A TV drama about serial killer Harold Shipman has been broadcast - despite an appeal from the families of the murderer's victims.

The High Court judge chairing an inquiry into the Shipman case joined families of the victims and alleged victims in calling for ITV to postpone the screening.

But ITV went ahead with the screening at 2100 BST on Tuesday as planned.

The families had criticised the timing of the broadcast - which came before inquiry chair Dame Janet Smith was due to publish her interim report setting out how many patients the former doctor is thought to have killed.

Shipman was convicted of murder in January 2000

Shipman, from Hyde, Greater Manchester, is currently serving a life sentence at Frankland Prison, Co Durham, after being convicted of murdering 15 of his mainly elderly female patients.

The families of some 500 other patients are still awaiting the findings of the inquiry to find out whether the one-time family GP murdered their loved ones.

The report is expected within the next three weeks.

Tameside Council has also condemned the screening.

'Cruel broadcast'

The authority had urged the Attorney General and the Shipman Inquiry to seek an injunction banning the broadcast.

At a meeting on Tuesday, council leader Roy Oldham described the broadcast as "cruel and inappropriate".

The Yorkshire TV drama stars James Bolam as Shipman and James Hazeldine as Detective Inspector Stan Egerton, one of four detectives who led the inquiry into Shipman's activities.

Mr Egerton saw a rough cut of the film before his death in autumn 2001, and praised it for its accuracy.

'Emotion'

But after a private screening for relatives of the victims in June, there were criticisms of ITV's decision to go ahead with the broadcast.

About 50 people watched the two-hour programme at a hotel in Hyde, the Greater Manchester town where Shipman practised.

Afterwards lawyer Ann Alexander, who has been representing 300 families who may have lost loved ones to Shipman, said: "The people who saw it tonight were very angry. There was a lot of emotion in the room.

"We feel the timing of this programme, if it is shown on 9 July, is grossly insensitive."