A star of Ricky Gervais’ After Life and Derek series has been spotted filming in a Kent town.

Shooting for a new series based on Julie Wassmer’s novels The Whitstable Pearl Mystery and Disappearance at Oare started this week.

The story is being brought to life as a new six-part television series by top Norwegian filmmaker Øystein Karlsen and is being filmed in Whitstable .

It will feature Kerry Godliman - who starred in the Netflix hit After Life - in the lead role as Pearl Nolan.

The actress and film crews have been spotted in Whitstable and Tankerton this week after filming started yesterday.

Pictures reveal how the production crew have turned a building in the town into a police station for the new series.

The show’s director and writers have worked on popular programmes such as Peaky Blinders, Marcella and Strike Back.

Crews will be shooting for the next 13 weeks, with a break at Christmas.

Whitstable Pearl explores the dark undercurrents of murder and debauchery swirling beneath the surface of the picturesque 16th century English seaside town.

Faversham and Herne Bay both feature in Disappearance at Oare, so they may also provide the backdrop for part of the series.

The series will exclusively premiere on Acorn TV in North America, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK in 2021.

Acorn TV is an American subscription video streaming service offering programmes from countries including the UK, and is available on devices including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku.

Read more: All the latest news from Whitstable