Dispatches

To many people, new year means one thing: time to shed excess pounds. But will eating less really help? Experts say that the real problem lies in the quantity of sugar hidden in the food we eat. So is Britain addicted to sugar? Dispatches investigates how sugar affects the way our brains work; exposes how the food industry has rapidly increased the sugar in many of our favourite foods; and reveals how a powerful group of companies have tried to fight off any attempt to reduce the amount of sugar we all consume.

The children of Syria are often the forgotten victims in the ongoing civil war. More than 11,000 children have been killed and over a million are now refugees. Syria's largest city, Aleppo, has become engulfed by fighting between pro- and anti-regime groups and over 2000 children have been killed there. Schools have shut, food is in serious shortage and there is the constant threat of shelling, sniper fire and kidnap. This Dispatches documentary tells the story of five young children whose lives have been changed forever by the war in Syria: young sisters Helen, Farah and Sara and their brother Mohammed, whose father is a rebel commander in Aleppo; and Aboude, a singer and poster boy for the Syrian uprising. All five have shown amazing resilience, forsaking their innocence and adapting to life, as the world around them slips into greater chaos and anarchy.

The children of Syria are often the forgotten victims in the ongoing civil war. More than 11,000 children have been killed and over a million are now refugees Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, has become engulfed by fighting between pro- and anti-regime groups and over 2000 children have been killed there. Schools have shut, food is in serious shortage and there is the constant threat of shelling, sniper fire and kidnap..

The floods that recently hit Britain have caused misery for thousands, but do you know what's actually in the flood water that has engulfed our towns and streets? Dispatches meets homeowners unlucky enough to have found raw sewage in their gardens, basements and even kitchens. And this is not a rare event. Twenty-five years after water privatisation, reporter Antony Barnett investigates the state of our sewers and asks why prices have risen so fast while investment in our old pipes hasn't materialised. And it's not just homes; Dispatches can exclusively reveal the huge number of major sewage leaks into our nation's rivers and streams.

On the eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia is officially welcoming gay athletes and spectators. But in a country where it's thought only 1% of gay people dare to live completely openly, it appears to be a hollow gesture.

Of all the welfare changes brought in by the coalition government, the so-called Bedroom Tax is perhaps the most controversial. Thousands of people around the country have had their housing benefit reduced because of a spare room in their house or flat. The choice for many has been to find the rent money elsewhere or move to a smaller home. The government says that the reform is fair, will save taxpayers money and will encourage welfare claimants to live in appropriately sized houses, but this Dispatches investigates the reality on the ground. Reporter Seyi Rhodes travels the country to meet those affected by the change and those supposed to be implementing it. He speaks to the Conservative politicians speaking out against the reform, the councillors refusing to implement it, and the families at the frontline.

With Accident and Emergency Departments under pressure, Dispatches investigates the cost and consequence of financial penalties imposed on hospitals when government targets to treat emergency cases are missed. Reporter Morland Sanders spends 24 hours in his local A&E to see what impact withheld money has on staff and patients.

Having a bad credit rating can affect us in so many ways, it’d take hours to list all of the negative ramifications of not being deemed a good credit risk… But to name but a few, someone with a poor credit rating will find it hard – if not impossible – to borrow money from traditional lenders such as banks, and a poor credit score may even mean there are certain jobs you won’t even be considered for. Imagine then how that might all affect a person who, thanks to a computer error somewhere in the depths of cyberspace, or a case of mistaken identity – or even deliberate fraud – might suddenly finds themselves very much up the creek without a financial paddle, and it’s not their fault…

Dispatches goes undercover to reveal the extent of racism and homophobia in top flight English football. In 2013, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, backed by the Football Association, promised to tackle 'all forms of abuse in football, be it in the stands, or on our computer screens'. Dispatches filmed undercover at clubs across the country. Reporter Morland Sanders' investigation exposes how some supporters take part in systematic and flagrant homophobic chanting. It also raises serious concerns about the police's response to racism and homophobia. One incident, captured on camera in front of the police, shows how fans shouting deeply offensive racist abuse escape unpunished. The film also examines the commitment of the authorities to dealing with football-related discrimination online. Dispatches research reveals racist remarks on the fan forums linked to the official websites of major clubs as well as other social media networks.

