Man Bypasses Cameras, Lasers & Vault Alarm: Ingenious Heist Tactics

Mike Watts spent £150,000 creating a private bypass after a landslip shut a key Somerset road and forced drivers into a 14-mile diversion. When months of disruption hit his community, Watts didn’t just complain. He rented a nearby field, built a gravel route, and charged drivers £2 each way to keep traffic moving. The move turned him into a local symbol of frustration with slow public services. Supporters saw it as proof that ordinary people can step in when officials fail to act fast enough.