Fairy Meadow

Jon Kay updates his investigation into the disappearance of 3 year old Cheryl Grimmer from an Australian beach in 1970. Cheryl's family are determined to get her case back into court.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

It's the 50th anniversary of Cheryl's disappearance and the police have an announcement to make.

Fairy Meadow is presented by BBC News correspondent Jon Kay

Jon tries to approach Mercury to hear his side of the story.

Producer: Chris Ledgard

Frank has left the police but can't let go of Cheryl's story.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

Two years after he's arrested and charged with abducting Cheryl Grimmer, Mercury appears in court in Sydney.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

Nearly half a century after 3 year old Cheryl Grimmer goes missing from an Australian beach, the police make an arrest. Meanwhile, Ricki heads to the other side of the world.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

The Grimmer family have always hung on to the idea that somehow Cheryl might still be alive. Then, out of the blue, Ricki gets a call from the police which seems to put an end to their hopes.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

The Grimmer family are thousands of miles from home, and the Fairy Meadow migrant hostel is a lonely place in the days after Cheryl's disappearance. Then a note arrives from someone claiming to be the kidnapper. There's a rendezvous and a demand for cash...

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

The Grimmer family moved from the UK to Australia in 1969. They were "ten pound poms" - part of a huge wave of migration down under.

BBC News Correspondent Jon Kay has been investigating the case in Australia and in the UK since 2016. With exclusive access to the family and the investigating officers, he begins an eight-part exploration of this moving, gripping tale.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard

A summer's day, 1970, and a mum and her four kids are on a beach in Australia. They're migrants, newly arrived from the UK, part of the generation of "ten-pound poms" looking for a fresh start down under.

The oldest child, Ricki, takes his little sister, Cheryl, up to the changing blocks. Cheryl is never seen again.

This is the story of what really happens to a family after a child goes missing. It's the story of Ricki's guilt and how it changed his life. And it's the story of a mystery that won't go away. Because nearly half a century after Cheryl disappeared, the case is moving again...

Fairy Meadow is presented by BBC News correspondent Jon Kay and produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard.