The official synopsis for The Long Shadow says that the seven-part series is “the definitive depiction of the desperate five-year hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, sensitively focusing on the lives of the victims who crossed his path and those of the officers at the heart of the police investigation”.

The synopsis continues: “With the victims, their families and the survivors at the heart of this series, The Long Shadow brings a new perspective to a well-documented story.

“Meticulously researched and drawing upon the most extensive archive of the investigation, comprising of hundreds of case files, interview transcripts and police reports, the series is also based on Wicked Beyond Belief, Michael Bilton’s critically acclaimed account of the case, published by William Collins.

“One murder has the power to cast a long shadow and this case plunged a whole society into darkness. For every victim, there were friends and loved ones. For every police officer, there was the burden of failure – of near misses and guilt – and the knowledge that as they failed to find their man, more women continued to suffer.

“The impact on the lives of those who live on after the death of their loved one remains to this day. Those who cannot escape what happened, who must sit with their incomprehensible trauma for decades after, enduring their own life sentences.

“With people today holding to account the institutional foundations that foster misogyny, racism and violence against women, The Long Shadow will speak to the societal issues of the past while highlighting alarming parallels between these terrible crimes and tragic events in our more recent history.”