The police drama hitting home in Northern Ireland — Blue Lights

Katherine Devlin's first major role was in Blue Lights as Constable Annie Conlon

Official response and confirmed impact

"Whether it's your friends or your family, everybody has their own relationships with, and viewpoints on, the police," says Dearbháile McKinney, star of drama Blue Lights.

The Londonderry actress and her co-star Katherine Devlin, who also grew up in Northern Ireland, say relationships between police and communities there were at the forefront of their minds as they prepared for filming.

The Bafta-winning series follows police officers working at the fictional Blackthorn Station in Belfast. But, for many watching, the drama feels all too real.

The difficulty police in Northern Ireland still face was thrown into focus this weekend by the long-running dispute over the controversial Garvaghy Road parade route when officers had to prevent a march by Protestant Orangemen through a largely Catholic area.

Many scenes in Blue Lights highlight the distrust of, and hostility towards, the police in some communities.

Warning: This article includes spoilers for the first three seasons of Blue Lights.