The first film examines a series of pre-teen children and their run-ins with the law, over minor wrongdoings such as theft, truancy, and short-term bullying.
When the subject matter became known, Lancashire Constabulary, the police force featured, put pressure on the families of the participants to withdraw their consent, and after taking legal advice, the BFI would not allow the film to be shown publicly until 1990.
In Juvenile Liaison 2, Ray was contacted by phone but declined to appear, hinting at misrepresentation and possible damage to his career.
Broomfield and Churchill later discovered that Sergeant Ray was officially cleared in the internal police inquiry following the original film's production.
He resigned soon afterwards, following disagreement with his superiors over the force's corrective and investigative measures for dealing with young troublemakers.