The Cop, The Kidnap and The Killer: New BBC Local Podcast Revisits the Lesley Whittle Case

BBC Local brings a gripping new five part podcast series to listeners this December, exploring one of Britain’s most notorious criminal cases. The Cop, The Kidnap and The Killer takes a fresh look at the kidnap and murder of teenager Lesley Whittle, a story that shocked the nation fifty years ago.

The series traces an investigation that stretched across the East and West Midlands, with significant developments in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Oxfordshire. It was a case that not only held the public’s attention, but also changed how police forces worked together and how they communicated with the media. The effects of that shift are still felt in modern policing.

Part of BBC Sounds’ true crime strand, Crime Next Door, the series is presented by BBC journalist and broadcaster Susan Hanks, who grew up in the Midlands. She brings listeners into the heart of the events through interviews with people who lived through the case first hand, allowing their voices to guide the story.

Susan said:

“The twists and turns of this case make it compelling for a new audience, and for those that remember the story at the time, we hope that we have reflected the tragic events of 1975 in a respectful way.”

The narrative is shaped around the detective whose pursuit of justice came at great personal cost. The series also includes rare original archive material, some of which has not been heard since it was first broadcast in 1975.

Chris Burns, Head of Local Audio Commissioning, said:

"This is an extraordinary story! The impact of which still echoes through the corridors of British criminal history. It’s a deeply personal and powerful retelling from BBC Local of a case that literally changed policing in this country forever.”

Crime Next Door: The Cop, The Kidnap and The Killer will be available as a boxset on BBC Sounds from Tuesday 2 December 2025.

Listen here,https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0mkfzv9