Episodes

  • When no-one talks – The murder of Rhys Jones

    When no-one talks – The murder of Rhys Jones
    Jul 3 2025
    This time we look at one of the most heart-wrenching and complex cases of recent years – the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Liverpool. Shot while walking home from football practice in 2007, Rhys was an innocent victim of gang rivalries and his death shocked the nation. But behind the headlines lay a web of fear, silence, and intimidation. In the final edition of this series, former Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and ex-Mirror editor Alison Phillips examine how detectives pursued justice in a community gripped by trauma, where witnesses were too afraid to speak – and the suspect was barely older than the victim. How do you solve a crime when no one dares talk? Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • How do you turn around a failing police force? – with Sir Stephen Watson of Greater Manchester Police

    How do you turn around a failing police force? – with Sir Stephen Watson of Greater Manchester Police
    Jun 26 2025
    This week on Crime Scene – a police force in crisis, collapsing trust, and lawlessness on the streets. How do you bring it back from the brink? We talk to the man who did just that – twice. Sir Stephen Watson, now Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, turned around two of the UK’s most troubled forces: South Yorkshire after Hillsborough and Rotherham, and GMP after it was placed under special measures. He faced resistance, crumbling morale, and a broken system. Former met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and ex-Mirror editor Alison Phillips ask: how did he fix it? • Follow Crime Scene on Bluesky and Twitter . Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • Petty crime, major problem – Have the police given up on phone theft, burglary and shoplifting?

    Petty crime, major problem – Have the police given up on phone theft, burglary and shoplifting?
    Jun 19 2025
    Small-time crime is out of control and to public anger, the police often don’t seem interested. A third of people have had their mobile phones stolen, shoplifting is at record levels and burglars seem to operate with impunity – but often all the police offer is a crime number and victim support. Former Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and ex-Mirror editor Alison Phillips ask: Do the police need to get back to basics on the crimes that really matter to ordinary people? • Follow Crime Scene on BlueSky and Twitter. Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • The Madeleine McCann Search – What went wrong and will it ever end?

    The Madeleine McCann Search – What went wrong and will it ever end?
    Jun 12 2025
    The disappearance of 3-year old Madeleine McCann in Portugal became a shared nightmare for parents, a press obsession and a seemingly endless search for police across Europe. How did the inquiries go wrong? Could new evidence lead to a conviction? With new police investigations under way and a suspect about to be released from prison after serving time for other offences, Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips take a deep dive into one of the most infamous cases of the century so far. If Madeleine McCann really was abducted, will the perpetrator ever be found? • Follow Crime Scene on BlueSky. Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • Should cannabis be decriminalised?

    Should cannabis be decriminalised?
    Jun 5 2025
    British law on cannabis is bitterly controversial. Many say it puts young people and ethnic minorities into needless conflict with the law. London Mayor Sadiq Khan originally asked Bernard Hogan-Howe to lead the drugs commission that has just recommended decriminalising “natural” cannabis for personal use. Is Khan right to demand a change the law? Bernard and former Mirror editor Alison Phillips go inside the evolution of Britain’s illegal cannabis trade, ask whether legalising weed would boost organised crime, and look at what urgent steps Government should take on what is many Briton’s favourite guilty pleasure. • Follow Crime Scene on BlueSky. Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • The Liverpool parade crash and the Southport killer – Should police identify suspects?

    The Liverpool parade crash and the Southport killer – Should police identify suspects?
    May 29 2025
    The truth behind true crime. This week we were ready to talk about the disinformation and rumour that provoked the Southport riots. But then another shocking incident raised similar questions. A car drove into a crowd of celebrating Liverpool FC fans – and unlike in the Southport case, police released details about the suspect. Is it right to partially identify suspects if it calms public anger? Does it set a dangerous precedent? And how do police handle a major emergency when passions run high? Ex-Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and former Mirror editor Alison Phillips look at a nightmare scenario. • Follow Crime Scene on BlueSky. Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Robin Leeburn. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    49 mins
  • Who killed the Essex Boys? – Why an infamous conviction may be fatally flawed

    Who killed the Essex Boys? – Why an infamous conviction may be fatally flawed
    May 22 2025
    The infamous Essex Boys triple murder is the case that will not die. Three men – Pat Tate, Tony Tucker, and Craig Rolfe – were found shot dead in a Range Rover in rural Essex in December 1995. These brutal killings shocked the nation and led to lurid speculation linking them to the Ecstasy-related death of teenager Leah Betts just weeks earlier. Two men, Jack Whomes and Michael Steele, were convicted in 1998 but always protested their innocence. Now, decades later, the case is being reviewed again by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Could the real killers still be free? Former Met Police detective-turned-private investigator David McKelvey once dismissed doubts about the case, until disturbing evidence emerged. From chaotic crime scenes to mishandled evidence, he talks us through an investigation that inspired books, films, and endless questions. With Steele set to walk free we ask: Did the police get it wrong? And what happens if the system has jailed the wrong men? • Follow Crime Scene on BlueSky. Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Exclusive – Shadow Home Secretary CHRIS PHILP MP on two-tier policing, A.I. face recognition and the future of fighting crime

    Exclusive – Shadow Home Secretary CHRIS PHILP MP on two-tier policing, A.I. face recognition and the future of fighting crime
    May 15 2025
    Is Britain really a two-tier justice system? Can artificial intelligence really solve the crisis in crime detection? And are the Conservatives trying to fix problems that started on their watch? In our first interview edition, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp MP joins Bernard and Alison for a spirited conversation on the future of policing, technology and the criminal justice system. • Follow Crime Scene on BlueSky. Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 5 mins