It was all set to become the next big political thriller - a 10-part series that would “blow the lid” off North Korea by describing the capture of a British nuclear scientist.

Yet three years after being announced, the Channel Four project - titled Opposite Number - remains unmade after investors failed to materialise.

Yesterday, an explanation emerged - the British broadcaster had been secretly hacked as part of a furious reaction from the North Korean regime.

An expose by the New York Times revealed that Channel Four’s computer system had been targeted in an attempt to protect North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s reputation.

While the attack was stopped before damage was done, the project - which had also been publicly criticised by the regime - was eventually ditched.

The revelation raises serious questions about the ability of Britain’s creative industries to depict North Korea at a time of heightened tensions.