A LAWYER found herself on the wrong side of the law when she was arrested for drink driving in a Bolton street.

But the scene was not a slice of Bolton life -- it was one from a new BBC series being filmed in and around the town.

A 60-strong film crew and a cast of 25 extras descended on Churchgate in the town centre on Monday night to film a short scene for new dark comedy Brief Lives.

The show centres around the antics of a group of solicitors in the North-west and features Phil Daniels, best known for his portrayal of the enigmatic Jimmy in the hit 1970s film Quadrophenia.

Churchgate was transformed into a lively road in the fictional town of Maudley for a seven hour filming stint, which could produce as little as four minutes of footage.

London actress Georgia Mackenzie, who plays one of the solicitors, was filmed hailing a cab at a roadside taxi rank after a night out, only to find that the driver was someone she had prosecuted earlier that day. After a row with the driver, her character runs to her own car, parked nearby, only to be arrested almost immediately for drink driving.

Ms Mackenzie has previously had roles in ITV's A Touch of Frost, and ITV crime drama Trial and Retribution.

The location was chosen as the producers of the programme had filmed on the street before, for BBC2 drama Cops.

Producer Kirsty Macdonald said: "Maudley is supposed to be a typical town in the North-west with a magistrates court, which could easily be Bolton. The scenes in tonight's filming are probably the most action you will see in the show because it's a court based series.

"We love Bolton and keep coming back. There is a wide range of architecture which looks good, and of course the people are lovely."

Brief Lives will be shown on BBC3 in September and on BBC2 in the new year.