Is Sherwood a true story? Real events that inspired BBC drama series - and who is in cast with David Morrissey

BBC series Sherwood is inspired by two real-life murders which took place in the Nottinghamshire former mining village in 2004.

The series stars David Morrissey as Detective Ian St Clair, a local police officer who is joined by a London bobby to work the murder cases.

The deaths and the investigation bring the trauma of the miners’ strike of the 1980s back to the foreground, and it is clear that the effects of the strike are still keenly felt in the community.

Is Sherwood based on a True Story?

Yes, during the miner’s strike of 1984-5, most pits across the UK closed as miners refused to work in protest of poor pay and working conditions.

In Nottinghamshire, however, some miners crossed the picket lines and went to work, causing feuds between strikers and strike breakers that would last for decades.

In 2004, Keith Frogson, who had been a leading member of the National Union of Miners and heavily involved in the strike, was brutally killed.

Frogson’s killer, Robert Boyer, was also a former miner, but unlike Frogson, he had crossed the picket lines during the strike.

After the killing, Boyer hid in the woods, the remnants of Sherwood Forest, but returned to torch Frogson’s home with his daughter and son-in-law inside, although the` pair were unharmed.

Two weeks after Frogson’s murder, another former miner, Terry Rodgers, killed his daughter and hid in the same woodland as Boyer.

A massive manhunt was launched and both killers were eventually caught.

While police initially believed that Frogson’s murder had its origins in a long-running feud stemming from the strike, the judge disputed this and said that it was a result of Boyer’s mental instability.

Sherwood is a fictional tale set against this real-life backdrop and based on the true-crime cases that rocked the community.

Who is in the cast of Sherwood?

David Morrissey plays DCS Ian St Clair, the local police officer tasked with solving two shocking murders. He is known for playing Walter Blackett in The Singapore Grip and The Governor in The Walking Dead.

Robert Glenister stars as DI Kevin Salisbury, the London police officer who teams up with St Clair and encounters the stark divisions in the former pit village. Glenister is recognisable for his role as George Kirkbright in Cold Feet and Jasper Chiswell in the Robert Galbraith adaptation Strike.

Alun Armstrong plays Gary Jackson, a former striker who is killed in the first episode - his character is inspired by Keith Frogson. Armstrong played Lord Benton in the historical action series Frontier, played Jim in the comedy series Breeders and starred as Chief Inspector Wisbech in Year of the Rabbit.

Lesley Manville plays Julie Jackson, Gary Jackson’s wife. She has previously played Princess Margaret in The Crown, and featured in the films Phantom Thread, Maleficent, and Mr. Turner.

Joanne Froggatt plays Sarah Vincent, a tory politician campaigning for a council seat in a hard labour ward. Froggatt is best known for her role as Anna Bates in the period series Downton Abbey and its two movie spinoffs - she also took on the title role in the drama series Angela Black.

Other cast members include: Claire Rushbrook, Kevin Doyle, Lorraine Ashbourne, Philip Jackson, Perry Fitzpatrick, Clare Holman, Terence Maynard, Andrea Lowe, Tina Louise Owens, Adam Hugill, John Alan, Sajjad Nahavandi, Adeel Akhtar, and Nadine Marshall.

When is Sherwood on TV?

The first episode of the six-part series will air on BBC One at 9pm on 13 June. The second episode will air at 9pm on 14 June.

Episode three will air at the same time on Monday 20 June and episode four on 21 June.

Each episode will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer shortly after they are first broadcast.