Strange But True Crime - Poison Pen

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Liverpool councilor Christine Banks starts receiving anonymous poison pen letters at her home. They’re abusive, deeply personal and relentless. At one point, as many as five arrive in a day. And Christine has a strong suspicion about who is sending them.

She soon discovers she isn’t the only target. Other people connected to Liverpool politics have received remarkably similar letters, and one name keeps coming up: former councillor and prominent community campaigner Gerard Woodhouse.

BBC journalist Marc Waddington joins Rima to trace the poison pen campaign, the clues that pointed towards its author and the fingerprint that finally gave police their breakthrough. How did a respected local figure become the man behind a campaign of anonymous abuse?

Get in touch with us behaveyourself@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rima Ahmed
Reporter: Marc Waddington
Producer: Luke de Costa
Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge
Researcher: Bethan Davies
Video Producer: Fede Marilotti
Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes & Alistair Miskin

Dive into a world of bizarre true crimes with brazen criminals that will leave you scratching your head for answers. Rima Ahmed explores audacious heists, secret drugs bunkers and stolen identities with reporters who have lived and breathed these true crime cases.

Published on Wednesday, 9th September 2026.

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