A NEW TV drama series set in the Dales has already proved a big hit with the licensees and staff of a real-life pub located right at the heart of the on-screen action.

The third episode of Jericho – starring Jessica Raine, Clarke Peters and Hans Matheson, and which is centred on the construction of the Ribblehead railway viaduct – airs tonight on ITV.

And Alan and Jo Shutt, licensees of The Station Inn, which nestles near the iconic viaduct where the 1860 workers' shanty town Jericho was situated, are sure that the drama will bring a boost to business.

Jo said: "I thought the first episode was amazing – I really enjoyed it. It was very well done. Everyone at the pub is very excited by it and by the fact that the Station Inn is in the area where the real Jericho stood.

Share article "Already, the parents of a little boy who played a small part in the production have brought him here to have a look at the location. Jericho is set to be a major success and fans will want to see the real thing."

The eight-part series is based on the travails of the hundreds of workers drawn together to construct the viaduct. It has been described as a 'British western', with its stories of settlers and outcasts in a 'frontier town'. If it's successful, the show could run for at least five series.