Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has confirmed that the story of the programme will now go beyond the Second World War.

Originally the plan was for the programme to end the BBC crime drama at the start of World War II.

In an interview with Empire, Knight discussed where he wanted to take the story and the characters.

He said: "It was always Britain between the wars – how the lesson from one war was not learned and was repeated.

"It’s also the end of empire: we enter the Second World War and by the end of it, there is no empire, really. But I… have revised the scope of what it is.

"It will now go into and beyond the Second World War. Because I just think the energy that is out there in the world for this, I want to keep it going, and I want to see how this can progress beyond that.” 

A sixth series of Peaky Blinders will air at some point in early 2022, with a film to wrap up the story beginning production in 2023.

READ MORE: BBC's Peaky Blinders creator opens up about new series and loss of Helen McCrory

Whilst Knight has some idea of how it will end, his writing process is fluid and could change along the way.

He said: “I don’t know what’s gonna happen until I get to writing.

“The way I tend to work is not to plan, and I think if I did plan, I wouldn’t be able to do it.

"Just sit at the keyboard and if you know the characters well enough, let ‘em loose and see what they say to each other. Let the dialogue guide the plot.”