A gruesome murder that was the talk of Falmouth during the Christmas of 1942 will hit television screens in the New Year.

The bludgeoning of tobacconist Albert Bateman in his Falmouth shop is the subject of a Carlton Westcountry series Murder Most Foul, featuring Jack Shepherd, better known for his role as television detective Wycliffe.

The story was covered extensively by the Falmouth Packet at the time and an article from the paper has been used by production company Zenith Entertainment to make the programme to be broadcast later this month.

Following the violent death of Mr Bateman, one of the fastest murder investigations in police history took place.

Detective Superintendent Morcumb and pathologist Dr Hocking were called away from their family festivities to trace the killer. Labourer Gordon Trenoweth was later arrested.

Murder Most Foul will reveal Trenoweth's motive and explain how, even though he had never met his victim before, the forensic team found many clues linking him to the crime.

The series starts on January 2 with the fourth episode, the Murder of Albert Bateman, going out on January 23.