Not content with the plunder and pillage of our shores in 795, our Scandinavian brethren favour a more subtle form of invasion these days – that of our TV screens.

The latest wave of Nordic crime drama hit BBC Four this week with The Bridge – a dark, fast-paced and gripping production, which follows the investigation into the dumping of a female corpse on the Oresund Bridge between Malmo and Copenhagen.

Detectives believe the victim to be a Swedish politician but on closer examination discover that the corpse, which has been severed below the waist, actually comprises two bodies – the bottom half belonging to a drug-addicted, Danish prostitute. Read more