Channel 5 presents Child Snatchers: A Day at the Fair, a two-part documentary series examining the disappearance of seven-year-old Mark Tildesley from a Wokingham funfair in 1984. This first episode, airing on September 3, 2024, at 9 pm, explores the chilling story of a prolific gang of child abusers and the subsequent intricate police investigation, codenamed Operation Stranger.
More than a year after Mark Tildesley’s disappearance, the bodies of two young boys, 14-year-old Jason Swift and six-year-old Barry Lewis, are discovered in Essex within a five-day period. This tragic development sparks Operation Stranger, an intricate police investigation that uncovers a gang of paedophiles with a string of previous convictions. One of the key figures is Sidney Cooke, a funfair worker who was questioned after Mark’s disappearance.
As the police examine the gang’s activities, they make arrests and begin to uncover the truth behind Jason Swift’s death. The episode features interviews with key police officers and family members of the victims, providing a detailed account of the case and the search for justice.
Child Snatchers: A Day at the Fair, Part 1 airs Tuesday, 3 September 2024, at 9.00 pm on Channel 5.
