TORN APART

Sky tells wrong story on crash, say bereaved | Colin Firth stars as controversial theorist | Upcoming trial 'could be influenced' by series

- SIMON MURPHY

COLIN Firth's new TV drama about the Lockerbie tragedy has sparked concern among victims' families over how it could impact a trial of the alleged bombmaker.

Oscar-winning Firth plays the campaigning dad of a young woman who was one of 270 people killed in the UK's deadliest terror attack.

But Sky's production, airing today, about the 1988 bombing of New Yorkbound Pan AM 103 has sparked fears over focusing on Dr Jim Swire (Firth).

The 88-year-old's theory on who is to blame for the atrocity is at odds with that of some of those bereaved.

And concern has been raised over the potential influence the show could play in the upcoming trial over one of those blamed.

The five-part series comes in the wake of last year's ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which prompted outrage over the Horizon IT scandal that led to thousands of postmasters being falsely accused of stealing.

A bereaved dad Paul Hudson said of the Lockerbie programme: "It is only a drama and is their version of what they like to believe happened. But it is a theory I don't agree with at all.

"My concern is the influence this could have on the trial if we only hear his version of events. I would be deeply concerned about that."

A bomb went off in the hold of the Boeing 747 jet just 38 minutes after taking off from London's Heathrow on December 21, 1988, killing all 259 on board and a further 11 on the ground in the Scottish town.

Some 43 UK and 190 US citizens were among the 270 who perished. The youngest was only two months old.

Ex-Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's 2001 conviction over the atrocity proved controversial.

Dr Swire's hunt for justice is played out in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.

The Sky drama is based on the book, Lockerbie: A Father's Search for Justice, which the campaigner co-authored.