Anger over Silent Witness name change

The BBC has upset some proud residents after changing the name of their town in a TV show.

The Isle of Sheppey is featured in the last two episodes of the current series of the crime drama Silent Witness. The first was shown last night (Monday) and the second is to be aired tonight.

Jack Hodges (David Caves) and Kate Freeman (Leo Hatton) at Kingsferry Bridge, renamed Southbay Bridge, for Silent Witness. Picture: BBCThe Kingsferry Bridge renamed the Southbay Bridge for the BBC's Silent Witness. Picture: BBC

But when Islanders tuned in, they discovered their home had been renamed Southbay.

The BBC has said "no offence was meant in anyway" but Phil Crowder, who chairs the Sheerness Town Team, vowed: "I'm going to write a strongly-worded letter of complaint to the producers.

"Earlier in the series they went to Dartford and had no trouble saying where they were. But for some reason they changed the name of Sheppey to a place called Southbay.

"I know it is a fictional story but if Dartford can get a name check in the same series then I don't understand why Sheppey can't. It's really frustrating. We need all the help we can get these days to attract tourists.

"There were some lovely shots of the Kingsferry Bridge and the beaches at Minster and Shellness but no one will know where they are."

Phil Crowder of the Sheerness Town Team

Also in the final episode, available on iPlayer, one of the actors refers to the town as Southbay in Essex.

Mr Crowder, a retired postman, fumed: "That really did take the biscuit. It's unbelievable. We are not even in Kent any more! It was a wasted opportunity."

The Island is still reeling after a national newspaper ran a double-page spread on Sheerness, hot on the heels of Swale council winning a £20m cash boost from the government's levelling-up fund to revamp the town's seafront.

The article illustrated why the south east needed help as much as the north east.

But Mr Crowder, who is behind the annual Sheerness Summer Seaside Festival, admitted: "It didn't paint us in a very good light.

Jack Hodges (David Caves) and Kate Freeman (Leo Hatton) on the beach at Shellness for Silent Witness. Picture: BBCSouthbay Police Station in Silent Witness. Picture: BBCEmelia Fox, who plays pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander, and David Caves, who plays forensic scientist Jack Hodgson in the BBC drama Silent Witness, shooting scenes on The Leas on the Isle of Sheppey. Picture: John Gill

"I know we have problems with poverty, like many towns, but we need to be proud of what we have. And now the BBC has stabbed us in the back. This could have been a wonderful calling card for the Island."

One viewer posted on Twitter: "I found it interesting that Southbay had a functioning police station with a multitude of investigators."

In the story, called Southbay, Jack Hodgson, played by David Caves, comes to the aid of an old friend when a woman police officer is accused of murder.

As Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and the team of forensic scientists begin to build a picture of what happened, they learn nothing is as it seems.

The film crew took over many locations for the shoot including Mike and Sarah Fendt's home on The Leas at Minster.

Mike and Sarah Fendt tuning in to watch Silent Witness after the BBC TV crew hired their home on The Leas at Minster to shoot scenes. Picture: John NurdenOverhead shot of Mike and Sarah Fendt's home on The Leas at Minster used in Silent Witness. Picture: BBCJack Hodges (David Caves) investigates a murder in Mike and Sarah Fendt's bedroom on Sheppey in Silent Witness. Picture: BBC

Sarah, 43, said: "We watched the first part and then immediately loaded part two on BBC iPlayer, so watched both parts on Monday.

"It was definitely the best two-parter of the whole series, in our opinion, and excellently directed by Toby Frow."

She added: "It was odd seeing our house made to look very small and dark. It was very cleverly done. And it was good to see it all pieced together, considering we had watched a fair bit either on the street during filming or in the marquee in our garden with the crew watching the action on the monitors during the indoor takes.

"We had a good chat with the 'murderer' who was telling us about the 'cliff' scene.

"It was all very exciting at the time but more so viewing it together on the TV.

Jack Hodges (David Caves) and Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) on The Leas at Minster for Silent Witness. Picture: BBCThis house on The Leas at Minster is featured in the latest series of the BBC drama Silent Witness although the address was changed to Markham Avenue, Southbay

"Now we are back to reality and the house has been redecorated, we are ready for the next filming opportunity to come our way!"

Episode two will be shown on BBC One tonight at 9pm.

A BBC spokesman said: "This is a common occurrence in filming and was by no means meant as an insult to the Isle of Sheppey.

"Any location is chosen to capture the essence of the imagined scenery for the intended purposes of the story and script. No offence was meant in anyway."