Safety in numbers: The hypothesis that, by being part of a large physical group or mass, an individual is less likely to be the victim of a mishap, accident, attack, or other bad event.

In 1971, Henry Campbell had started his own business, Campbell International Haulage. This was an ambitious name for a small South Tyneside firm consisting of one man in a van. Henry would work sixteen hours a day, transporting goods all over the UK and keeping on top of paperwork in order to grow the business.

The hard work payed off and by 1975, the small firm had grown to employ thirty-five staff with fifteen trucks on the road at any given time. By 1980, Henry had decided to go into semi-retirement following a number of health issues and so his son and heir, Vic Campbell took over the day-to-day running of the company. Vic had worked for his Father since he was sixteen years old and so by 1980, aged thirty, he was very familiar with how the company operated and took to the role like a duck to water. In 1982, Henry Campbell passed away, leaving Vic to not only run the company, but to run things his way as the sole owner. Although business was good, Vic became greedy. Fraud, tax evasion and money laundering were just a few of the charges which led to a six-year prison sentence at HMP Durham in 1984. Following his release from prison, Vic Campbell returned to his company with a fresh attitude towards business.

This was not the attitude of ‘work harder’.

This was the attitude of ‘work smarter’.

Vic had made what he considered to be a very useful contact whilst serving time in prison, a man who had fed the greed which had steered Vic towards incarceration in the first place. Outside of his legitimate business interests, Vic Campbell decided to employ men that he had named ‘runners’. These men were not officially on any form of payroll, nor was the true nature of their day to day activities known to anyone outside of the small team which Vic had assembled. The runners had a sole responsibility in their job role, to ensure certain products were transported around the UK, arriving at their destination without issue. Vic insisted upon success and throughout his criminal career, each of the runners that he employed were given two things during their induction: The ‘safety in numbers’ pearl of wisdom, and a well recited insight into the way things were……. ‘OK, here’s the thing, you work for me now and you do not do anything on the side. Every so often, you stick your head into the office, making sure the staff see you, to keep them think-ing that you are a legitimate member of the business. If you ever get pulled over when you are running, you are on your own. You lose my money or my product, you replace it. You ever mention my name, I will leave you where I fucking find you. Are we clear?’

Vic’s warning was indeed clear, and as a result, he achieved the success he so craved, at the same time, growing in power.

What isn’t clear, is how Vic Campbell got to where he was in the first place, right? I am hoping this story will resolve that matter…….