It’s again, cue the scary music as 24 Hours in Police Custody returns to our screens with a double invoice.
The new two-part particular – known as The Ambush – begins tomorrow (Sunday) on Channel 4.
It follows Bedfordshire Police’s four-year fight for justice after a young person was left for dead in Luton.
TV crews observe the pressure’s Criminal Investigation Department as they work to ascertain the occasions which led to a teenage boy being left for dead beneath a railway bridge.
In an investigation that is still ongoing, detectives depart no stone unturned as they work not solely to establish these accountable for the boy’s accidents, however the boy himself.
Featuring acquainted faces from earlier episodes of the award-winning sequence, the newest instalment highlights the widespread hyperlink between medication, violence and exploitation.
Tom Hamm, a former detective sergeant for Bedfordshire Police, led the investigation. He mentioned: “This was an incredibly complex and emotive investigation, both from a personal and professional perspective.
“Sadly, what this case revealed is a fact that came up time and time again in my career as a police officer and later a detective – where there is illegal drug activity there is inevitably violence and exploitation of every kind.
“Whether that is young boys sent miles from home with a backpack and a burner phone, serious youth violence or vulnerable women entrapped in on-street sexual exploitation, drugs are almost always at the centre of it all. That’s what this episode showcases and what 24 Hours in Police Custody does as a whole, it offers unprecedented insight into the challenges and crimes Bedfordshire Police face on a daily basis.
“My hope is that viewers watch the show, not to be entertained but to be educated on the topics the documentary covers.”
Despite in depth inquiries various offenders stay excellent.
“Ultimately this case isn’t closed,” Tom continued.
“So my plea to the public on behalf of my colleagues who remain in force is this: if you know anything about this incident or have information on the outstanding offenders, now is the time to speak up.
“It has been four years, I’ve no doubt that those involved will have spoken about this and someone out there knows exactly what took place. I urge you to speak to the police or report anonymously via Crimestoppers.”
24 Hours in Police Custody has been nominated in the Factual Entertainment class of the National Television Awards 2026 – you can vote here