In Detail... Podcast
Viraj Mendis from Sri Lanka begs for sanctuary in an Ascension church. The vicar, Father John Methuen, agrees to protect him, defying Thatcher's government.
Exploring and explaining news stories from across England.
Series 5: Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Viraj Mendis from Sri Lanka begs for sanctuary in an Ascension church. The vicar, Father John Methuen, agrees to protect him defying Thatcher's government.
Previously on In Detail...
Series 1. The Pub Bombings
Exploring the impact of two Birmingham pub bombs in a 50 year evolving story.
Series 2. The Toxic Waste Scandal
Explore the shocking events that ripped through a steelworks community in Corby.
Series 3: Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Hairy Biker Si King investigates who felled the tree at Sycamore Gap in Northumberland.
Series 4: The Jesus Army
Uncovering the rise and unravelling of one of the biggest religious cults in Britain.
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Episodes to download
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6. Requiem—Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Tue 30 Sep 2025
Karen plots Viraj’s escape from Sri Lanka as a new posting is troubling for Father John.
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5. Back to Sri Lanka—Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Tue 30 Sep 2025
Viraj is deported to Sri Lanka, and Karen makes a life-changing decision.
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4. The Raid—Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Tue 30 Sep 2025
Viraj and his supporters’ worst nightmare comes true when police raid the church.
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3. Under Attack—Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Tue 30 Sep 2025
The church is attacked as Father John gives a fiery sermon saying Viraj must stay.
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2. Inside the Sanctuary—Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Tue 30 Sep 2025
Viraj Mendis imprisons himself in the church, bonding with Father John and his family.
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1. Viraj and the Vicar—Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Tue 30 Sep 2025
A man seeks Sanctuary from the law in a church, begging protection from its vicar.
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Trailer—Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Sun 28 Sep 2025
A man begs for Sanctuary in a church. The vicar protects him, defying the government.
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7. End of Days—The Jesus Army Cult
Mon 1 Sep 2025
Ex-Jesus Army members unite and find their freedom and identity.
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6. Sins of the Flesh—The Jesus Army Cult
Mon 25 Aug 2025
Thousands mourn and a new generation takes control.
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5. Judas—The Jesus Army Cult
Mon 18 Aug 2025
Troubling revelations, a heavy conscience, and one man left questioning what to do next.
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4. Love, Power and Sacrifice—The Jesus Army Cult
Mon 11 Aug 2025
Street preaching, child lookouts and a police investigation.
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3. Family Values—The Jesus Army Cult
Mon 4 Aug 2025
Faith, control and growing tension in the Fellowship Church community.
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2. Genesis—The Jesus Army Cult
Mon 28 Jul 2025
New members were were given strict rules to become a member of the community.
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1. Follow The Leader—The Jesus Army Cult
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Exploring how a religious cult settled in a rural Northamptonshire village.
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Trailer—The Jesus Army Cult
Thu 24 Jul 2025
Uncovering the rise and unravelling of one of the biggest religious cults in Britain.
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6. Justice—Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Wed 16 Jul 2025
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, both from Cumbria, are sentenced in Crown Court.
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5. A Living Monument—Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Sun 13 Jul 2025
Explore what the future holds for Sycamore Gap and what made the tree so special.
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4. The Reckoning—Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Sun 13 Jul 2025
Step inside the trial of the two men accused of felling Sycamore Gap.
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3. The Night Of—Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Sun 13 Jul 2025
Meet the last person to see Sycamore Gap before it was felled.
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2. The Accusations—Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Sun 13 Jul 2025
As the investigation gets underway, accusations start to fly and lives are impacted.
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1. All this for a tree?—Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Sun 13 Jul 2025
Hairy Biker Si King documents the global outrage that followed the Sycamore Gap felling.
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Trailer—Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Fri 11 Jul 2025
Hairy Biker Si King investigates who felled the tree at Sycamore Gap in Northumberland.
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8. The cost to Corby—The Toxic Waste Scandal
Tue 4 Mar 2025
As George's investigation comes to an emotional conclusion, new information is revealed.
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7. The German Equation—The Toxic Waste Scandal
Tue 4 Mar 2025
Find out who is helped when a new witness speaks out.
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6. Us vs Corby Council—The Toxic Waste Scandal
Tue 4 Mar 2025
A young George Taylor faces a decision that will shape his future.
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5. The cluster and the clean-up—The Toxic Waste Scandal
Tue 4 Mar 2025
A second dead-dropped parcel threatens to expose the toxic waste scandal.
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4. No cluster in Corby—The Toxic Waste Scandal
Tue 4 Mar 2025
Des Collins arrives in Corby to face a case that will change his life.
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3. The Whistleblowers—The Toxic Waste Scandal
Tue 4 Mar 2025
A man with an axe to grind receives a provocative anonymous phone call.
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2. She’ll never play the piano—The Toxic Waste Scandal
Tue 4 Mar 2025
As toxic waste spreads across Corby, the birth rate of babies with deformities rises.
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1. There’s something wrong with George—The Toxic Waste Scandal
Tue 4 Mar 2025
Exploring connections as orange dust blankets a town and a baby is born with a defect.