Food: Whats Really In Your Trolley When you're settling down to dinner can you be absolutely sure that you're eating what you think you've bought? Targeted tests by West Yorkshire Trading Standards revealed that more than a third of the foods they examined included instances of fraud, mislabelling and failure to meet published guidelines. There's the mozzarella that was only 50% cheese, the fake ham made from dyed meat emulsion, and 'minced beef' containing pork and poultry. Reports of labelling issues and alleged food fraud rose by more than 60% between 2010 and 2012, and that was before the horsemeat scandal broke. So with questions still being asked about the food we're consuming, why is the number of trading standards officers being reduced? Morland Sanders investigates the criminal gangs moving into the food business, the profits that can be made by substituting fake foods, and how the authorities are struggling to battle the rising tide of food fraud. Dispatches joins raids to close down a meat processor accused of trading illegally, and shows how, after the horse meat scandal, some people are still trying to slip horsemeat into the food chain using forged documents.

Actress and presenter Amanda Holden has suffered both a stillbirth and a miscarriage but was helped through the trauma by caring treatment from compassionate professionals, as are many parents. But, in this Channel 4 Dispatches, Holden investigates the treatment of some couples whose pregnancies end in failure. She meets a number of mothers who tell her their experiences in the aftermath of their loss left a great deal to be desired, and seeks answers from those in authority in the NHS about the problems she hears. Along the way, she revisits her own difficult memories to try to understand what these parents are going through.

Do you know how skinny your muffin is? How lean your mince is? Or what's in your low-fat yoghurt? As the public try to grapple with confusing messages about what's best to eat, Dispatches investigates how the food industry has reacted to our fear of fat. Through testing some of Britain's best-known food brands, reporter Antony Barnett reveals surprising evidence that suggests there are worrying inaccuracies in the labelling of fat content. With the help of the public, Dispatches also shows just how confused we are about the myriad of labels now used for low and reduced-fat foods. Analysing dozens of these products, Barnett reveals how some can contain huge amounts of sugar, calories and, in some cases, high amounts of fat. And one couple eat nothing but low-fat foods for seven days. What effect will this have on their intake of the ingredients we try so hard to avoid?

Dispatches investigates the Police Federation and asks about the climate of bullying and financial unaccountability. Antony Barnett reports.

Do you know when an advert is really an advert? Can you be sure that the game you're playing isn't trying to make you buy something? When it comes to protecting our children from sugary food, the world of online advertising is the new frontier. Harry Wallop investigates and finds big name brands marketing fattening food in the games children play. Dispatches goes undercover in the ad world, creating a high-sugar drink to see who's willing to promote it to young children, and revealing the tricks of the trade.

Over 300,000 children were given food aid in the UK in 2013. While politicians continue to argue about why so many kids are experiencing food poverty, Channel 4 Dispatches asked three children to reveal how it feels when the cupboards are sometimes bare. Cara is nine and lives with her gran in West London; Rosie is eight and lives in Hull with her mum and sister; and Niomi is 14 and lives in Suffolk with her brother and her dad. Through their eyes, and in their words, this programme finds out what it's like when it's a constant struggle to put enough food on the table; when choices have to be made to heat or to eat; when loan companies hear you are struggling and start bombarding you with texts; and when sudden illness means that a normal life vanishes overnight.

Ade Adepitan was repeatedly stopped by police as a young man and he now talks to other people who have made complaints about police racism.

An undercover investigation by Dispatches reveals the dark side of international football

It's no longer necessary to cross the Channel to stock up on cheap booze; the local superstore is now the place to head with multipack deals that can work out at less than 70p for a pint of lager.

Antony Barnett goes on the campaign trail with both sides of the Scottish independence debate to investigate claims of dubious tactics and misinformation. And, as passions run high on both sides, Dispatches looks at the role of social media in this landmark referendum.

As the Government prepares to publish its report on the `Trojan Horse' affair in Birmingham, Dispatches investigates the role of faith communities in schools. The programme hears from those at the heart of the recent controversy and films undercover in a primary school where clapping and whistling are banned as `satanic' practices. It also uncovers a network of illegal institutions where more than 1,000 boys are being taught suspicion of the outside world, and the only subject on the curriculum is religion

On Thursday 16 July 2014 a flight full of tourists, travellers and families took off from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport en route to Malaysia. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew on board, including three babies. Four hours after take-off and at a height of 33,000 feet, the Boeing 777 was flying above war-torn eastern Ukraine when it lost all contact with flight control. There was no distress call. It appears it was struck mid-air by a missile. Everyone on board was killed. The impact was felt across the globe, from the families awaiting their loved ones to the political capitals of the world. Immediately a blame game began. Who shot down the plane and why? Why did the pilot decide to fly across a well-known war zone? Were pro-Russian separatists responsible and should President Putin bear some of the responsibility? Could this catastrophe even spark a new Cold War? Only months after the disappearance of Malaysian Flight MH370 what will the impact of yet another plane crash be on the airline industry? Matt Frei visits the crash scene to tell the full story of the murder of those on board Flight MH17.

