COPS and robbers have been chasing through the streets of York - filming for a popular TV series.

Shoppers watched as 1960s cars sped down Ogleforth, behind York Minster, in the opening scene of the next series of ITV's Heartbeat.

The long-running police drama series is usually set in the fictional towns of Ashfordly and Aidensfield, on the North York Moors.

But for the first time since it hit the screens in 1992, York will be making an appearance.

Heartbeat producer Archie Tait was on the York set to oversee filming.

He said: "We've done filming in York before, but this will be the first time the city appears in Heartbeat in its own right.

"It's the first episode of series 17, which will be screened in October, and we're introducing a new hero cop - called Joe Mason.

"He's from the City of York police force, and in this scene he's in a car chase through the narrow twisting streets of York with a bunch of bank robbers.

Actor Joe McFadden, who plays the new character, said: "It's the first scene I've done for Heartbeat and I'm really enjoying it.

"My character is quite a heavy-handed cop from York, and during this first episode he's sent to the village of Aidensfield to calm down a bit."