5 Live Investigates

Adrian Goldberg with cutting edge investigations. Sports scholarships - With universities set to increase tuition fees, an increasing numbers of British students are now trying to win sports scholarships in the USA. But are they getting value for money? A number of agents are demanding upfront fees to arrange scholarships - but a number of parents say they are being made promises that don't materialise and are being forced to pay out thousands of pounds. We talk to the imam under sentence of death because he wanted to debate religion and evolution. The programme investigates the way the extremists are using the concept of Takfir - to denounce someone as a non-believer - as a way to intimidate communities and promote intolerance. And the bumpy journey ahead. Britain's pot holed roads are costing motorists millions of pounds in damage to cars. We reveal that our roads crisis has been aggravated by road engineers who've been using the wrong type of asphalt surfacing on the majority of our roads. To c

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism. 5 Live Investigates uncovers disturbing evidence of Polish workers victimised by an elaborate credit, loans and benefits scam. Polish criminal gangs are luring impoverished young workers to Britain with the promise of work, and use a range of pressure tactics and lies to steal their identity. After encouraging their victims to open bank accounts and sign on for benefits, they then ditch them and send them home. They then use their identities to claim thousands of pounds in loans, hire purchase agreements, benefits and tax credits. 5 live Investigates speaks to victims and reveals a tale of cross-border fraud and trafficking which is exploiting some of Europe's poorest people in order to defraud the British banking system and the UK taxpayer. Also: last year 5 live Investigates reported on the trail of debt left in the UK by Indian businessman, Ahsan Ali Syed, who at the time was bidding to buy Blackburn Rovers FC. Having failed in his

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism, as well as taking on listeners' campaigns and consumer issues. Unwitting second-hand car buyers are being chased for hundreds of pounds in debts on loans taken out by previous owners of their car. Drivers raising finance with so-called 'logbook loans' secured on their vehicles are selling on their cars before settling their accounts. Because logbook loans are secured using a Victorian law called the Bill of Sales Act, they offer much less protection to consumers than other forms of credit. Under the Act, a borrower taking out a logbook loan actually hands ownership of the vehicle over to the lender. Not only does that mean that the borrower has no legal right to sell on the vehicle but any innocent third party buying it also has no rights of ownership. 5 live Investigates speaks to one victim who paid £1,100 for a second-hand car. A year after buying the car, the owner received a letter from a loan company to say she wasn't the legal own

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism. British gay Muslims are joining the global fight for equality and seeking gay marriage. 5 live Investigates speaks to pioneering gay couples about their 'nikah' - a Muslim matrimonial contract - and asks how they balance their sexuality with the Islamic faith, which vehemently rejects homosexuality. Many gay couples who marry in this way say they have actively rejected secular civil partnerships, as they say it is vital to have their union recognised by Allah, and not just by the state. The ceremonies are based on heterosexual Muslim marriage ceremonies, and are often conducted in private, without the knowledge of the couple's family, for fear of damaging so-called 'honour'. However, there is also a view that the British Muslim community may not be as conservative as it appears - it is claimed a 'liberal closet' exists whereby some families are becoming more accepting of their gay children, albeit behind closed doors. Adrian speaks to on

5 live Investigates exposes the law firms making a mint by accusing innocent people of illegal downloading. As the entertainment industry cracked down on illegal file-sharing, an opportunity was spotted by law firms who sent tens of thousands of speculative letters to people claiming they had illegally downloaded music and pornographic films. The fear of having to fight such an embarrassing claim led many individuals to pay a fine, to make the problem go away. A recent court case has revealed one company has made up to £1 million from the scam, and as their operation is closed down, others are gearing up to step into their wake. 5 live Investigates speaks to former employees about the way these law firms operate - as well as those people wrongly accused of file-sharing - and tells the story of how an international community of hackers helped bring down the biggest player in this market. However, rather than clamp down on this problem, critics say the government's new Digital Economy Act - hastily pas

5 live Investigates speaks exclusively to head teachers who claim stimulants are being over-prescribed to young children. They are raising the alarm on what they say is "over-prescription" of powerful medication to children from dysfunctional families, who have behavioural problems which make them "extremely naughty" - but who they suspect are not actually sufferers of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The number of prescriptions written for young people suffering from ADHD is skyrocketing, with around 420,000 issued for 16-17 year olds alone in 2007. ADHD is a serious psychiatric condition and amphetamine drugs are proven to help, but are children who don't need medication also ending up on powerful drugs that have major side effects? Teachers and psychologists tell the programme how some parents, struggling with difficult children and motivated by the benefits they could receive on Disability Living Allowance, seem to be pushing for a diagnosis of ADHD. They paint a picture in whic

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism. 2011 has got off to a rocky start for HM Prison Service, as inmates at Ford open prison in West Sussex rioted on New Year's Day. 5 live Investigates speaks exclusively to inmates currently serving in open prisons, including Ford. They reveal the issues they think lie behind a recent spate of disturbances. 5 live Investigates has heard from both prisoners and prison officers claiming that 'risk assessments' of inmates are not thorough enough and troublesome prisoners are being transferred to open prisons too soon. Also: Last year, 5 live Investigates spoke to Karen Murphy, the Portsmouth landlady taking on the Premier League and Sky Sports at the European Court of Justice. Ms Murphy is seeking to end Sky's monopoly over selling subscriptions to watch English Premier League football on TV in the UK, and says she should be able to subscribe to cheaper, foreign satellite companies under European law. We catch up with Karen as she waits for the

Who is really behind the current NHS reforms and just how radical will they be? Health Minister Andrew Lansley is the face of the proposed reforms but Adrian Goldberg reveals how their design was very much a cross-party effort, with Labour special advisors central in their development. Speaking to some of the key insiders, he reveals how the extent of the proposed plans are much more radical than the coalition government is currently letting on - but who is running the show? As Andrew Lansley evangelises the benefits of these changes, is Prime Minister David Cameron really behind him?

