Fred West drama causes outrage

Families of Fred West's victims are outraged about a new ITV drama, which documents the life of the notorious murderer.

While the channel has promised the show will handle the case sensitively, producers have acknowledged casting popular 'The Wire' actor Dominic West as Fred leaves them open to accusations of empathy with the murderer.

The three-hour drama - entitled 'Appropriate Adult' - will document the period while Fred was in custody between his arrest in 1994 and his death in 1995 when he confessed his monstrous acts to police.

Additionally, the programme will examine the relationship between Fred and voluntary worker Janet Leach, who sat in with him during police interviews, and later claimed he had fallen in love with her

Peter Bastholm, whose sister Mary was believed to have been killed by Fred in 1968, said: "I am worried about how they will do it, but they say it will be done sensitively. I would rather things were not dragged up."

Fred's wife, Rose, was also convicted of killing ten and is due to spend the rest of her life in jail.

Her brother, Andrew Letts, said: "Anything that brings up those events is awful. No one wants to be reminded of what happened."

However, ITV producers have consulted with families of the couple's victims before making the show.

One said: "Our intention is to produce a sober and thought-provoking drama based on a true story."