Published: January 19, 2011
Oops! Beach drama for BBC TV crew during filming at Berrow

Burnham-based rescue charity BARB helped the BBC when two of its vehicles got into difficulty during filming of the BBC1 programme Casualty on Berrow beach on Wednesday (January 19th).

The BBC had given a donation to the charity to have its crewmembers on standby throughout the day just in case any of the film crew or support team got into difficulty while filming a beach dream sequence.

BARB's Dave Bailey said: "A low loader sank into the soft sand and had to be pulled free using our tractor, and an ice cream van that was being used as a prop during the filming also became stuck."

"Fortunately, neither were serious incidents and we were happy to help the BBC."

A helicopter and outside broadcast unit were used to film the beach scenes, which involved the character Polly in a state of peril. The episode will be broadcast on BBC1 during June.

The filming caused the temporary day-long closure of the beach to the public and Tim Mander, Sedgemoor District Council's Property Manager, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "Not only does the granting of such rights generate income into the council coffers, it also benefits the local economy as well as giving national exposure to this beautiful beach."

The helicopter used to film scenes on Berrow Beach on Wednesday

One of the many film crew taking a breather during Wednesday's filming

The ice cream van that was later pulled free was central to several scenes