Stars of the new ITV drama series Broadchurch have spoken about the thrills - and spills - of working at West Bay.

Following last week's world premiere in Bridport of the first episode of the high- profile series, due to air next month, the star-studded cast have admitted that working in West Dorset was both a joy and quite a wet experience.

Former Dr Who, David Tennant who plays the lead role as DI Alec Hardy said he was hooked from the first time he read an episode of Broadchurch and wanted to play DI Hardy, a big fish in a Dorset backwater.

“He is a cop from the big city,” said David. Who for reasons that become evident as we go through the story has been moved to small out of the way police force where hopefully he can go under the radar.

Events conspire fairly early on in the story which mean this isn't the case and very soon the national spotlight will be shone on him. He's not without some secrets and troubles, which is why he has ended up in this little Dorset team.”

Pauline Quirke, who plays the mysterious Susan Wright said filming in West Dorset had been a real bonus.

“I have absolutely fallen in love with the place. I loved being at West Bay and when I got the chance I'd go off exploring.

I have been to Lyme Regis and lots of other places just having a wander round with my dog Bailey.

“I have really got to see parts of Dorset that I have never seen before. Even when the weather turned cold, it was still beautiful. Even doing night shoots in the pouring rain on the beach, I have still really enjoyed it.”

Olivia Colman (Det Sgt Ellie Miller) said filming at West Bay had its highs and lows.

“It turns out I really don't like being cold! I had a bit of a sense of humour failure one particular day when I thought “ I don;t want to be outside any more”.

“ There was horizontal rain going into our eyes and it was freezing. Being on the cliff at Bridport in the sunshine during the first week of filming was just amazing. Idyllic. Then we went back in winter and the sea was a really dark and angry grey. It was freezing cold doing night shoots and that's when I started to wish I had a different job!”

Former Dr Who star Arthur Darvill who plays young vicar Paul Coates, remembered one memorable moment filming at West Bay.

“On one particular day we had been waiting around all day to do one beach scene. The weather was awful, torrential rain and strong winds and we could see the crew dragging themselves up the beach completely sodden.

“We were meant to be standing in the water but the sea wa so rough we could have been swept away so we were asked to stand near the water. There was me, Joe Sims, Will Mellor and Andy Buchan completely still looking at David (Tennant) when suddenly this massive wave camp up and soaked us all to the skin. Three of us stood stock still in shock and Joe ran up the beach screaming!”

Andrew Buchan (Mark Latimer) remembers his first experience of the Jurassic coast.

“You spend half an hour in a taxi bumbling through cosy countryside and then arrive at these huge Jurassic cliffs;quite bleak and terrifying to look at . And quite unsettling with nine foot waves creashing at their feet and birds swirling over the tops. Just watching life unfold seemed a drama in itself.

The nests that people had carved out for themselves around these cliffs. Brief flickers of life here and there;old people minding their own in coffee shops'a work van here and there; a crumpled up taxi; two ice cream vendors battling with each other for business. It was all life in slow motion. Where any goings on are immediately amplified.”

Writer and executive Chris Chibnall who lives in Bridport wrote the drama about the mysterious death of a young boy in a small town, with the Jurassic coastline as a major character.