Viewers 'heartbroken' by TV drama about Rhys Jones shooting

Viewers were left "sobbing" and "heartbroken" after watching a TV dramatisation of the murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones.

Harrowing scenes in ITV's Little Boy Blue saw the 11-year-old gunned down on his way home from football practice in Croxteth, Liverpool, in 2007.

Viewers said it was "hard to watch" as actress Sinead Keenan, who played Rhys's mother Melanie, held him as he lay bleeding on the ground.

"Absolutely tragic and painful to watch," one viewer wrote on Twitter.

"I have not stopped crying since this started. So painful to watch. So tragic," said another.

Hundreds of tweets were from people saying they were "heartbroken".

"Kissed both my boys and tucked them up extra tight tonight Every parents worst nightmare and pain," wrote one mother.

Many viewers wrote messages sending their thoughts to Rhys's parents Melanie and Steve, who gave their blessing to the programme.

"Such a tough watch. Every parents worst nightmare, god bless his Mum, Dad and Brother. That's something you never get over," said one.

Others expressed their anger at killer Sean Mercer, who was 16 at the time.

One person wrote: "I think Mercer will be out in about 10 years, too. Justice?"

Taboo actor Stephen Graham played Detective Superintendent Dave Kelly in the programme, which explored the impact of the crime amid a wave of gang violence.

The drama was written by Jeff Pope, executive producer of The Moorside, about the faked kidnapping of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews.