Our toughest cases

Murder and violent sexual attacks; there are certain crimes that take their toll on even the most experienced of police officers. In this series, we speak to the officers who relive the toughest cases they've ever faced. Front line officers, Senior Investigators, forensic officers, detectives, family liaison officers and arresting officers, provide first-hand insight into what made each step of the investigation so difficult and why in some cases they took years to solve.

These tough cases often ran for extended periods before the detective could bring the culprit to justice, in the case of serial killers and serial rapists’ multiple offences were committed while the police investigation was active. As time passed the pressure to catch the perpetrator increased. Whether it was pressure from victims looking for justice for their lost loved ones, the media who often turned against the police and their perceived incompetence or the police themselves, the lack of evidence or some very cunning criminals covering their tracks meant these stories defined and dominated the careers of those involved.

The series includes a variety of cases, from serial killers Peter Tobin and Alun Kyte to child killers Beverley Allitt and Mark Bridger, Delroy Grant - a serial rapist and some of the killers of Stephen Murphy in Norfolk who thought they had covered their tracks so well, that they had pulled off the perfect murder.

These cases all had seismic repercussions across communities and shook all those involved to the core. These are some of the Toughest Cases theses detectives have ever faced.