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100 episodes

The Confession: Crime Next Door: The Confession
03/08/2026 | 1 mins.
The story of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan. In 1991 they were murdered by their spouses who then staged a scene to make it look like they had taken their own lives. 18 years later - one of the killers decided to confess.
In Crime Next Door: The Confession; family, friends, former police officers and journalists tell the story of a much loved mother and sister, an adored father and brother – and the devastation when the truth about their deaths was finally revealed.
The Beast of Birkenhead: 8. Whispers
08/06/2026 | 23 mins.
As police put out a renewed appeal, we question whether long ignored patterns of sexual violence raise the possibility of a serial offender and whether Diane’s killer could have been stopped.
We are also reminded that Diane Sindall’s murder is not just about the past as we visit a vigil for victims of violence against women.
Presenter: Olivia Graham.
Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham.
Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell.
Mixing: Ivan Eastley.
Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams.
Online Producer: Rachael Smith.
Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside.
Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson.
Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin.
There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.
The Beast of Birkenhead: 7. The Profiler
01/06/2026 | 27 mins.
A Geographical Profiler looks at the two locations connected to Diane Sindall’s murder. It’s suggested that Diane’s killer was local and may have struck before.
As new testimony suggests Diane may not have been attacked in the alleyway and emerging accounts name a local figure, the investigation edges closer to a new suspect.
Presenter: Olivia Graham.
Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham.
Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell.
Mixing: Ivan Eastley.
Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams.
Online Producer: Rachael Smith.
Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside.
Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson.
Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin.
There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.
The Beast of Birkenhead: 6. Back In Birkenhead
25/05/2026 | 25 mins.
Returning to Birkenhead in the wake of Peter Sullivan’s release, we focus on Diane Sindall and the community still living with her murder.
Peter shares details of his arrest, interviews and alleged police pressure, alongside renewed police enquiries that revisit overlooked witnesses and potential suspects.
As officers collect fresh DNA and old memories resurface, the search begins anew for the man known only as 'Unknown Male One'.
Presenter: Olivia Graham.
Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham.
Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell.
Mixing: Ivan Eastley.
Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams.
Online Producer: Rachael Smith.
Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside.
Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson.
Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin.
There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.
The Beast of Birkenhead: 5. Unknown Male One
18/05/2026 | 27 mins.
Recorded on the day of Peter Sullivan’s appeal as judges consider DNA evidence unavailable in 1987.
As the new evidence points to an unknown male, decades-old evidence crumbles under scrutiny.
The court delivers its decision leaving one devastating truth intact: Diane’s killer has not been found.
Presenter: Olivia Graham.
Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham.
Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell.
Mixing: Ivan Eastley.
Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams.
Online Producer: Rachael Smith.
Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside.
Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson.
Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin.
There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.

About Crime Next Door

Gripping True Crime stories from neighbourhoods across the UK.Series 13. The Confession Until a killer confesses, police believe two heartbroken people died in a suicide pact.Previously on Crime Next Door:Series 1. An Assassin Comes to Town Gunshots kickstart an extraordinary tale of state terrorism.Series 2. Servants and Saints Exploring the story and allegations of a global religious group.Series 3. Death on the Farm After fifty years the community of Llangolman seek justice.Series 4. The Salisbury Poisonings Follow the public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess.Series 5. The Golden Toilet Heist Exploring a story of art, mystery and a solid gold toilet stolen from a British palace.Series 6: Who Killed The Shakoors? A father's fight for justice after surviving a house fire that killed his family.Series 7. The Ballad of Big Mags A vigilante matriarch with dark secrets comes to regret stepping into the media spotlight.Series 8. When a Catfish Kills ‘Chloe’ isn’t a real girl. She’s a catfish and her demands have fatal consequences. Series 9. The Cop, The Kidnap and The Killer A kidnapped girl, a ransom trail and the ultimate test for a cop who always gets his man.Series 10. The Vanishing Cyclist The baffling story of a cyclist who vanished in the Scottish Highlands.Series 11. The Anglesey Vampire Killer How a brutal, occult-tinged murder shook a Welsh village to its core.Series 12. The Beast of Birkenhead Diane Sindall's murder in Merseyside led to Britain’s longest miscarriage of justice. Peter Sullivan's conviction collapsed after 38 years leaving the real killer unknown.

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