Alan Birkin

Focusing on the lives of several men living on the fringes of society and the law in Salford and Greater Manchester, the documentary offers an intimate portrait of their everyday struggles and relationships. Several of its subjects later reappear in Dominic Savage's The Complainers, most notably two carpet salesmen whose argument with Alan Birkin spans both documentaries. While the Carpet Salesman feature here as part of the wider ensemble, Birkin becomes one of the central focuses of The Complainers.

After the death of his niece Catherine who was raped and murdered by a paedophile ring, Steve Donovan goes on the trail of every member and in true death wish tradition, blows them all to kingdom come.

A look at the lives and opinions of three hard-to-please consumer crusaders who fight for the rights of dissatisfied customers. Alan is a cocky, streetwise hardman; Barry a boisterous businessman; and David Birkin a short but bullish campaigner whose chief grievance is the ripeness of fruit sold at Tesco. Alan Birkin and two carpet salesmen also appear in Dominic Savage's documentary Rogue Males, where the origins of Birkin's dispute over a carpet purchase are first seen. While the salesmen form part of the wider ensemble in Rogue Males, The Complainers shifts its focus to Birkin, making him one of the documentary's central figures as the dispute continues.