THE work that goes into investigating a murder will be the focus of a new BBC Two documentary series filmed with Essex Police.

Murder 24/7 follows three murder investigations which happened in the county from the moment the crime happens right through to arrest and conclusion at court.

The programme, which begins on Monday 24 February at 9pm on BBC Two, follows Essex Police's Major Crime team detectives as they piece together the clues in each case to lead them to the suspects.

The documentary series shows how officers from across Essex Police come together to support each other when a murder happens - from Senior Investigating officers, who lead a murder investigation to manhunt specialists, blood spatter and forensic specialists, phone and intelligence analysts and uniformed officers who are often the first to arrive at the scene of a crime.

Chief Constable BJ Harrington said: "We know our detectives here in Essex are among the finest in the world and that's why we took the opportunity to showcase just some of their work through this BBC documentary.

"When a murder happens, which is thankfully not very often, our detectives work around the clock, often at great personal sacrifice, to follow up every lead, support devastated families and hunt those responsible.

"But what this programme really captures is, that while our detectives will lead the investigation and the hunt for suspects, it really is a force-wide effort to support victims, solve crime, hunt offenders and bring them to justice.

"Murder 24/7 really shows that when these terrible crimes happen our whole force comes together to catch a killer."

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Ruth Kelly, Executive Producer at Expectation Factual said: "We wanted to produce a police documentary series with a unique approach, rooted in what really happens when someone is murdered. The result is Murder 24/7, made possible by the privileged access Essex Police gave us to their Major Crime Teams.

"We hope that the series shines a light on the extraordinary team of detectives, forensic investigators and specialists who come together, working round the clock, to solve murder cases."

Murder 24/7: Essex will air at 9pm on BBC Two on Monday, February 24, Tuesday, February 25, Wednesday, February 26, Monday, 2 March and Tuesday, 3 March.