working with FIU his assets were confiscated. It was the longest sentence handed out.

3. 1999. Johnnie Green was a very similar operation, smaller scale he got 18 months.

4. 2004. Dino Simm and Sid Austin got 4 years each in 2004 and had to repay £2m in forfeiture of assets for conspiracy. They had imported pirate DVDs from Malaysia, and in all over 100,000 were seized.

5. 2004.China Industrial Group, 25,000 counterfeit mobile phone accessories and components seized, major importers from China. £500,00 assets forfeiture.

6. 2004. Nadia Traders, another large fake mobile phone importer. 2 years prison, £1m asset forfeiture.

7. 2002. Steven Levy major importer from Thailand of Louis Vuitton fakes - 6 months.

8. 1976. Charring Cross. Chef & Brewer, on a routine inspection noticed the price tags on the bar equipment were 3p more than on price list. Phoned office so that test purchases could be made while I stayed testing the 6 fl oz unjust beer meters. In all 63 charges.

9. 1975 – 1982. Petrol Fraud in the West End , 44 garages caught in 7 years.

10. 1975 – 1982. Short measure drinks in exclusive West End hotels, even the Savoy!

11. Plus car clocking, unroadworthy cars, cut & shuts. Kate Frost and her £4000 Fiesta for her daughter , which was really a write off making a comeback as an unroadworthy 2^nd hand vehicle. It took 18 months to get her compensation through the courts as the traders absconded, and I tracked them down.

12. 2004. Danny Clelland, t/a Imperial Construction, charged with Theft of £21,000 from 4 families. Danny was a con man better at destruction than construction.

13. 1999. Plumbfast and director Steven Baker £21,000 fines for systematic overcharging of their customers.

TV Programmes

1. 1995. Channel 4 half hour expose of Virginia Bottomley’s handling of NHS which led to her removal from office.

2. 1993. BBC2 half hour Expose of Andy Norman, corrupt king of British Athletics who fixed races and drug tests. Norman, an ex Police Officer, resigned after broadcast.

3. 1996.Channel 4 expose of how the police dupe sposes into thinking they hired hit men to kill their other half in orderto secure convictions and how the entrapment was flawed, rough justice.

4. 1991. BBC TV Life on 1, live broadcast of environmental series from Sheffield about recycling are we doing enough – answer no. One of the Best.

5. 1985 BBC TV Watchdog Ron Aylward the Northern entrepreneur in home improvements whose only home improved was his own.

6. 1983. TVAM Shell and short measure petrol memo to pump maintenance. Winner of Consumer Journalist Award.

7. 1986. BBCTV Watchdog: Priceslasher and Thermastore, both huge companies that folded leaving customers and creditors high and dry. TV exposure resulted in evidence handed over to Serious Fraud Office for conviction of directors. 1992. Johnnie Morris of Thermastore was one of Margaret Thatcher’s Captains of Industry who tried to run off with £21m.

8. 1988. BBC TV Half hour Holiday Nightmare Special, including the relocation of 67 OAPs in Spain from grim and disastrous to 5* luxury courtesy of Airtours with a little arm twisting from Watchdog . The film that got me the Deputy Editor job.

9. Pollution, first TV programme to address traffic pollution and cures, also dirty beaches, dirty skies, dirty river, climate change first forecasted 1991………

10. 1991.Petrol Pricing…………..led to the 7 Sisters coming into line with Supermarket prices.

11. 1985.BSM: conned the Dept of Transport to get away with unqualified driving instructors.

12. 1994.Hooligans- why football? why violence? Margaret Thatcher’s greatest export, Video got to number 2 in the charts, beaten by Walt Disney’s Snow White release.

What have you done today to make you feel proud. I have always been a proud person, some say arrogant, some say obstinate, I say determined, principled. I was always proud of my achievements, even scoring a goal from the half way line for Brent at the Welsh Harp, or the winner for BBC against British Gas, a curler free kick from 25 yards out and Andy jumping on my back shouting "What a f......g goal Allan"

I have always been proud of my 2 sons Ian & Graeme too and their ability, intelligence and progess. Just like my Mum worried about me till her death, so I worry about them, and when bad times come their way it hits me too as if it has happened to me. Parental responsibility I guess.

I can do that

I Can do That

I always came 2^nd. I should have known it from an early age. I was at Willesden Grammar School for 7 years. In that time we sat 14 exam sessions. In Geography I came 2^nd 14 times, always beat by someone different. Amazed you will be, as I was, or is it frustration.

I was 2^nd in command at work too, the highest run on the career ladder in the snakes and ladders of ambition.

I did throw some double sixes of the dice, I did not always go down the snakes. I could bite my lip for a period, but then got to a collision course, well there is only so much you can take and why should the buggers get you down, better that they go down.

One of my earliest imprints on my mind was HMS Hood in 1941. The pride of the British Navy. The Battleship was off Iceland with the Prince of Wales and engaged Bismarck, Germany’s largest Battleship. 1415 sailors perished as it was blown out of the water taking a direct hit into the magazine, only 3 crew survived. It was a great loss to Churchill and the nation…………….BUT, as it took the fatal blow it fired its last salvo and crippled the steering on the Bismarck, which enabled our fleet to pursue and eventually sink the Nazi menace to Atlantic convoys.

I read all about this when I was about 7, and my motto ever since was if you go down go down with all guns blazing, and take as many of the buggers down with you.

So………………..

I have probably worked for 3 men that I can say I respected. David Taylor, David Patterson and Nick Hayes, all BBC former Editors. One woman….. Lynn Faulds Wood, who has a great husband and a great bloke John Stappleton.

My happiest days were at the Beeb, current affairs, Lime Grove Shepherd’s Bush London W12. I always wanted to make a mark, leave a legacy, champion David against Goliath, change things for the better. In Trading Standards I could do that in a local community. When I got into TV it was more powerful and influential, than even the courts and it was national even international.

I have always had compassion for the populace at large, though its true to say I have not won many friends, the membership of the Allan Sharpe appreciation society is limited – no riff raff – but I do get irritated by a lack of vision and incompetence by people who should know better. There is a tick box mentality, and there should not be. There is a do what I have to do to get by and no more attitude.

That has never been me, I always went above and beyond the call of duty. I always wanted to dine out on my stories.

But where does it get you………………huh, and who is right, them or me?