PICK OF THE DAY

Deceit Channel 4, 9pm

The honeytrap operation deploying an undercover female officer in an attempt to get suspect Colin Stagg to confess to murdering 23-year-old Rachel Nickell in broad daylight on Wimbledon Common in 1992 was one of the most disastrous episodes in British policing history. The subsequent trial collapsed, Stagg was eventually proved to be entirely innocent and it took many more years for the killer, Robert Napper, to be identified.

Now this four-part drama tells the story, largely from the point of view of the undercover policewoman, played with cool command by Irish actress Niamh Algar (right). Don’t expect a grittily realistic docudrama: there are many almost surreal moments that call to mind the Netflix series Mindhunter, most of all the scenes featuring expert criminologist Paul Britton (Eddie Marsan). ★★★★★