The truth about criminals? They are thick

Peter Rhodes wries: If you didn't catch The Syndicate (BBC1) last week, watch it tomorrow for it answers a crucial question that most crime dramas tend to avoid – how thick is the average criminal?

The Poirots, Morses and Midsomer Murders of this world try to convince us that criminals are fiendishly clever villains who plan intensely intricate crimes and then produce cast-iron alibis.

It has to be that way for how else would our heroic detectives earn our admiration?

The reality, as any cop or court reporter will tell you, is that Chummy is usually as dense as several short planks and as thick as any farmyard by-product you care to name.

In The Syndicate, brothers Jamie and Stuart seriously believe they can stage an armed robbery at the shop where they both work, and get away with it.

That is exactly how real criminals think. Time after time, they are convinced the cops will never get them.

Kay Mellor's refreshingly honest script demystifies crooks – and about time, too