The finale of Game of Thrones is the most closely guarded secret in television history, with its creators going to extraordinary lengths to keep it under wraps.

During the filming of the final series, which will be broadcast in April, numerous sets in Northern Ireland were targeted by drones trying to take any pictures that might have revealed the ending. The TV channel that produces the show, HBO, even considered hiring eagles and falcons to combat drones.

Now it has emerged that the show’s producers opted for a simpler solution. They told The Sunday Times Magazine that they filmed the most confidential scenes close to Belfast airport — a drone exclusion zone.

Belfast and its surrounding areas have been transformed, thanks to the millions pumped