The Crime Agents

72 episódios

Q&A: Should all police officers carry Tasers & should kids be banned from social media?
29/03/2026 | 27min
Figures show that over 100 police officers are assaulted every day in the UK - so is it time for them all to carry a Taser in self-defence? Can all officers be trusted to carry these 'less lethal' weapons? Neil draws on his experience as former national lead for Tasers as he and Andy discuss whether it is now time for more British police to be armed.
They also discuss whether the rise of the manosphere strengthens the case for banning social media for under 16s, and they explain why Martyn's Law - which requires all major venues to be better protected from terror attacks as a result of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing - has taken to long to be implemented.
Later, find out why Neil never quite made the jump from Assistant Commissioner to Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and the role that one Boris Johnson had to play in that particular story...
Have a question for a future Q&A episode? Send it by email to [email protected] or follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
Levi Bellfield: catching a serial killer
25/03/2026 | 42min
Levi Bellfield was the first British prisoner to be sentenced to not one, but two whole life orders. He murdered three women, including the schoolgirl Milly Dowler, and was also convicted of multiple rapes and another attempted murder. In this episode, Andy & Neil speak to Neil Lancaster, one of the detectives who was a key part of the surveillance team which led to Bellfield's arrest, and hear what it was like to tail this monster for days on end.
Neil Lancaster explains how he felt watching such an evil character up close - and how the killer very nearly escaped police's clutches as the surveillance operation reached a dramatic conclusion.
Neil L spent decades as a detective working on cases such as Levi Bellfield's, but he's now one of the country's most popular & successful crime writers. He tells Andy and Neil how he's used his real-life experience to create memorable characters and gripping plots - and gives Neil Basu a few tips along the way as well!
Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
Q&A: Death threats, Soham Murders & why does Andrew still have protection officers?
23/03/2026 | 29min
In this week's Q&A episode, Neil reveals why he was once the subject of a death threat - and how one of his colleagues used some old-school tactics to deal with it. Meanwhile, Andy explains why the bomb squad were once called out to his house, and why he had to travel to work in a motorcade after receiving a death threat.
Neil also goes into detail about the lasting impact the Soham Murders had on policing and safeguarding in Britain, and whether someone like Ian Huntley would ever get a job as a school caretaker today.
Later, Andy & Neil clash over why Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor still appears to have some private protection officers, and who should pay for them. Plus, they respond to a question about how highly trained police horses - and their riders - have to be to keep the peace at football matches and major protests.
Have a question for a future Q&A episode? Send it by email to [email protected] or follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
The manosphere: how dangerous are these toxic influencers?
18/03/2026 | 45min
This week, Andy & Neil take a deep-dive into the manosphere: a world of toxic misogyny and con artists. But where exactly is the line between influence and incitement? When does ideology cross a line into criminality? What more, if anything, can police do to stop these influencers from poisoning young minds?
Neil explains how he saw this problem grow exponentially during his time as head of counter-terrorism policing, and Andy reveals how some of the most shocking stories he's ever covered have links to the so-called manosphere.
Later, they're joined by Victoria Baines, an expert in this world who's worked for law enforcement and major tech firms, to discuss whether criminalising misogyny would make any difference, and whether big tech actually cares about clamping down on this problem, or just about their bottom line.
Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
Q&A: Filming police officers, Iran’s terror threat & how can youth workers stop gang crime?
16/03/2026 | 22min
After his rant last week about 'police auditors', in this week's Q&A Andy is challenged over his view and asked whether the George Floyd case in fact proves that officers should be filmed by the public while they're doing their job. He and Neil discuss this - and Andy has an update on police policy towards these 'auditors' from a source at the Met.
Neil also explains exactly why the Iran War is likely to increase the threat of a terror attack happening on British soil, and he explains how youth workers can play a significant role in cutting gang violence and preventing youngsters from embarking on a life of crime in the first place.
Later, Andy & Neil take another question about whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was given a heads-up by police before his arrest last month, and Andy is put on the spot about whether he had ever been critical of Neil before they started making this podcast together...
Have a question for a future Q&A episode? Send it via email to [email protected] or follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents

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Sobre The Crime Agents

If you want to understand what’s really happening on Britain’s streets, you need to hear this. The Crime Agents, the new podcast from the makers of The News Agents, goes beyond the headlines to uncover the truth behind crime that affects all of us. Why is violence rising? Why is public trust in the police collapsing? And what’s really driving young people to kill each other? Hosted by two insiders who have spent their lives chasing the answers, this is your front-row seat to the realities of crime today. Neil Basu, the former Head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing, brings unparalleled experience from the front lines of law enforcement. Andy Hughes, LBC’s Crime Correspondent, has spent two decades exposing the criminal underworld as an award-winning investigative journalist. Each week, The Crime Agents dives deep into the stories you think you know - from foiled terror plots and unsolved murders, to gang culture, far-right extremism, and the tactics police use to crack the toughest cases. With over 50 years of combined experience, Neil and Andy don’t just report on crime - they’ve lived it. For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: [email protected]

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