Chris Matthews

I’m an investigative journalist and feature writer specialising in organised crime. I have extensive experience in undercover investigations, OSINT and door knocking.

I have infiltrated the Albanian mafia for the Daily Mail; interviewed Daniel Kinahan’s inner circle for The Sun; and revealed in the Telegraph that two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers could be released early under Labour’s sentencing reforms. My feature sparked a national scandal that forced the Prime Minister to change the law, preventing some of the most serious offenders from being set free, including PC Harper’s killers. The Society of Editors shortlisted the story for Scoop of the Year at the 2026 Media Freedom Awards.

During more than four years at the Mail, where I was a senior features writer, I was sent on many of the UK’s biggest breaking news stories. I helped identify Liverpool parade attacker Paul Doyle, was one of the first journalists to reveal that Axel Rudakubana had attacked a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance class, and drove 12 hours across Spain to report on Diogo Jota’s death.

I also shoot stills and video using drones, wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Reach me by email at chrisematthews@btinternet.com or on Signal @bychrismatthews.17. See below for a selection of my work:

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

PC Harper’s killers could be freed early

My exclusive interview with the mother of PC Andrew Harper revealed that his killers could be set free early under Labour’s proposed sentencing reforms. His mother Debbie told me: “It makes me feel sick. Andrew’s life doesn’t get to come back. It feels like a slap in the face and an insult.” Interview and reporting by Chris Matthews (published without a byline).

IMPACT

The story dominated the national news agenda for more than a month and forced the Prime Minister to pause the reforms and order an urgent review. I continued pursuing the story, with another interview with PC Harper’s mother making the Telegraph’s splash. Following this, the PM reversed the decision to set them free, ensuring PC Harper’s killers would remain in prison — along with hundreds of other serious offenders. The story was later shortlisted for Scoop of the Year at the Society of Editors’ 2026 Media Freedom Awards.

“I am so grateful to Chris Matthews, without whom we would likely be in a very different position.”
— Debbie Adlam, mother of PC Andrew Harper

THE DAILY MAIL

Albanian drug dealer exposed in undercover sting

I organised and secured footage of an undercover reporter meeting an Albanian cocaine dealer. The investigation revealed how Albanian gangs openly advertised for and recruited dealers on social media, exposing the growing confidence of organised crime groups in Britain.

THE DAILY MAIL

First-ever interview with the ULEZ Blade Runners

I was the first journalist to interview the secretive ULEZ Blade Runners, gaining unprecedented access to the group leading a campaign against London’s low-emission cameras. The exclusive photographs published with the investigation became defining images of the movement.

THE DAILY MAIL

Inside Britain’s deadliest gang

Exclusive interviews with gangsters on both sides of Scotland’s violent gang war, alongside police sources who warned that innocent people were at risk. The reporting offered a rare insight into one of Britain’s most dangerous organised crime conflicts.

THE SUN

Interview with ex-gangster in Daniel Kinahan’s inner circle

The day after Daniel Kinahan was arrested in Dubai, I secured an exclusive interview with Marvin Herbert, a former gangster still close to the Kinahan family — he spent Christmas with them in 2025. His response offered a rare glimpse into how those closest to the cartel viewed the arrest.

THE DAILY MAIL

Meet the gangsters’ molls embroiled in Britain’s deadliest mob war

Using my network of confidential sources, I identified and exposed the wives and girlfriends of gangsters embroiled in Scotland’s deadly mob feud. I also sourced previously unseen photographs of them. The investigation formed part of a wider series exposing the partners of gangsters.

THE DAILY MAIL

RNLI whistleblowers reveal ‘bully’ lifeboat bosses

Whistleblowers from RNLI stations across the UK told me about a toxic culture they believed was putting both volunteers and the public at risk. Published on the charity’s 200th anniversary, the investigation prompted widespread national coverage.

THE DAILY MAIL

Sharon Stone’s stalker hell

Working with sources developed during the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial, I identified and exposed the man accused of stalking Sharon Stone and claiming to have fathered a love child with her. The investigation became the centrepiece of a wider series examining the case.

THE DAILY MAIL

The solar panels ‘stopping homes from selling’

Part of an investigation into one of Britain’s largest solar panel companies, revealing that thousands of homeowners unknowingly had legal charges placed against their properties. The reporting showed how those charges left some customers struggling to sell their homes.