In police crime museums all over Europe there are items of evidence that have brought some of the world’s worst criminals to justice. Behind every object in these dark museums is a fascinating and sometimes macabre story.

We take a look at how developments in pathological and forensic science have improved methods of crime detection through famous and celebrated cases from the past.

Featuring some of history’s most heinous crimes, we’ll take you back as far as the late nineteenth century to explore the then pioneering methods used to bring the guilty to justice.

Only through advances in forensic science have murder cases from the past come back to haunt the killers; killers who thought they’d evaded capture. We look at how processes that are now commonplace in forensic detective work first came to light and provided a new way of implicating criminals.

With two historic cases covered each episode, discover the brutal history of UK crime, and the sparks of genius that changed detective work forever.

• Find out more about the shows with the Episode Guide