CAMERA crews are once again descending on Bolton as filming starts for a new star-studded crime drama.

Traces has been described as a 'suspense-filled six-part series' and is set in the world of forensic science in Dundee, Scotland.

It has been written by one of the masterminds behind Scott & Bailey, Amelia Bullmore.

This week camera crews were spotted on Le Mans Crescent, which has become a firm favourite for production companies in recent years.

A spokesman for RED Production Company, who are making the series, described Bolton as a "perfect base".

They said: "Bolton has such a wonderful range of architecture, stone and age of buildings that (amongst the warm welcome from the community) is what makes it a perfect base for locations for a series."

The award-winning cast for Traces includes Molly Windsor, best known for her role in the harrowing drama Three Girls, Breaking Bad star Laura Fraser, Jennifer Spence from You Me Her and Line of Duty legend, Martin Compston.

Bafta-winning Windsor stars as 23-year-old lab assistant Emma, with a dark past.

Fraser and Spence join her as forensic science professors, united in the pursuit of bringing a killer to justice.

Production and film crews were seen shooting bright and early outside Bolton Town Hall on Thursday, welcoming a small dose of sunshine for some stroll-along shots.

Traces is being executively produced by RED Production Company’s Nicola Shindler and Michaela Fereday and will air on Alibi later this year.

EastEnders star Laurie Brett, Michael Nardone from Silent Witness and The White Princess star Vincent Regan are also lined up for the series.

Netflix thriller The Stranger, featuring Richard Armitage, and major new Sky drama, Cobra, starring Hollywood hero Robert Carlyle, are among the productions which have recently used Bolton as a backdrop.