It might be known as the home of the well-heeled retired. But producers of a new TV sitcom set on the Norfolk coast have admitted they filmed it somewhere else to save money.

Cameras have been rolling in Herne Bay instead of Hunny for the six-episode pilot of Boomers.

Despite having what the blurb accompanying the series desribes as a 'stellar cast', the budget would not seem to be quite so galactic.

Boomers follows the ups and downs of three couples living in Thurnemouth, which rather than being on the Broads is described as being 'Norfolk's only West-facing resort'.

While the location suggests a Market Shipborough- style makeover of Hunstanton or neighbouring Heacham, producers have admitted the series has filmed in Kent.

'Whilst Boomers is set in the fictional town of Thurnemouth in Norfolk, the seaside scenes were actually shot in Herne Bay in Kent,' a spokesman for producers Hat Trick said. When asked why, she added: 'Simple budgetary reasons I'm afraid.'

Boomers stars Russ Abbot, Stephanie Beacham, Philip Jackson, James Smith, Alison Steadman, June Whitfield and Paula Wilcox.

Hunstanton Mayor Carol Bower said: 'It's a shame it's not being filmed in Hunstanton, we are massively different to Kent and it would have done wonders for us.

'Hopefully the BBC have done their research, it would bug me a little if the show is misleading. We are a very proud Victorian style town, so for people here it would be odd if the place looked nothing like Hunstanton.'

Keith Skipper founded FOND - Friends of Norfolk Dialect - after characters in the 1999 drama documentary All The King's Men, set partly at Sandringham, marched off to war with Somerset accents.

'It's just the same old story,' he said. 'There's this perpetual business about confusing one part of the country with another.

'I don't know why they can take such hideous liberties with Norfolk and Suffolk, I don't know boy.'

Boomers is being screened on BBC1 at 9pm on Friday.