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Filming has begun on chilling Channel 5 mini-series, Maxine, documenting the Soham murders investigation through the eyes of killer Ian Huntley's fiancée Maxine Carr.
Actress Jemma Carlton looked eerily similar to former teaching assistant Carr as she filmed scenes in Bray, Berkshire on Tuesday - 20 years after the murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both aged 10.
The disappearance of the schoolgirls after a family barbecue in August 2002 sparked Britain's biggest ever missing persons' enquiry - but came to a tragic end when their bodies were found dumped in a remote ditch.
School caretaker Huntley - then 28 - had lured the girls to his house and murdered them before dumping their bodies and burning their clothes.
Haunting: Filming began on chilling Channel 5 mini-series, Maxine, documenting the Soham Murders investigation through the eyes of killer Ian Huntley's fiancée Maxine Carr
His then-fiancée Carr who provided him with a false alibi - but was in Grimsby visiting her mother at the time of the murders - was jailed for perverting the course of justice but released in 2004 with a new identity.
She was dubbed 'The Most Hated Woman In Britain' following the trial , which saw Huntley admit to killing the children, but claiming their deaths were accidental.
Scenes for the new drama showed Carr meeting with a journalist who has tracked her down.
Actress Jemma is seen with her bobbed hair in a scruffy updo and wearing a green jacket and jeans as she scowls at a male actor on the seafront.
Notorious: Actress Jemma Carlton looked eerily similar to former teaching assistant Carr (pictured R in 2002) as she filmed scenes in Bray, Berkshire on Tuesday
Final photo: Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered by Ian Huntley on August 4 2002 (pictured two hours before their disappearance)
Murderer: Huntley had lured the girls to his house and murdered them before dumping their bodies in a remote ditch. He was a caretaker at the local Soham Village College and was arrested after the girls' bodies were discovered 13 days later
Channel 5 said in a statement about the drama: 'Maxine will examine the investigation of school assistant Maxine Carr and her caretaker fiancé Ian Huntley, who was later imprisoned for the double murder of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the tragic case that shocked the nation
'The three-part drama will explore their tumultuous relationship through Maxine's perspective; why she lied for him and how she became public enemy No.1, as well as reflect the scale of the police investigation and subsequent media frenzy around the biggest manhunt ever seen in British history.'
Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer UK, at Paramount, said: 'The series marks a new venture into the true crime genre for Channel 5 drama and will give viewers an in depth examination of Maxine Carr and her role in one of the most notorious crimes in recent British history.'
Mike Benson, Managing Director at Clapperboard added: 'Few crimes have embedded themselves in the national psyche more than the tragic events of Soham in 2002. It was a case which was unique in recent history in terms of the sheer scale of the media coverage and how this affected and nearly derailed the investigation and subsequent trial. We will explore this within the drama alongside the role played by Maxine Carr – dubbed 'The Most Hated Woman in Britain.'
Maxine will be produced by Clapperboard, Chalkboard’s scripted sister company and is set to air in 2022.
Confronted: Scenes for the new drama showed Carr meeting with a journalist who has tracked her down
The series was ordered by Cardwell and Paul Testar, Commissioning Executive, Drama.
Mike Benson and Julie Ryan are executive producers on the series. Laura Way (The Holiday, Blood) joins the team as director, whilst Simon Tyrrell (The Spanish Princess) serves as the writer. Abacus Media Rights are on board as international distributor for the series.
Huntley was found guilty of killing both girls at his 2004 trial and later sentenced to two life terms, with a minimum 40-year tariff at the maximum security Frankland prison in Durham.
He was a caretaker at the local Soham Village College and was arrested after the girls' bodies were discovered 13 days after their disappearance.
During a two-week appeal to find the girls, Huntley gave TV interviews and joined in searches while his then-girlfriend Carr gave him a false alibi.
He was jailed for life in 2005.
During his trial, he said that he had 'killed the girls accidentally' but later admitted the killing in leaked tapes from prison.
Actor: A man playing the journalist was seen clutching a notepad during the dramatic scene
In a 2018 tape he said: ‘I know the people of Soham took me into their community, they trusted me, gave me a job and a home, and I betrayed them in the worst possible way.
‘And I am sorry for what I have done, sorry for the pain I have caused to the families and friends of Holly and Jessica, for the pain I have caused my family and
