A NEW television drama set in Morecambe Bay has been commissioned by ITV, to begin filming this summer.

'The Bay' is to be a six-part detective drama looking into a harrowing missing person case.

Written by award winning writer and playwright Daragh Carville (Being Human, The Smoke, Cherrybomb), the gripping series is to be executive produced by Catherine Oldfield, Tall Story Pictures (Trauma, Bancroft, Tutankhamun).

Catherine Oldfield said: "Daragh has written a fantastic contemporary crime story with a flawed but entirely relatable heroine at its heart. We are delighted to be bringing Daragh’s writing to the screen for ITV."

ITV has published a summary of what the series will be about.

It said: "When Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong is assigned to a missing persons investigation in Morecambe, at first it seems like any other – tragic, but all too familiar.

"As a police Family Liaison Officer, she’s trained never to get emotionally involved. Her job is to support families during the worst time of their lives whilst also to be the eyes and ears of the police investigation; a cuckoo in the nest.

"But there’s something very different about this particular case. With horror Lisa realises she’s got a personal connection with this frightened family; one that could compromise her and the investigation.

"As she grapples to get justice for the grieving family, Lisa discovers it could come at the cost of her own."

ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill said: "It’s always a challenge to find a fresh take on crime, but Daragh Carville has written a very real crime story about family and community, which is distinctive, compelling and beautifully crafted."