HIGH drama stunned shoppers in Bolton town centre yesterday.

Horrified passers-by feared they were about to witness tragedy as a man threatened to jump more than 40ft from the top of a shops complex.

Emergency crews from the police and ambulance service watched from the pavement below as officers tried to grapple with the man and pull him to safety.

But the whole drama was just that - a fictional scene set up by a TV crew recording a new police series. z

Many people feared the frightening scenario was real, until they spotted the cameras.

The "desperate" man on top of the building at the corner of Knowsley Street and Deansgate was a stuntman and everyone else involved were actors.

As previously reported in the BEN, Bolton is being used for various location shoots for the programme, which has the working title "Cops." It is expected to be re-named when it is screened on BBC-2 early next year.

A former school building is being used as a base for actors and will also double as a police station for some scenes.

Some fight scenes have already been recorded in Churchgate. Other locations include local shops, a hair salon, and a housing estate.

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