A new true crime drama series focusing on the story behind Britain’s biggest manhunt, the search for Raoul Moat, has started filming.

The Hunt For Raoul Moat will be told through the eyes of those who sought to bring the violent killer to justice.

The ITV series will star Inspector George Gently’s Lee Ingleby as senior Northumbria Police officer Neil Adamson, Sonya Cassidy as local journalist Diane Barnwell and Matt Stokoe as Moat.

Moat was released from Durham prison in July 2010 and went on the run after shooting three people in 24 hours.

Despite Northumbria Police’s best efforts he evaded them for over a week, threatening to kill police officers and members of the public.

The manhunt concluded with Moat’s death by suicide following a six-hour stand-off.

Arqiva British Academy Television Awards – Arrivals – London
Matt Stokoe will portray violent killer Raoul Moat (Ian West/PA)

ITV said its drama will focus on the innocent victims of Moat’s crimes, Christopher Brown, Samantha Stobbart and PC David Rathband; the police officers who put themselves in the firing line as well as the local journalist who sought to tell the story set in the landscape of sensationalist media reporting.

Other cast members include Vineeta Rishi, Sally Messham, Samantha Stobbart and Josef Davis.

The drama is written by novelist and screenwriter Kevin Sampson.

“The hunt for Raoul Moat gripped me from the start, as it was the first such case to be covered ‘live’ by the new 24-hour news channels in the UK,” said Sampson.

“Even then, it interested me that Moat was being portrayed by some as a ‘legend’ in spite of the brutality of his crimes.

“In 2022, violence against women remains rife and is all too often accompanied by a victim-blaming agenda.

“I hope this drama will go some way to condemning this narrative.”