Inside The Force: 24/7 starts tonight with Lincoln murder probe

The new series of Channel 5’s Inside The Force: 24/7, based inside Lincolnshire’s busiest police station, starts tonight with episode one focusing on a dramatic murder investigation.

The series was filmed as the lockdown restrictions eased last summer and crime rates surged. Lincolnshire Police, among the country’s worst funded, were followed around by film crews as they were stretched like never before. The series is double the length this time with eight episodes.

The first episode of the series will air on Channel 5 at 9pm on Monday, April 4 and focuses on the murder investigation into the death of Darren Munnelly, which saw Declan Grant jailed for six-and-half-years after admitting a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Sergeant Mike Templeman from Lincolnshire Police features in the new series of Inside The Force: 24/7. | Photo: Mentorn Media/Channel 5

The show sees response officers called to a fight at a funeral. When Sergeant Mike Templeman and PC Will Cawte drive to the incident, an agitated man – Declan Grant – runs out in front of them and jumps on their car.

Despite tasers being drawn, Grant resisted and was tasered to the ground, arrested and taken into custody. He was then charged with a public order offence.

PC Will Cawte from Lincolnshire Police is called to an incident with his colleague Sergeant Mike Templeman in the first episode of the new series of Inside The Force: 24/7. | Photo: Mentorn Media/Channel 5

Four weeks later, offices were called to a violent assault on a 46-year-old man – Darren Munnelly. Grant was arrested and protested his innocence sobbing “he attacked me first”.

Munnelly sadly died the next day and a murder investigation was launched, but there was no CCTV footage of the attack so detectives had to work against the clock to find witnesses.

The first four-part series aired in 2020 and included an angry environmentalist who stripped completely naked at the front desk, and a prisoner who hid Class A drugs in his body.

Mentorn Media were on Lincoln High Street filming with Lincolnshire Police for the next series of ‘Inside The Force: 24/7’. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The new series is eight episodes long and during filming crews were spotted in locations such as Lincoln High Street, late at night on a Saturday in June 2021.

It goes behind the scenes at the police station on South Park in Lincoln and follows different layers of policing as in-the-moment decisions are made, from the custody suite to the force control room.

Lincolnshire Police’s Chief Constable Chris Haward said: “Following the success of the first series of Inside the Force: 24/7, which was shown in the Spring of 2020 on Channel 5, we were approached to take part in a second series.

“It was a good chance to again show to the public the good daily work that goes on and the unique challenges and pressures that we face in policing in Lincolnshire.

“The series captures a number of realities about policing, including the unpredictable nature of the jobs our officers and staff get called to and deal with, the volatility of some people, the positive outcomes, and the sheer grit and hard work that happens every day in trying to keep people in this county safe.

“I’ve always felt proud of our officers and staff, and we try to reflect that in our communications and engagement every day, and watching this series made me feel that even more keenly.”