A TV series which brought millions of pounds into East Lancashire has dealt a blow to the local economy by slashing its filming in the area.

The first series of BBC 1's Northern-based 1950s drama Born and Bred was recorded entirely on location in the Ribble Valley and Rossendale, with payments for local workmen, catering, extras and crew bringing in £2.4million.

Sales of souvenirs and an increase in tourist spending also helped to raise cash for the region.

But in the third series, currently in production, only the external shots -- which account for a third of filming -- will be done in the region.

The majority of the footage will instead be shot at the purpose-built Bray Studios, near Windsor, which the production company used for some of the second series when it struggled to find space in Lancashire last summer.

And the producers have revealed they have no plans to move their filming base back up North, prompting fears that tourism and money generated by the show will be greatly reduced.

The BBC drama features former Likely Lad James Bolam and Michael French, better known as EastEnders' David Wicks as a father and son doctor partnership.

The first series -- which was filmed in the summer of 2001 drew 8.3 million viewers at its peak, while the second series, filmed last summer, started last Sunday.

Filming has been centred on picturesque Downham, which was transformed into the fictional village of Ormston. Offices have been rented in Rawtenstall and some extra filming has been done in Rossendale.

But after losing their 'studio', a former warehouse which was put up for sale, the film crew made the decision to relocate to studios just outside London.

Series producer Chris Clough, said: "The first series was filmed entirely in the Ribble Valley but when it came to filming the second series last summer, we had problems.

"We had originally used a warehouse in Rawtenstall to film our interior shots but we found out it was being sold and we had to look for alternative warehouse space.

"We realise it is a Northern-based show but last summer was also a busy time with the Commonwealth Games and we found it difficult to put a whole unit up in hotels.

"There was also a lot of filming going on in the region last year and we couldn't find the right size of studio.

"Because this is a 1950s drama we have to able to recreate sets but we couldn't find a suitable location and it seemed easier to service the whole thing out of London.

"The third series is currently in production and will work in the same way with the external shots being filmed in Lancashire and the internal shots being filmed in the studios in the south and there are no plans at the moment to change that."

Anthony Goldstone, chairman of the Lancashire Tourism Partnership, said: "I am very disappointed by this news, which could have a great affect on how the show affects the local economy.

"In order to get a real feel for the place surely you need to be filming in the place you are trying to portray." Chris Hughes, leisure and tourism manager at Ribble Valley Council, said: "We were always going to struggle in terms of purpose-built studios and the people of the area were never given any guarantees of the longevity of the series, so I think they are probably fairly pleased with how well it has done.

"I think that if the series producers have decided to switch the majority of the filming in the first series then we would have a bigger problem. But I think that people now have the identity of Downham and the Ribble Valley firmly fixed ."

When filming first started on the series, Lynda Banister, marketing officer for the Lancashire Film Office said that it had had a real impact on the economy of the region. She was unavailable to comment today.