24 Hours in Police Custody

24 Hours in Police Custody
Genre	Documentary
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	27
Production
Location(s)	Luton, Bedfordshire
Running time	approx. 60 minutes
Production company(s)	The Garden Productions
Release
Original network	Channel 4
Original release	29 September 2014 – present
External links
Website

24 Hours in Police Custody is a British documentary television series shown on Channel 4. It follows Bedfordshire Police as they investigate cases in Luton.^[1] Filming took place at Luton Police Station over a six-week period^[2] using more than 80 cameras.^[3]

The first series of seven episodes^[4] began on 29 September 2014 with a second series airing from 6 January 2015 onwards. Twenty episodes have been commissioned in total.^[5] The fourth series of nine episodes began on 20 April 2016.

24 Hours in Police Custody is made by The Garden Productions, the same production company that makes 24 Hours in A&E.

Episodes

All ratings are from BARB.^[6]

Series 1

No.	Title	Original air date	Viewers (millions)
1	"The Conspiracy to Murder"	29 September 2014	2.05
This extraordinary episode opens with the dawn arrest of a man on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. The film documents the work of the lead detectives as they investigate and interview the suspect.
2	"Love Hurts"	6 October 2014	2.06
In this second episode of the observational series shot inside Luton Police Station, two PCs are determined to get to the bottom of two contrasting cases of domestic abuse and harassment.
3	"The Confession of a Paedophile"	13 October 2014	2.02
This episode follows the team of four detectives working full-time on child abuse cases in the dedicated Safeguarding Investigation Unit at Luton Police Station.
4	"Drug Drop"	20 October 2014	No data
This episode opens with a young man accidentally dropping a large quantity of cocaine from his jacket pocket outside a petrol station - all caught on CCTV. In a separate case, a man is arrested for stealing meat from Marks & Spencer. He is a heroin addict who admits theft whilst being interviewed by police and is later convicted.
5	"The Morning After"	27 October 2014	1.98
A private carer is arrested for assaulting the elderly man he is paid a carer's allowance to look after, in his house, where they both live. In a separate case, a Polish man is arrested for disturbing the peace and at the police station it is discovered that he threatened to kill his wife in during a row with her. Proceedings were abandoned in both cases.
6	"Honour Thy Father"	10 November 2014	2.04
A Muslim Pakistani man is suspected of committing an honour crime against his 26-year-old daughter after she married an illegal immigrant. She said that her father beat her with an iron and tried to force her to leave her husband and move back in with her family. The father said her husband only married her to gain British citizenship. The father was charged with kidnapping, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault. He was convicted of ABH and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. The other two charges had been dropped.
7	"The Crime of the Century"	17 November 2014	1.35
Acting sergeant and double amputee Wil Taylor and his team investigate the case of three sex workers. Are the women victims of trafficking, or are they exploiting others? A man is arrested for an immigration offence and handling stolen goods; he is deported.

Series 2

No.	Title	Original air date	Viewers (millions)
1	"A Crime of Passion"	6 January 2015	1.51
A man stabs his wife in the eye - she turns her face quickly after, causing the blade to cut across her face instead of going into her brain. Straight after, he slashes his own arm. He was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
2	"A Short, Sharp Shock"	13 January 2015	1.60
Two teenage girls are arrested after a fight broke out in a nightclub. And the police also arrest a 61-year-old man who has never spent a night in the cells before.
3	"Human Traffic"	20 January 2015	1.51
This episode follows an investigation into suspected human trafficking. DC Tom Stean says 'Human trafficking is getting worse and worse. I think Luton is a magnet.
4	"Punchdrunk Love"	27 January 2015	1.41
Three men are arrested for separate domestic violence incidents. One is not charged, one is cautioned and the other is sent to prison for three months.
5	"Age Concern"	3 February 2015	1.35
Three separate cases of young men who have committed crimes against the elderly. One is detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act after he committed a series of sexual assaults. Another is sent to prison for hitting his grandmother and another is sent to prison for harassment and criminal damage against a relative.
6	"Frequent Flyers"	10 February 2015	1.74
One of Luton's most prolific burglars.

Series 3

No.	Title	Original air date	Viewers (millions)
1	"Bad Blood"	27 July 2015	1.80
2	"Guilty Little Secrets"	3 August 2015	2.30
3	"Partners in Crime"	10 August 2015	2.04
4	"Mother's Day"	17 August 2015	1.86
5	"A Sixth Sense"	24 August 2015	1.75

Series 4

No.	Title	Original air date	Viewers (millions)
1	"Human Cargo"	20 April 2016	1.94
The Romanian driver of a refrigerated lorry hears noises from the back of the truck, which he opens and finds illegal immigrants. He is arrested and questioned, but he is not charged with any offence.
2	"To Catch a Paedophile"	27 April 2016	1.77
Vigilante paedophile hunters trap two men by pretending on Internet sites to be underage girls. Both men were sent to prison.
3	"Love Thy Neighbour"	5 May 2016	1.94
Three cases are featured. A mother and son are arrested for public order offences after shouting at their neighbour; she was fined for disorderly conduct; he was cautioned for threatening behaviour. They both moved away from Luton. A Bangladeshi woman escaped from her husband, who is an Islamic State supporter, tried to force her to go to Syria; she moved to a hotel, and later to a refuge. Tommy Robinson is arrested for assaulting an inmate when they were both in Peterborough Prison - the case against him is dismissed.
4	"One Punch"	12 May 2016	2.30
Police investigate a man who killed another man with a single punch outside a nightclub, attempting to establish if he was the aggressor or acted in self-defence. The attacker was convicted of manslaughter.
5	"The Black Balaclava"	19 May 2016	2.09
Police investigate a series of armed robberies all involving the victims being threatened at knifepoint. Two men are convicted of and imprisoned for the robberies: one is sentenced to seven years, the other to twelve years.
6	"Home Truths"	26 May 2016	1.60
Cases of domestic abuse.
7	"Lethal Weapon"	1 June 2016	2.18
The gun crime unit investigate a robbery at a hotel. A blank-firing pistol was used which had been converted to be able to fire live rounds. A man was convicted of possession of a firearm and two counts of assault, for which he was sentenced to five and a half years imprisonment.
8	"In Plain Sight"	8 June 2016	2.36
Police search thousands of hours of CCTV to find a man who sexually assaulted two children in their home. He was convicted and sent to prison for nine years. In a separate case, a Romanian man was convicted of trying to meet a 14 year old girl after grooming her. He was sent to prison for two years.
9	"A Complaint of Rape"	15 June 2016	1.82
Police investigate a woman's complaint of rape against a man she met in a bar. The man is not charged due to lack of evidence.

References

1. "24 Hours in Police Custody, Channel 4, review: 'masterful'". The Daily Telegraph. 2014-09-29.
2. "Channel 4 series to take 'warts and all' look at Luton police station". The Guardian. 2014-09-23.
3. "24 Hours in Police Custody Episode Guide". Channel 4. Retrieved 2015-01-06.
4. "Factual Series". The Garden Productions Ltd. Retrieved 2015-01-06.
5. "24 Hours in Police Custody Programme Information". Channel 4 Press Office. 2014-10-14.
6. "Weekly top 30 programmes". BARB. Retrieved 4 April 2016.

External links

• '24 Hours in Police Custody' at channel4.com
• 24 Hours in Police Custody at Radio Times
• 24 Hours in Police Custody at the Internet Movie Database