PICTURES: ITV Vera star Kenny Doughty in Darlington for series 12 filming

IT was a day of delight and surprise as film crews descended onto Darlington for the filming of the hit crime show, ITV Vera.

Hundreds of people turned out outside the Town Hall on Tuesday morning (April 12) to try and catch a glimpse of the stars on the scene.

It comes as filming for the twelfth series of the hugely-successful show, which sees Brenda Blethyn reprise as DCI Vera Stanhope, recently got underway.

In recent weeks, Blethyn, cast and crew have been spotted filming scenes at popular locations including Blyth and Morpeth in Northumberland.

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But in Darlington, the area around the Town Hall was cordoned off as the scene was transformed into an unlikely set.

Darlington Borough Council signs were replaced with the fictional "Northumberland and City Council" logo and extras were buzzing around outside the entrance.

Filming kicked off at around 8.45am with DCI Stanhope's sidekick DS Aiden Healy, who is played by Kenny Doughty.

After a number of takes, Doughty then went inside the Town Hall for filming of interior scenes, which were held behind the scenes and closed to the public.

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However, the main star of the show did not make an appearance as a "last-minute schedule change" was blamed by sources.

Despite the change, excitement remained with fans desperate to pose with the actor and have official merchandise and notepads signed.

Some had travelled into Darlington and had been there since the early hours with some even taking time off work to see filming for themselves.

One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, travelled from Bishop Auckland along with her daughter and arrived for 7am.

She said: "This is the closest we've ever been, we've been to the filming locations but have never seen filming.

"My daughter has been a Vera fan since she was six or seven."

Samantha Jakeway, who was among fans who had taken the day off from work, had been waiting in the cold for an hour before filming began.

The Darlington woman said: "I watch Vera every night, repeat after repeat, I just wish they were a bit longer or a weekly thing.

"I'm surprised by the turnout and wasn't expecting so many here, but she (Vera) is quite well-liked and I've never heard anyone say a bad thing about it."

As filming concluded, Darlington Borough Council said filming had been "fantastic," adding that the team inside the Town Hall were feeling a bit "starstruck."

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The Northern Echo: Picture: PAUL NORRIS Picture: PAUL NORRIS