File on 4 Investigates

BBC Radio 4
  • 4.2 (33)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

News-making original journalism documentary series, investigating stories at home and abroad.

  1. 2D AGO

    Missing Billions

    File on 4 Investigates: Missing Billions examines the changes to the financial system over the past ten years, including bank branch closures and the digitisation of the finance industry which has led to many financial assets being lost, mislaid or forgotten. It examines the scandal of £100 billion belonging to you and me, but kept by Britain's trusted financial institutions. The documentary solves the mystery of some missing church silver, helps a frustrated ambulance worker hunt an elusive pension and hears from the valiant individuals leading the charge to make changes to the finance industry. Featuring contributions from: Steve Webb (Former Pensions Minister), Helen Boyd (Reclaim Fund Ltd), Derek French (Campaign for Community Banking Services), Duncan Stevens (Asset Tracing Service Gretel), Tom Storey (Vaults Group), Les Clarke (Assets Recovered Ltd) plus responses from the NHS, South East Coast Ambulance Service, Santander UK and Lloyds bank. Presenter, Simon Barnes Readings, Russell Bentley, Olivia Mace Research, Bethanie Depreaux Editor, Ross Burman Producer, Ashley Golder Executive Producer, Kris Dyer A Rakkit production for BBC Radio 4

    37 min

  2. JAN 27

    I accused a policeman of rape but I ended up on trial

    When a woman reported an allegation of rape against a serving police officer, she found herself in the dock, charged with perverting the course of justice. File on 4 Investigates hears how she went from being a potential victim to a suspect accused of lying. Over the past decade, hundreds of rape complainants in England and Wales have been investigated for making false allegations. The programme examines when and why the justice system turns on those who come forward, and asks whether the safeguards meant to protect potential victims are being properly applied. Producer: Hayley Mortimer Presenter: Rebecca Woods Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Tara McDermott Details of organisations offering help and support for the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline

    38 min

  3. JAN 20

    Thin on Information? Hair loss drug Finasteride

    File on 4 Investigates whether the risks associated with the popular hair loss drug Finasteride are understood, after a 2024 review by UK drug safety regulator the MHRA prompted by a lack of awareness of the drug’s side-effects. Finasteride’s most common side effects are reduced libido and erectile dysfunction, affecting more than one in a hundred patients. Some people also report low mood and suicidal thoughts. As Johnny I'Anson discovers some hair loss clinics are failing to adequately warn customers at the consultation stage of the sexual side effects assocated with Finasteride. The drug, which is highly effective at halting hair loss, is only available by private prescription for hair loss purposes. But File on 4 Investigates discovers influencer accounts on the social media site TikTok promoting finasteride, also offering discounts for Finasteride with Manual, a popular UK men's health company. A lawyer expert told us that the videos we found constituted advertising. As a prescription-only medicine, it’s illegal to advertise finasteride to the public like this. This programme flagged the videos to TikTok, and they have since been removed. The company has also banned three of the accounts promoting the drug, saying they breached its rules. Manual said it was not involved in the making of the influencers’ videos. Presenter: Johnny I'Anson Producer: Rob Byrne Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Tara McDermott Details of organisations offering help and support with mental health are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline

    38 min

  4. JAN 13

    No Win No Fee... No thanks?

    File on 4 Investigates reveals new data showing a significant rise in housing disrepair claims, now a growing market for unscrupulous No Win No Fee lawyers. Adrian Goldberg asks, has the Solicitors Regulation Authority learned its lessons from the collapse of the law firm SSB which left hundreds of householders with huge legal bills, and are they able to protect vulnerable social housing tenants from potentially risky NWNF claims? File on 4 Investigates have been told by 5 major housing providers across England and Wales that housing disrepair claims have been growing significantly. One social housing provider in the South of England with an estate of 85,000 homes has told us its seen a 375% rise in the number of legal claims launched by tenants in the last 5 years. We speak to John Golding, a 74 year old pensioner living in a housing association flat in Staffordshire about how a canvasser knocking on his door tried to pressurise him into pursuing a housing disrepair claim with a Manchester based No Win No Fee solicitors' firm. Reporter: Adrian Goldberg Producer: Jim Booth Additional research: Laura Longworth Technical Producers: Richard Hannaford & Cameron Ward Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Tara McDermott

    38 min

  5. 12/30/2025

    Can cash grants help end homelessness?

