IT was lights, camera, action this week in Okehampton, as two town centre businesses became the focus for filming a new BBC TV drama, set to hit screens later this year.

Actors and technicians working on Down to Earth, starring Pauline Quirke and Warren Clarke, crowded into the Oxfam shop and Piggy's Diner on Monday to film a scene from the series.

Jacky Theobald, Oxfam manager, said: 'We really enjoyed ourselves, it was quite an experience.

'The whole of my back room was filled with people checking little bits and pieces, with the make-up lady and her little bags — it was quite fascinating.'

Jacky said she hoped the filming experience would be a positive one for Okehampton.

'It was nice for my volunteers to be chosen — they give an awful lot of time,' she said, adding that some members of the crew even made a few purchases themselves!

'All the customers were outside, peeking in — it really was a bit of fun,' said Jacky.

The action then moved to Piggy's Diner.

Owner Andy Hunt said: 'It was total chaos — there were about 40 or 50 people in here.

'They had about three scenes to do. They were going to use the staff here, but they used extras in the end.

'They did film it as Piggy's though, and they filmed the menu board.'

The scenes filmed in Okehampton should be seen in episode four on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Down to Earth is about a couple whose business fails and they quit the rat race to start a new life in Devon.

The main filming takes place around Cheriton Bishop, but the crews also visited Hatherleigh this week, and the Drewe Arms at Drewsteignton has also been in on the action.

The series is written by Ashley Pharoah who wrote Where the Heart Is and Life Support, and Helen Slavin, writer of Boon and the House of Eliott.