Adrian Goldberg investigates allegations of harassment and bullying against some of the estimated 220,000 Britons who now live permanently in "park homes" - high end mobile homes, which are cheaper than bricks and mortar. Across the UK, many retirees are spending their life savings on homes, which are often located on sites close to popular coastal resorts. These homes can change hands for hundreds of thousands of pounds, but many park home owners are finding the current law governing mobile homes gives the owners of park home sites a large amount of power over their lives. 5 live Investigates reveals the harrowing allegations of unscrupulous site owners, who are accused of using the law to harass and intimidate park home owners and ultimately take over ownership of their homes. Also: Following last week's report on civil recovery - the means by which retailers can pursue damages from alleged shoplifters outside the court system - Adrian hears from more listeners who say they have been unfairly targete

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism, as well as taking on listeners' campaigns and consumer issues High street shops are using 'civil recovery' procedures to seek compensation from suspected shoplifters - a vital process as some claim the courts are not interested in petty theft, which costs businesses millions of pounds a year. But should 'justice' be pursued by private companies? And should people be compelled to pay financial compensation without any official legal due process? Adrian Goldberg speaks to in-store security teams and civil recovery firms about the need to employ this increasingly common practice, and also hears from members of the public who are being pursued for compensation, when they - and the police - say they did nothing wrong. Also, as three Pakistan cricketers face an International Cricket Council tribunal in Qatar over allegations of match fixing, 5 live Investigates hears how the Professional Cricket Association is keeping tabs on players as it tries

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism, as well as taking on listeners' campaigns and consumer issues. Drug drivers know that the chances that they'll be brought to book are low, say MPs. Why - after 10 years - has the Home Office still failed to introduce a roadside drugs test to tackle what's recognised as a lethal problem? In many other European countries, the police have small hand held screening kits. In Germany last year, they led to 34,500 drivers losing their licence. Figures for the UK - and for the previous year - reveal that only 168 drug driving guilty verdicts were recorded by the courts. Without a hand held test, UK police have to look for the tell-tale signs in the driver's general demeanour. In a damning assessment of the situation, MPs on the Transport Select Committee say: "At the moment, people assume - quite correctly - that they can take drugs and drive a vehicle with little chance of being caught." Also on the programme - Adrian asks why the U

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism, as well as taking on listeners' campaigns and consumer issues. New figures reveal that 1 in 39 vehicles have mileage lower than at their last MOT: that's 670,000 cars. It's led to calls for a tightening of the rules surrounding individuals and garages that offer 'mileage correction services.' Motorists are able to get their clocks turned back but if they sell their car, they must inform the new owner - otherwise it's fraud. 5 live Investigates found that six out of ten mileage correction services it contacted were willing to change the mileage reading knowing it was possibly to deceive a new owner. Listen to our secret recordings. Also, denied justice. The modern day slaves working for the rich and powerful in the UK. Despite being awarded damages for the abuse and exploitation they've suffered, many have yet to see a penny. They are domestic workers brought into the country by overseas diplomats and business people. They've been paid be

Investigative journalism with Adrian Goldberg. At least 600 criminals have changed their identity to avoid the sex offenders register. In one case, it allowed a paedophile to travel to Bangkok - a known destination for sex pests. In another case, a child sex offender befriended a woman and her children after changing his name. The identity dodge also hampers the effectiveness of Sarah's Law, a system allows parents and others to check on individuals with access to children. It is relatively easy to change you name: it can cost as little as £13 and takes just a few days. But 5 live Investigates has found that there is no system for checking whether the people who are changing their identity are on the sex offenders register. Once they have changed their name - their new identity fails to show up past criminal convictions. To show how easy it is to change your name, Adrian changes his to James Brokenshire, the home office minister - but he declines to be interviewed. In the second half of the p

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism. An open letter to the Prime Minister in the British Medical Journal accuses drug companies of charging too much for medicines used in the treatment of rare diseases. But that's just one way in which the pharmaceutical industry protects its bottom line - and puts additional financial burden on the NHS. 5 live Investigates looks at the tactics used by the industry to keep prices high. They try to keep blockbuster drugs under licence - to prevent the manufacture of cheaper alternatives. Once a drug comes off licence, its price can drop by eighty percent. One delaying technique is to slightly alter a drug just as its licence comes to an end - and put the revised formulation under a new licence. Such techniques - some industry insiders say - is costing the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds a year. We speak to Warwick Smith from the British Generic Manufacturers Association; Alan Maynard, Professor of Health Policy at the University of York;