Contains sexual violence and disturbing scenes.
Crime Next Door
The Beast of Birkenhead
8. Whispers
20 April 2026
Available for over a year
As police put out a renewed appeal, we question whether long ignored patterns of sexual violence raise the possibility of a serial offender and whether Diane’s killer could have been stopped.
We are also reminded that Diane Sindall’s murder is not just about the past as we visit a vigil for victims of violence against women.
Presenter: Olivia Graham.
Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham.
Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell.
Mixing: Ivan Eastley.
Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams.
Online Producer: Rachael Smith.
Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside.
Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson.
Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin.
There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.