Real life residents of Beyond Paradise’s seaside town reveal bleak reality is nothing like cosy BBC drama

REAL life residents of Beyond Paradise's seaside town revealed reality is very different to the cosy show.

Viewers know the BBC drama – a spin off to – is set in fictitious Shipton Abbott, .

The coastal town used for filming and is actually in .

According to Cornwall Live, the area has faced problems far removed from the idyllic “paradise” fans see on-screen.

In a previous report, the outlet told how, like many coastal Cornish towns, Looe's concerns included “housing, economic and social deprivation, the death of the fishing trade and even loneliness.”

It revealed that, at the time, approximately 30 people were occupying a caravan park outside the town – having found themselves homeless.

Many properties had been converted into Airbnbs for tourists at a time of growing housing need.

“Hidden ” was also highlighted, with locals staying in vans, tents or on other people's sofas.

Looe is also infamous for its floods which can seriously impact local traders.

Elsewhere, the BBC drama for its third series.

DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and his team are back to solve more baffling cases.

Fans recently saw Beyond Paradise with a fellow BBC hit show.

In addition to playing Martha Lloyd, Sally Bretton also portrays Lucy on comedy series Not Going Out.

A special sketch brought the programmes together, with Sally's characters caught up in a case of mistaken identity.

Not Going Out creator and star – as well as Sally's on-screen husband – wrote and starred in the sketch.

Meanwhile, Kris and the core cast of Beyond Paradise also featured in the one-off.

Sally said: “It was great fun to have the two worlds collide, play my own doppelganger and get swept up in the madness that comes with that.

“It was particularly special to be doing it all for such a brilliant cause as .

“The sketch was filmed at such high speed, we didn’t know if we were coming or going.”

Guest stars for the new series include Outnumbered's Hugh Dennis and Jonathan Creek's .

Beyond Paradise airs on and iPlayer.