The Hunt for Raoul Moat filming locations: Where was the ITV drama filmed?

Now, Moat's horrific crimes are being dramatised in new ITV true crime drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat, which focuses on Moat's innocent victims, the police officers who were caught in the firing line and the local journalist, who sought to tell the real story amidst a landscape of media sensationalism.

Moat's initial attack took place outside a house in Birtley, a town in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. The manhunt was carried out across Newcastle before ending in the village of Rothbury in Northumberland, where he killed himself.

However, the drama was largely filmed in other parts of the country. So, why weren't the real-life locations used? Read on for everything you need to know.

The Hunt for Raoul Moat filming locations

"Aside from establishing shots of Newcastle city centre, we filmed in Yorkshire," said executive producer Jake Lushington. "The housing estate that doubles for Birtley was just outside Bradford.

"Our director Gareth [Bryn] had extensively recced every real location but we did not want to film in or near the real locations. That included not filming in Rothbury."

Vineeta Rishi, who plays Detective Inspector Nisha Roberts, "filmed one scene driving over the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle" but spent the rest of her time "around Bradford and other parts of Yorkshire, nowhere near the real locations in the North East".

Matt Stokoe, who portrays Moat, added: "I filmed all of my scenes in Yorkshire, including the riverside standoff with the police which happened for real in Rothbury, [which] took place over six hours but we filmed there for a week.

"As an actor it just becomes an exercise in endurance. Sometimes with these big dramatic sequences, your adrenaline can betray you and you can get carried away and lose sight of what it is you're trying to achieve.

"But when you break it down like that and take a six-hour sequence and spread it out over a week of filming, you can section it off into little compartments and attack each part and judge it right.

"Mainly I just remember that week being very cold and dark."

Lee Ingleby, who plays Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Adamson, also detailed what it was like filming that scene.

"When you're standing there you realise you are not actually that far from him [Moat]," he said. "Even though you are surrounded by firearms officers and you have a bulletproof vest on, I thought, 'I couldn't have done that.'

"And then we see the police negotiator who has to carefully choose their words. Of course they are trained... but it must also be terrifying at the same time.

"I think Moat wanted the police to shoot and kill him - 'death by cop' - but he did not get his wish and ended up shooting himself."

The Hunt for Raoul Moat began airing on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday 16th April. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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