SHOPPERS were left bemused when a lorry from the Rovers Return brewery pulled up.

The van belonging to fictional Weatherfield company Newton and Ridley was stationed outside the former Barclay’s Bank behind Victoria Square yesterday.

But it was all part of Granada TV’s preparation for filming Coronation Street, which gets under way today.

Although ITV bosses are remaining tight-lipped about the details of the scenes being filmed in the town, The Bolton News understands it will see the return of bad tempered Jim McDonald to the long-running ITV1 soap.

A film crew is expected to be working in Bolton throughout the week, along with actor Charles Lawson, pictured, who plays Jim, and the rest of the McDonald clan.

Most of the filming is due to take place inside the old bank building, The Wellsprings, with some scenes being shot outside.

Councillor Ismail Ibrahim, Bolton Council’s executive member for development and regeneration, said: “Bolton has gained a great reputation for being a film friendly town and this is largely down to the team who facilitate filming requests.

“They have built up good contacts with location managers and this has really helped us to attract productions such as this to the region.

“All the filming taking place will boost the town and profile Bolton to a massive audience on prime time television.”

The McDonald family was introduced in the 1990s with the fiery relationships between Liz, Jim, Steve and Andy quickly emerging.

The husband and wife relationship was tested many times, with affairs and domestic violence, ending in divorce, with a reconciliation in 1998 when Jim had an accident and was unable to walk.

In 2000, Jim was sent to prison and the couple were reunited and re-married in a prison ceremony.

Liz re-emerged in late 2003, working in a bar in Blackpool, when Jim escaped from prison and attempted to go on the run with her.

But they divorced again in 2005 and since then Jim has only reappeared fleetingly.

He is rumoured to be returning on March 24, when the scenes filmed in Bolton are due to be screened.