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The boxer turned bouncer who was gunned down on Tyneside in 1993

Viv Graham ran a pub and club protection empire which spanned Newcastle and beyond.

How did he build his fearsome reputation, and what led to his brutal, unsolved murder?

A new series of Gangster tells the story of Viv Graham, a man who ran a protection empire which spanned Newcastle and beyond.

Viv Graham, a 17-stone man mountain, a man feared and revered in equal measure, came to dominate Tyneside’s nightlife through brutal and uncompromising violence.

His murder, in an organised hit on New Year’s Eve 1993, sparked recriminations and repercussions which echo to this day. It remains one of the country’s most notorious unsolved murders.

The Story of the Burger Bar Boys

Gangster: The Story of the Burger Bar Boys: The Burger Bar Boys: 4. The Murder of Innocents

Introducing Gangster: The Story of The Burger Boys

The Burger Bar Boys: 4. The Murder of Innocents

BBC Radio 5 Live - Gangster, The Story of the Burger Bar Boys, The Burger Bar Boys: 4. The Murder of Innocents

The gang war in Birmingham escalates leading to a tragic event.

As the new century begins, the gang war in Birmingham intensifies. Bloody retaliation follows each shooting and we eventually reach the point where there is no longer any trace of mutual respect between the gangs.

A gang war that began with vintage and adapted firearms had reached the point where submachine guns were the go-to weapon of choice. On January 1 in 2003, a group of innocent teenage girls were getting ready to celebrate the arrival of the new year together at a party in the heart of the Johnson Crew’s territory. Meanwhile, the Burgers were after revenge following the death of member Yohanne Martin and the failed attempt on the life of their ‘Godfather’, and they knew there would be Johnsons at the party.

The tragedy that would unfold was to draw the world’s attention to the city of Birmingham. It was now 4am, the party was in full swing, and the girls had stepped out for air. A car pulled up and a 9mm pistol and MAC-10 machine gun - a weapon capable of firing a thousand rounds a minute - were fired into the crowd. Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis were killed instantly. Charlene’s sister Sophie was seriously injured and their friend Cheryl also suffered a bullet wound.

In this episode we will hear the powerful and heart-breaking testimony of those closest to the girls and we hear how the girls’ senseless deaths became the turning point in the government’s response to gang violence. With the spotlight on Birmingham, the pressure was mounting on West Midlands police to bring those responsible to justice…

Presenter – Livvy Haydock
Series Producer – Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producer – Nicky Edwards
Producer – Patrick Kiteley
Researcher – Megan Jones
Archive Researcher – Nicola Han
Fixer in Jamaica – Nick Davies
Journalism Assistant – Tim Fernley
Commissioning Executive – Louise Kattenhorn
Assistant Commissioners – Lorraine Okuefuna and Natasha Johansson
Editor and Executive Producer – Carl Johnston

Gangster: The Story of the Burger Bar Boys

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Birmingham's notorious Burger Bar Boys - a gang born out of the Handsworth riots.

The story of Birmingham's notorious Burger Bar Boys - a gang born out of the Handsworth riots in 1985.

A brand new series of Gangster tells the story of Birmingham's notorious Burger Bar Boys - a gang born out of the Handsworth riots in 1985.

Named after the fast food joint where they met, they were described as more ruthless than the Jamaican Yardies. They fought a bitter and bloody war with their rivals the Johnson Crew for control of the crack cocaine trade in the West Midlands. They controlled their turf in the suburb of Handsworth with threats, intimidation and sub machine guns. But when they killed two innocent girls in a drive-by shooting, they were brought down by their own community and a team of fearless detectives determined to stem the body count.        

Presenter - Livvy Haydock
Series Producer - Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producer - Nicky Edwards
Producer - Patrick Kiteley
Researcher - Megan Jones
Archive Researcher - Nicola Han
Fixer in Jamaica - Nick Davies
Journalism Assistant - Tim Fernley
Commissioning Executive - Louise Kattenhorn
Assistant Commissioners - Lorraine Okuefuna and Natasha Johansson
Editor and Executive Producer - Carl Johnston

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Gangster

The Story of the Burger Bar Boys

The Burger Bar Boys: 4. The Murder of Innocents

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