Complaints at Mablethorpe cafe over the filming of hit BBC TV drama 'Sherwood'

‘Sherwood’, which was created by brilliant British playwright and screenwriter James Graham, began a new six-episode second series on Sunday night.

Although most of it is set in Nottinghamshire, where Graham is from, some scenes were filmed in Mablethorpe in what was hoped could be a boost for tourism at the seaside resort.

But the owner of a seafront cafe claimed her business suffered as a result of filming nearby and, as a result, she was “offered some compensation”.

Julie Robertson, who runs the popular Seaview cafe and beach shop on Quebec Road, said she lost several days of trading and had to keep reminding customers on social media that she was still open for business.

The problem stemmed from the fact that the film crew set up base on a car park by the beach. This is next to Julie’s cafe, which relies heavily on car-park users for its trade.

"For small businesses like mine, taking over the car park was not very good,” she said. “They shut off three-quarters of the car park, and it had a massive effect on my business and my regulars. On top of that, they brought their own catering wagon.”

A spokesperson for the ‘Sherwood’ production team said: “It was important to us that we worked closely with the local community and businesses to keep any disruption to a minimum.

"Businesses were made aware of plans several weeks ahead of filming, and we remained in constant dialogue with the local council to ensure we followed its filming regulations.

"We held discussions with Mrs Robertson about the use of the car park and, as a gesture of goodwill, we offered her some compensation.”

‘Sherwood’ was a huge success, attracting millions of viewers, when it first aired in 2022. It focused on real-life murders in Nottinghamshire and the lingering divisions in society caused by the infamous miners’ strike of 1984.

This second series centres on the ongoing rivalries of feuding families, as well as the impact of drugs, gangs and violence in the area.

Graham, 42, is responsible for a string of acclaimed plays on TV and stage, including ‘Dear England’ about Gareth Southgate and the national football team.