Talkback Thames, the producers of The Bill, are “devastated” at news the primetime police drama is to be given the chop.

ITV's Director of Television, Peter Fincham, revealed the shock announcement today which is sure to see a number of redundancies at Talkback. “Times change, and so do the tastes of our audience,” he said.

“Thanks to a superb production team, it’s been one of the great institutions of television drama.”

The Bill recently revamped the style of the show, filming in HD and with a new post-watershed weekly slot. However, it appears not even the new American-style format has kept viewers interested.

It is a credit to everyone who has worked on The Bill that the series will be signing out on a creative and editorial high

Talkback boss Lorraine Heggessey said she was incredibly proud of what the show has achieved. She said: “It is a credit to everyone who has worked on The Bill that the series will be signing out on a creative and editorial high, with both critical and industry-wide acclaim and a loyal fan base who have supported the show throughout,” reports the BBC website.

The soap began in 1983 as a pilot called Woodentop. Bosses at ITV were impressed and at its height reached 7 million viewers per episode, and has been aired in 55 countries.

The channel said they will continue investing in television drama and the decision does not mean the end of police dramas.