    Do you give homeless people cash? Many people fear any donation will be misspent but a ground-breaking study in the UK is currently recruiting 125 homeless people to receive a large one-off cash payment, paid directly to them. There's no restrictions on what they can buy with the money. It can be used for anything, it’s entirely up to the individual how they choose to spend it. The aim of the project is to see if it will help people move on from homelessness for good. With exclusive access to the ongoing study, Michael Buchanan follows some of those who’ve been given the cash to see how the money is being spent and what impact it‘s having on their lives. Reporter: Michael Buchanan Producers: Emma Forde and Rob Byrne Editor: Tara McDermott Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley

    38 min

  6. 12/16/2025

    Firefighting's forever chemical legacy

    Industrial firefighting foams are an essential part of on-site safety in UK factories. But for decades some of these familiar canisters contained potentially dangerous, toxic chemicals. File on 4 Investigates discovers that 3M the multi-billion dollar chemical company responsible for producing the chemicals knew about the risks as early as the 1960s because their own internal studies on animals and tests on workers indicated a possible increase in rates of cancer. Despite this, the company failed to warn its workers of the dangers associated with using the foams for decades and was involved in an environmental accident at one of its sites that led to the chemicals being released into a Welsh river. The programme obtained never seen before documents showing the regulator warning the company it thought it had committed an offence but choosing not to prosecute it. In 2004, with evidence of the risks to the environment of the two specific forever chemicals PFOS and PFOA, a report commissioned by the government recommended any remaining firefighting foams containing the chemicals be incinerated. But we discover in the years after that companies struggled to dispose of legacy stock of foams, and, appearing unaware of the unofficial advice, discharged them straight into the sewer with no treatment, in one case with permission from the water company. 3M said that the health and safety of its workers and their families were “critical priorities" for the company. Reporter: Esme Stallard Producer: Anna Meisel Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley Editor: Tara McDermott

    38 min

  7. 12/09/2025

    An unholy row over bishop accused of bullying.

    Anne Dyer is a trailblazer - becoming the first female Bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church when she was appointed more than seven years ago. But since then, accusations of bullying and misconduct have dominated her period in charge - even for a time leading to her suspension and calls for her resignation. Bishop Dyer denies any wrongdoing, while the church itself acknowledges there are deep wounds within the diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. Now File on 4 Investigates has discovered new complaints against the bishop, which she says are "totally without merit". Reporter: Steve Swann Producer: Fergus Hewison Editor: Tara McDermott Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford

    38 min

  8. 11/28/2025

    Adoption: The Blame Game

    File on 4 Investigates discovers a world of lies and blame within adoption in the UK. The BBC has conducted the most extensive Freedom of Information request ever into adoptions that have broken down, finding that more than 1,000 adopted children in the UK have returned to care in the past five years. That is much higher than the figure in a recent government report - but the true number is likely to be even larger, as only a third of authorities said they collected this data as standard practice. Some adoptive parents say they’ve been given so little support that they’ve been forced to return their children to the care system. This programme explores the scale of the crisis as we hear from parents pushed to the limit, a teenager returned to care and a social worker giving a rare view of the system from the inside. Producer: Ashley Kennedy & Claire Kendall Reporter: Judith Moritz Sound designer: Richard Hannaford Production coordinator: Hattie Valentine Editor: Tara McDermott (Photo: Close-up portrait of couple Verity & Ian standing outdoors. Credit: Brij Patel) Details of advice and support with adoption are available at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

    38 min
See All (485)

Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

News-making original journalism documentary series, investigating stories at home and abroad.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2026
  • Episodes
    485
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    File on 4 Investigates

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