A project funded through this year's Police STAR Fund was recently featured in a BBC One Show segment celebrating forensic science within the Metropolitan Police Service. 

Broadcast on 24 June 2026 as part of a feature marking 125 years of forensic science in the Met, the programme highlighted the growing challenge posed by audio deepfakes and explored how policing is responding to emerging technological threats. 

Among the projects featured was Forensic Audio Deepfake Detection: Developing a Combined Human and Machine Approach, led by the Metropolitan Police Service in partnership with the University of York. The project is supported through the Police STAR Fund and aims to develop robust methods for detecting AI generated audio deepfakes.  

Audio deepfakes have the potential to mimic a person's voice with increasing accuracy, creating significant challenges for investigations, evidence gathering and the wider criminal justice system. The project is exploring how forensic experts can combine detailed human analysis with machine-based detection techniques to identify manipulated recordings with greater confidence.  

Using a unique dataset of genuine and synthetic voices, researchers are evaluating a range of phonetic, linguistic and signal processing approaches alongside machine learning based tools. The aim is to develop explainable and sustainable methods that can support forensic practitioners as this technology continues to evolve.  

The project forms part of a wider portfolio of Police STAR Fund research that is helping policing respond to emerging threats and opportunities through science, technology and innovation. By bringing together policing partners and academic expertise, these projects are delivering practical solutions to real operational challenges.  

The BBC feature coincides with a significant milestone for the Metropolitan Police Service. On 1 September 2026, the Metropolitan Police Museum will open Forensics 125: 125 Years of Forensic Science in the Metropolitan Police, an exhibition marking 125 years since Sir Edward Henry established the Met's Fingerprint Department. The exhibition will explore the evolution of forensic investigations, from the age of fingerprints through to modern DNA and digital forensic techniques. 

Visitors can find out more about the exhibition and booking arrangements through the Metropolitan Police Museum's visitor information.  

The Police STAR Fund project demonstrates how innovative research is helping policing stay ahead of rapidly developing technologies, ensuring investigators and forensic practitioners have the tools and techniques needed to maintain confidence in digital evidence in an increasingly complex landscape.  

Watch: The project appears in the BBC One Show forensic science feature broadcast on 24 June 2026, approximately 1 minute 40 seconds into the segment.