FAMILIES of victims of serial killer Harold Shipman emerged shaken from a preview of a powerful ITV drama about the deadly doctor.
About 40 relatives of victims and suspected victims packed into the screening room at Hyde's Village Hotel - others boycotted the showing .
Some relatives were in tears and too upset to talk, others were visibly emotional after watching the two-hour drama-documentary, to be broadcast on July 9.
They were angry that the programme is going out before the end of the Shipman public inquiry in Manchester.
But the general view of last night's preview was that it was factual and fairly depicted Shipman's crimes.
Most people conceded that the programme had been sensitively made and spoke of their relief that it did not glorify the doctor.
But there were still strong views that it should be postponed until after the Shipman Inquiry publishes its findings on exactly how many people died at the hands of the killer GP. Others thought it should be scrapped all together.
Timing
Dame Janet Smith, who is chairing the inquiry, and Ann Alexander, solicitor for 300 relatives of 95 possible victims of Shipman, have written to ITV expressing their concern over its timing.
Heather Derome is waiting to find out if her mother Eileen Robinson was one of the victims. Mrs Robinson, 54, died in 1993 and the whole family had been patients of Shipman.
After the screening she said: "There was lot of anger in the room.
"Personally I thought it was quite well done and I think the public need to know what has happened.
"But people were upset at the shocking scenes of dead people and at the timing of the programme."
Susan McAlpine, whose mother Irene Heathcote was found by an inquest to have been killed by Shipman, said: "The drama has been very well done and sticks to the facts but I still didn't like it - had my mother's death been among those portrayed then I can imagine I would have been feeling extremely upset."