Should I Intervene?: Tonight
Have-a-go-heroes often hit the headlines. In Should I Intervene? on ITV at 7.30pm this evening, Fiona Foster investigates for the Tonight programme why some people step-in, and why others hold back.
Intervention takes many forms, from stopping an armed robbery to helping someone when they’re unwell, but how many of us are prepared to intervene? We put that to the test in Chester City Centre with series of social experiments.
With hidden cameras rigged, actors on standby and the Tonight team undercover on the streets, will anyone come to the aid of our actor when he appears passed-out in a busy main street?
Mark Levine, a professor of Social Psychology, analysed our experiment.
Next we test the ‘Bystander Effect’, which claims the more people who witness an incident the less likely they are to get involved, as they all assume someone else will take the lead. Will this prove true when 10 year old Millie appears lost and alone in a busy city?
In March, Irish couple Davitt Walsh and his girlfriend Stephanie Knox were enjoying a drive along the coast when their day became a nightmare. They witnessed a family car in the middle of the water with six family members still inside. Davitt made the instant decision to dive into the chilly water to help those inside. What followed will live with the couple forever. They share their emotional story on the programme.
We also hear from boxer Anthony Crolla who gave chase to two burglars when he discovered them leaving his neighbour’s house. The much publicised act of bravery left him with a fractured skull and a broken ankle after he confronted them. With the biggest fight of his career schedule just weeks later, Anthony is all too aware of the dangers of intervening.
Last year, partially sighted James Pass put his life at risk when he helped foil a £1 million pound jewellery heist in Leeds City Centre. As seen in the video clip below, James and two others tackled the robber to the floor and held him until the police arrived. Their actions led to the arrest of the three criminals who were later jailed for a total of 51 years.
People who ‘have-a-go’ are protected under a ‘Good Samaritan’ law in England and Wales, if they act with reasonable force.
Tony Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester Police believes that the dangers of stepping in have to be carefully weighed up and in most cases, it should be left to the experts.
Should I Intervene? is on ITV at 7.30pm. It will be available for catch-up on the ITV Hub shortly after.
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