24 Hours in Police Custody returns to Channel 4 with a two-part special following Bedfordshire Police’s four-year investigation into a teenager who was found critically injured beneath a railway bridge in Luton.
The new episodes, titled 24 Hours in Police Custody: The Ambush, follow detectives from Bedfordshire Police’s Criminal Investigation Department as they attempt to establish what happened to the teenage boy and identify those responsible.
The case began during the early hours of 2 June 2022, when police received what was initially reported as a hit-and-run.
Officers discovered an unidentified teenage boy beneath a railway bridge in Luton in a critical condition.
However, detectives began questioning whether his injuries were consistent with a road traffic collision, triggering what became a complex investigation.
The programme follows officers as they work not only to establish who was responsible for the teenager’s injuries but initially to discover the identity of the victim himself.
Investigation remains open four years later
Bedfordshire Police says the investigation remains ongoing and that a number of offenders are still outstanding.
Former Detective Sergeant Tom Hamm, who led the investigation, described the case as “incredibly complex and emotive”.
He said the investigation highlighted links between illegal drugs, serious violence and the exploitation of vulnerable people.
Hamm said:
“Sadly, what this case revealed is a fact that came up time and time again in my career as a police officer and later a detective – where there is illegal drug activity there is inevitably violence and exploitation of every kind.”
He said the programme offered viewers an insight into crimes and challenges faced by Bedfordshire Police and added that he hoped audiences would be educated about the issues highlighted by the documentary.
Police issue fresh appeal
Despite the extensive investigation, detectives have not identified or located everyone they believe was involved.
Hamm said:
“Ultimately this case isn’t closed.”
He urged anyone with information about the incident or the outstanding suspects to come forward, saying that after four years he believed people would have spoken about what happened.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers.
Bedfordshire Police said it continues to tackle exploitation associated with the illegal drugs trade, including through its Lost Boys campaign and Not My Child events aimed at helping young people and parents recognise the warning signs of exploitation.
24 Hours in Police Custody: The Ambush airs as a two-part special on Channel 4 from Sunday, 30 August.
The long-running documentary series has also been nominated in the Factual Entertainment category at the National Television Awards 2026.
