A TV pilot for a comedy series set in Bury is entering the final stages of production after receiving support from businesses and residents across the borough.

Itchy Brits, has been written by life-long Bury resident, businessman and actor Terence O'Neil.

Filmed in a mockumentary style, Mr O'Neil has described Itchy Brits as "Louis Theroux meets Peter Kay".

The show's pilot follows a Bury-born boxing champion who returns to his home town, after making it big in the USA, to give a speech at a sportsman's dinner, before dropping a revelatory bombshell.

Mr O'Neil said: "Because it is about Bury I think a lot of people are jumping on it and wanting to be part of it.

"It has grown from 20 actors to become organised chaos.

"We have had such a large following already through filming, we had over 3000 views in two days on a small teaser trailer.

"We have stepped production up a gear and over 60 residents of Bury and a few local businesses have jumped on board with our production.

"Our Facebook page has taken off and I am receiving over 15 applications a day for actors and extras who wish to be part of Itchy Brits.

"It is becoming a bit of a success and we haven’t even finished the pilot.

"It’s got so big, we have had to reshoot most of the pilot and make it bigger and better."

Filming on the pilot got underway in mid-December, and the crew has been working from nine in the morning till ten in the evening on shooting days.

Thanks to support from Bury businesses, scenes in several locations, some of which were originally filmed in Oldham due to logistical constraints, have now been reshot in Bury.

The plot has also expanded, moving from an talk hosted at a working men's club to a sportsman's dinner — which had been Mr O'Neil's original conception.

The dinner is now being reshot at St Bernadette's Parish Centre in Whitefield with more than 20 actors, joined by more than 60 extras from across the Bury borough, and boxing shots have also been filmed at Dynamics Gym in Radcliffe.

The pilot is now 70 per cent filmed and Mr O'Neil is hoping to pitch to broadcasters at the beginning of February - with already three looking through the script and awaiting the pilot episode.

Mr O'Neil said:"We have changed a few of the cast, a lot of full time actors have started, and the script has been finalised.

"We have cut down the swearing so now it could be a pre-watershed, which would be better. And it gives us a better chance of being picked up.

"In have had emails back from Sky Comedy, the BBC and other people who are interested in our pitch.

"Hopefully there will be a TV series set up in Bury, and even if it doesn't get taken up as a TV series there is enough footage for an independent film.

"Hopefully the show will be quite good."

Mr O'Neil is appealing for continued support and sponsorship from Bury businesses and is also crowd funding via a gofundme page https://www.gofundme.com/itchy-brits-pilot