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In Detail...

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.

Local Radio,44 episodes

Episodes

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Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
Trailer
A man begs for Sanctuary in a church. The vicar protects him, defying the government.
28 Sep 2025,3 mins
Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
1. Viraj and the Vicar
A man seeks Sanctuary from the law in a church, begging protection from its vicar.
30 Sep 2025,29 mins,
Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
2. Inside the Sanctuary
Viraj Mendis imprisons himself in the church, bonding with Father John and his family.
30 Sep 2025,34 mins,
Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
3. Under Attack
The church is attacked as Father John gives a fiery sermon saying Viraj must stay.
30 Sep 2025,25 mins,
Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
4. The Raid
Viraj and his supporters’ worst nightmare comes true when police raid the church.
30 Sep 2025,33 mins,
Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
5. Back to Sri Lanka
Viraj is deported to Sri Lanka, and Karen makes a life-changing decision.
30 Sep 2025,30 mins,
Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance
6. Requiem
Karen plots Viraj’s escape from Sri Lanka as a new posting is troubling for Father John.
30 Sep 2025,29 mins
The Jesus Army Cult
Trailer
Uncovering the rise and unravelling of one of the biggest religious cults in Britain.
24 Jul 2025,2 mins
The Jesus Army Cult
1. Follow The Leader
Exploring how a religious cult settled in a rural Northamptonshire village.
28 Jul 2025,25 mins
The Jesus Army Cult
2. Genesis
New members were were given strict rules to become a member of the community.
28 Jul 2025,26 mins,
The Jesus Army Cult
3. Family Values
Faith, control and growing tension in the Fellowship Church community.
04 Aug 2025,27 mins
The Jesus Army Cult
4. Love, Power and Sacrifice
Street preaching, child lookouts and a police investigation.
11 Aug 2025,25 mins,
The Jesus Army Cult
5. Judas
Troubling revelations, a heavy conscience, and one man left questioning what to do next.
18 Aug 2025,32 mins
The Jesus Army Cult
6. Sins of the Flesh
Thousands mourn and a new generation takes control.
25 Aug 2025,27 mins
The Jesus Army Cult
7. End of Days
Ex-Jesus Army members unite and find their freedom and identity.
01 Sep 2025,28 mins
Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
Trailer
Hairy Biker Si King investigates who felled the tree at Sycamore Gap in Northumberland.
11 Jul 2025,2 mins
Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
1. All this for a tree?
Hairy Biker Si King documents the global outrage that followed the Sycamore Gap felling.
13 Jul 2025,16 mins,
Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
2. The Accusations
As the investigation gets underway, accusations start to fly and lives are impacted.
13 Jul 2025,20 mins,
Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
3. The Night Of
Meet the last person to see Sycamore Gap before it was felled.
13 Jul 2025,21 mins,
Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
4. The Reckoning
Step inside the trial of the two men accused of felling Sycamore Gap.
13 Jul 2025,20 mins,
Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
5. A Living Monument
Explore what the future holds for Sycamore Gap and what made the tree so special.
13 Jul 2025,16 mins
Felled: The Sycamore Gap Story
6. Justice
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, both from Cumbria, are sentenced in Crown Court.
16 Jul 2025,14 mins
The Toxic Waste Scandal
Trailer
Explore the shocking events that ripped through a steelworks community in Corby.
26 Feb 2025,2 mins
The Toxic Waste Scandal
1. There’s something wrong with George
Exploring connections as orange dust blankets a town and a baby is born with a defect.
04 Mar 2025,34 mins,
The Toxic Waste Scandal
2. She’ll never play the piano
As toxic waste spreads across Corby, the birth rate of babies with deformities rises.
04 Mar 2025,20 mins,
The Toxic Waste Scandal
3. The Whistleblowers
A man with an axe to grind receives a provocative anonymous phone call.
04 Mar 2025,20 mins
The Toxic Waste Scandal
4. No cluster in Corby
Des Collins arrives in Corby to face a case that will change his life.
04 Mar 2025,26 mins
The Toxic Waste Scandal
5. The cluster and the clean-up
A second dead-dropped parcel threatens to expose the toxic waste scandal.
04 Mar 2025,26 mins
The Toxic Waste Scandal
6. Us vs Corby Council
A young George Taylor faces a decision that will shape his future.
04 Mar 2025,32 mins
The Toxic Waste Scandal
7. The German Equation
Find out who is helped when a new witness speaks out.
04 Mar 2025,33 mins