Police, Camera, Murder: ITV release date and how to watch Manchester-set digital forensics documentary

ITV true crime documentary series follows two British police forces as they use pioneering techniques to catch criminals
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ITV two-part documentary series Police, Camera, Murder follows police forces in Greater Manchester and Lancashire as they use cutting edge digital forensics techniques to track down, apprehend, and build a case against dangerous killers. The series follows several brutal crimes, which were major news in the local press last year, and the subsequent investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice.

CCTV footage shows John Swannack, 59 in police custodyCCTV footage shows John Swannack, 59 in police custody
CCTV footage shows John Swannack, 59 in police custody

What is Police, Camera, Murder about?

Police, Camera, Murder focuses on the role digital forensics plays in solving murder investigations. The series follows detectives as they work on complex Category A investigations - these are ones in which members of the public are at risk, the identity of the perpetrator is unknown, and the investigation requires significant resources to be allocated to it.

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Techniques used in the series to help solve crimes include use of social media data, smartphone analysis and CCTV footage. These tools have become essential for investigators as they collect evidence and catch suspects.

The first episode of the series follows the investigation into the death of 15-year-old Reece Tansey, who died by stabbing in Bolton in May 2021. As he lay dying, Tansey gave two names to onlookers, Through diving into Tansey’s social media, officers found two potential matches on his Snapchat history. Two schoolboys are arrested on suspicion of murder, and smartphone analysis and social media are utilised to connect them to the crime. On one of the suspects phone’s officers find their smoking gun, which in this case is a photo of a bloody knife taken minutes after Tansey’s death.

James White, 16, arrested for the murder of 15-year-old Reece TanseyJames White, 16, arrested for the murder of 15-year-old Reece Tansey
James White, 16, arrested for the murder of 15-year-old Reece Tansey

In another case, the body of Bill Howard is discovered in Lancashire - it appears that he was tortured and stabbed to death who appears to have been brutally tortured and then stabbed to death, and police use phone records to find their suspect. Police used CCTV to find Howard’s killer, a local drug addict and repeat offender who had killed before.

The second episode features a dramatic hunt for a suspected serial killer in Greater Manchester, and a Lancashire killing, believed to have been caused by an online feud, is investigated.

Where is Police, Camera, Murder filmed?

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The series is filmed across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, and focuses on the two police forces as they investigate separate crimes, both using the latest digital forensics tools to help them. Greater Manchester has the highest knife crime rate in England outside of London, at 129 cases per 100,000.

Police, Camera, Murder features Detective Chief Inspector Al Davies from Lancashire Constabulary, and Detective Inspector Nicola McCulloch of Greater Manchester Police and their teams as they work a series of tough cases. The series was filmed in mid-2021 during the time that the investigations took place.

When is Police, Camera, Murder on TV?

Police, Camera, Murder will air on ITV at 9pm on Tuesday 18 October. The second episode will air at the same on Tuesday 25 October - both episodes are one hour long and will be available to watch shortly after they are first broadcast.

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