Gone are the days when the big four supermarkets dominated the food retail business. Discount stores like Aldi and Lidl are undercutting Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda, whose sales are stalling and profits are slumping. Harry Wallop asks what went wrong, and is still going wrong, for the major retailers, and reveals the tricks of the discounters' success. He also investigates how the supermarkets are fighting back with an aggressive price war, claiming to have slashed thousands of everyday items. But are these deals all they're cracked up to be?

Facing stiff competition from discount stores, Britain's big supermarkets are desperate to win customers back with special offers and price reductions. But who is paying the price? Morland Sanders investigates the supply chain and the working lives of some of those at the very bottom - the people who pick, pack and manufacture food. From field to factory, he examines hygiene, health and safety and the reality of life on minimum-wage, ultra-flexible contracts.

Fed up with receiving repeated telephone calls asking for charity donations? Ever wondered why you keep getting called despite saying no? How did they get your number? Dispatches goes undercover to find the answers and reveal the secrets of the telephone fundraising call centres. Telephone fundraising has helped charities raise huge sums of money with an estimated £2 billion amassed for good causes. However, this comes at a cost as some of Britain's biggest charities are paying private companies to raise money on their behalf. Reporter Seyi Rhodes examines the increasing number of complaints made by the public about this method of fundraising. Inside the call centres, Dispatches' undercover reporters discover a sales driven culture where some workers are pressured daily to meet targets and donors are squeezed hard for their money.

When's an emergency really an emergency? How many times have you been to the doctor for something you could have sorted out yourself? With the NHS under real strain Dispatches investigates those who are over-using our health system, from the anxious woman who calls an ambulance 20 times a year, to the young mums who head to A&E with minor ailments and illnesses. Hundreds of millions of pounds are wasted every year on missed appointments, unnecessary call-outs and the misuse of A&E. Tazeen Ahmad asks whether it's now time to consider charging for these services. Would fees deter the worried well or aggravate real health issues?

Channel 4 exposes the other side of the war against Islamic terror, the campaign of Nigeria's security forces against civilians across the country that could constitute war crimes.

Dispatches investigates a £13 billion revolution taking place on Britain's benefit streets. The government says it will change our welfare system forever and plans to roll it out soon to millions of us across the country. Already thousands of people in a handful of towns are being put on the brand new benefit known as Universal Credit, which brings together half a dozen working-age benefits and is meant to slash costs, reduce fraud and help claimants back to work. Liz MacKean reports from Warrington, where claimants have been trying out the new benefit for a year. It's meant to simplify claims and offer seamless support to people moving in and out of short-term and low-paid work. Dispatches meets some claimants who say the new system, far from simplifying things for them, has been making basic errors and leaving them at risk of losing their homes or having to choose between paying the rent or feeding their children. It took three months for Universal Credit staff to process one couple's claim, and they ended up with over £2000 of debt. Nicky, who is pregnant, tells Dispatches that some days she goes without so that she can make sure her four-year-old is properly fed. Liz also hears from staff working inside the benefits office who believe the flagship scheme is failing badly. Dispatches hears that the IT system is unworkable, staff training is out of date and that they are falling behind in processing new claims.

The nation is eating more rice than ever before, from ready meals to breakfast cereals, but some leading scientists and experts warn that certain types of commonly consumed rice contain a worrying level of naturally occurring arsenic. As evidence emerges about the harm this could potentially cause, particularly to children, new maximum levels of arsenic in food are being proposed by the Government and the European Union. Morland Sanders investigates these proposals and reveals the results of tests on a selection of popular rice products.

Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator, reports on a new inequality between the haves and have-nots in post-recession Britain, investigating an increasing gap between the nation's wealthiest and poorest people, and the impact of this divide on such issues as children's education, health and quality of life.

Dispatches goes deep inside camps in Calais to investigate the gangs that are making big money by smuggling illegal immigrants into Britain

Dispatches investigates the consequences of rapid house price rises, for buyers and sellers, and asks how 2014's property boom will change the face of our towns and cities.