Terror at Bank Farm: The Tragic Case of Dennis O’Neill
News of the Times | Episode 518 | 1945
In 1945, 13-year-old Dennis O’Neill was found dead on a remote farm in Shropshire. Starved, beaten, and neglected — by foster parents approved by the state — his death shocked wartime Britain and exposed catastrophic failures in the child welfare system.

How could this happen under the nose of officialdom? Why was Dennis left to suffer, despite repeated warnings? And what did the explosive trial reveal about the people trusted with his care?

This is not just a tragic murder — it's the case that changed the law.

In this deeply researched episode, we uncover:
The harrowing truth of Bank Farm and the Goughs
The desperate efforts of Dennis’s birth mother to find her son
The media firestorm that followed
The courtroom drama that led to major reform in UK child protection

⚖️ Real history, real victims, and a legacy written in heartbreak.

And stay for our Further Particulars segment, featuring:
🕯️ A haunted waltz at Covent Garden
🪖 A ghost in full armour
🎻 And a conductor who very nearly fainted...
👤 Hosted by Robin Coles

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▶️ Related episodes from the vault:
1947: The Disturbing Saga of the Blackout Ripper |  Ep113
https://youtu.be/sYSISPhv0I0
1886 - 1946: Lancashire Murder Stories |  Ep166
https://youtu.be/AEJxlmxF7u4
1946: The Many Crimes of Marcel Pettiot |  EP358
https://youtu.be/0FIjjwzO1kM

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