Spotlight

The hidden trap of drugs debt. Mandy McAuley investigates what happens when drug users can’t pay for what they take. She learns that dealers are forcing some, including teenagers, into sex or running drugs to pay off what they owe.

Stakeknife was a super-spy, a secret agent working for both the British and the IRA. He walked a precarious tightrope in an undercover war where exposure meant death. Operation Kenova, the long-running investigation into Stakeknife and the so-called dirty war, which is now coming to a close, brings Peter Taylor back to Northern Ireland. He revisits the chilling IRA interrogation tapes he initially uncovered and talks again to grieving families devastated by the loss of their loved ones to the IRA’s brutal interrogators and killers.

Thirty years after they declared ceasefires, the UVF has moved against the leaders of its east Belfast unit - standing down and replacing them in a move that may signal loyalist groups are moving away from paramilitary activity. There are calls for the appointment of an intermediary to aid that process, but Conor Spackman hears others saying they have seen this before.

An unsolved murder in a ground-breaking gay bar. Darren Bradshaw was a young, gay police officer enjoying a night out when a republican gunman walked into the crowded bar, shot him next to the dance floor and escaped into the night. The killing came at a pivotal time for both the gay scene in Northern Ireland and the peace process. The murder shattered the gay scene as rumours swirled about who knew he was in the bar and who may have betrayed him. Jordan Dunbar hears from the DJs, drag queens and police officers who were there – and who helped the LGBT community rebuild.

As Troubles inquests are shut down, Mandy McAuley investigates why the government stepped in to stop the release of information about the involvement of state agents in several murders by Mid-Ulster UVF. Testimony from inside the gang raises new questions about the role of state agents.

Conor Spackman investigates how Northern Ireland can handle wetter weather and extreme floods resulting from climate change.

Toxic algae, sewage spills and pollution – all in a major source of Northern Ireland’s drinking water. Environmentalists and users of Lough Neagh contend the largest lake in the UK or Ireland is dying. Patrick Fee investigates the Lough Neagh crisis and tracks down polluters.

Showjumper Katie Simpson’s killer told everyone she had taken her own life. His history of violence and her injuries should have raised red flags but his lie almost went undetected.

Conor Spackman reports on recent racially motivated violence, speaking to victims of racism. He also hears from those who took part in protests against immigration, and counter-protests, at Belfast City Hall during the summer.

Mothers reveal to Tara Mills the challenges of living with their sons with autism, who are being violent towards them. They tell Tara they feel judged and blamed by the system that is meant to protect them and feel there is no safety net. Extraordinary personal videos.

A custody battle in the shadow of war. David left home at ten months old and never came back. Spotlight investigates the story of a mother separated from her child by a looming war and her fight for custody with a father defying the UK authorities. Patrick Fee follows the trail of the boy to Beirut.

Mandy McAuley follows people desperately searching for a home and talks to families struggling to raise children in temporary accommodation. She investigates a support system at breaking point and hears demands for more social housing.

The body of 23-year-old Kelly Lynch was found in a canal on St Patrick’s Day. What happened isn’t clear, and Irish police have decided to review the case after her parents raised questions about their handling of the investigation. Were clues missed? Conor Spackman reports.

A crumbling sewage system, thousands of illegal spills, and it’s only getting worse. Patrick Fee lifts the lid on Northern Ireland’s sewage pollution scandal and the government-owned company illegally discharging raw sewage into rivers, lakes and seas.

A young boy was reported missing in August, but police now believe he hasn’t been seen for over two years. Mandy McAuley investigates the disappearance that no one noticed.