A THOUGHT-PROVOKING documentary investigating whether a child murderer went on to become a notorious serial killer debuts tonight.

Dark Son – The Hunt for a Serial Killer features a range of people, including criminologist Professor David Wilson, contemplating whether Harold Jones, from Abertillery, was responsible for the Hammersmith nude murders.

(Harold Jones, a child killer from Abertillery as an adult)

Harold Jones went to prison in 1921, after pleading guilty to murdering eight-year-old Freda Burnell and 11-year-old Florence Irene Little, blaming ‘a desire to kill.’

As he was 15-years-old at the time, he escaped capital punishment, and was handed a life sentence, of which he served 20 years.

(Harold Jones as a teenager)

Evidence suggests he may have gone on to become ‘Jack the Stripper’ - not to be confused with Jack the Ripper, active in 1888 - who murdered at least six prostitutes in London between 1964 and 1965.

(First victim of the Hammersmith nude murders, Hannah Tailford)

Dr Wilson said: “This documentary is a reinvestigation into a case that’s unknown, despite the killer having more victims than Jack the Ripper.

“It will show how a cold case review would be done now, given development in forensic science, psychological understanding of offenders, and awareness of different techniques that we could use.

“This was a deplorable series of murders and the culprit has never been brought to justice. I hope that, in a small way, we have taken a step forward to better understanding that sequence of murders and helping the police look again at who might have been responsible.”

You can read more about this BBC documentary here.

READ MORE: Hundreds attend unveiling of new graves for murdered Freda Burnell and Florence Little

Dark Son – The Hunt for a Serial Killer be aired, at 9pm, on BBC Wales today, and on BBC Four on January 22.