The Watchman | | Watch out for The Watchman - notorious con man |
Inside Out investigates the con man, nicknamed "The Watchman" who targeted the elderly in the North West. For the first time police are putting on display an Aladdin's cave of stolen items they found at the Watchman's house. They're trying to re-unite scores of heirlooms with their rightful owners. We investigate how this cunning con man was finally caught in an exclusive Inside Out investigation. Charming con man
Leslie Fishwick was Mr Average - medium height, medium build, middle aged, northern accent.
But he was also a rogue who charmed his way to thousands of pounds of other people's cash, clocks and jewellery. His burglary spree lasted nearly a decade - with police investigating 150 cases they suspected had been carried out by the thief they dubbed "The Watchman".
Detective Inspector Simon Collier, Greater Manchester Police says: "He was very charming, he was very convincing, softly spoken, not too aggressive, polite, a perfect gentleman." But this gentleman thief was also a callous conman who stole the most personal of items from vulnerable people. So how did one man - who was making a fortune from his crimes - manage to evade the police for 10 years?
Double life To the outside world, Leslie Fishwick was just an antiques dealer.
In his van he'd cover large parts of the North West. He only worked Tuesdays and Thursdays - always telling his partner that he'd be back to make the tea.
 | | Rich pickings but the Watchman kept a low profile |
Police say Fishwick once played Rugby League for Leigh at their Hilton Park ground. He was injured - and for many years since then he'd been claiming sickness benefit. Detectives say his partner had been duped by Fishwick, and she had no idea about his secret career. Despite his rich pickings as a thief, he lived modestly and never flaunted the cash. And to add credibility to his trade, Fishwick made up false papers.
His fake ID wasn't sophisticated, but it fooled many old people. And he carried a brochure of clocks to impress his customers. Convincing con
As a burglar - he chose victims carefully. He'd reconnoitre a likely area - chat to neighbours and glean personal details. He'd watch and listen until he was sure it was safe to strike - he called it going knocking.
Joseph Birch was just one of the people he targeted:
 | | Gold rings stolen by The Watchman |
"He wasn't nasty with me, but he had a demanding way."
The clock on Joseph Birch's wall has been in his family for over 80 years.
It disappeared the day The Watchman called:
"He came to the door and said have I any antiques for sale and I said 'no', but before I'd finished saying 'no' he was in the house. "He walked straight through and started admiring the sideboard, and one thing and another. "And then he saw the clock and he said 'it's not running properly'... And he said 'well I mend clocks so will you not sell it?' I said 'no', and he said 'well, I'll repair it for you.'"
"And I said 'how do I know you're not a wide-boy?'
'Oh', he said, 'no, I have a shop in Accrington'. Then he walked straight over and looked at it... he whipped it off the wall, went to the door, and out. I couldn't catch him because I've had a hip operation."
Police hunt
Police across the North West pooled resources as the hunt intensified. They knew how he worked - and where he worked. They knew his targets and what he was taking. The problem was - they had no idea who he was: "There were times when it was very frustrating because people were coming forward and telling us what he'd done, and we knew straight away that it had to be the same person. "We always seemed to be one step behind him."
Fingerprints had been taken from the houses which The Watchman visited - but when police checked their database they drew a blank. Fishwick did have a minor conviction from many years ago, but his details had never been transferred to computer. The only real chance police had, was to hope they could catch him red-handed - and that seemed unlikely.
"He was obviously very meticulous in his planning. Never wrote anything down, there was never any evidence when we searched his house that he ever catalogued all this - I'm quite sure he didn't, it was all upstairs, it was all in his mind and it was all meticulously planned."
Sgt Chris Bridge, Greater Manchester Police.
To have a person that was doing it for so long without being caught by the police clearly showed the organisation that he put into it. Meanwhile The Watchman was stashing away a fortune. The stolen antiques were sold at flea markets and he rarely asked for big prices. Fatal mistake Over a decade Fishwick made virtually no mistakes - and then one day, he changed his routine.
It was a simple error - at just one house, he drank coffee - and it was a mistake which would eventually lead to his conviction.
 | | Recognise one of your stolen watches? |
Scientists in Chorley successfully extracted DNA from the coffee cup - now they had proof - all they needed was a lucky break.
Marion Barton was the woman who eventually stopped The Watchman. She recognised Fishwick from a Homewatch poster, but had little time to challenge him.
As Fishwick tried to change a £20 note at her house, Marion managed to get him back to the door, and rang 999.
As luck would have it there was a couple of plain clothes police officers in the area, and spotted him so they arrested him on suspicion.
At Fishwick's Bolton house, detectives found £96,000 in neatly arranged £20 pound notes - and another £56,000 in a bank account.
Recovered treasures
Police say Fishwick never showed any remorse - and initially denied everything. His only regret was he got caught. Time though, had run out for The Watchman.
When Leslie Fishwick appeared at Bolton Crown Court, he admitted nine counts of burglary and was sentenced to five years in jail.
Fishwick's financial assets were frozen until a hearing later in 2006.  | | Recovered treasure trove - china was amongst the finds |
The judge said his despicable offences had cast a shadow on the lives of his victims, the youngest of which was 78-years-old.
The items found in Fishwick's house will be displayed publicly for the first time on February 14, 2006. Police are hoping to reunite these treasured belongings with their rightful owners. Some though, have already gone home. Joseph Birch has already got his beloved clock back.
So how did it feel when it was returned? "Elated. I could have burst out singing.
I am getting over it, I'm that type, but it's still there. I don't think I'll ever lose that thought, but as a I say when it came back I could have danced with joy."
Hopefully other victims of The Watchman will be doing the same over the next few weeks. Links relating to this story:The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites | 
Inside Out - North West: Monday February 13, 2006
