FANS of the Broadchurch TV drama are sparking a spring tourism boom in West Dorset.

They are flocking to the harbour after seeing it featured as the backdrop to the prime time murder mystery show on ITV.

It comes as the thriller approaches what promises to be a dramatic climax.

In a Dorset Echo online poll readers opted for plumber Nigel Carter as the prime suspect in the murder of young Danny Latimer.

Meanwhile, traders hope visitors will flood in during the summer when schools are on holiday to further bolster business.

The success comes as Broadchurch – which has attracted up to nine million viewers – reaches its peak in the coming weeks and as families enjoy their Easter holidays.

Steve Tucker, of Ellipse Caffe, said: “Our trade has definitely been helped by it.

“A lot of people reasonably close to the area have said that they have come down after seeing it on TV.

“They are saying that they haven’t been to West Bay for years and must give it a visit.

“Broadchurch has been very good for the Dorset area.”

The cast, including David Tennant and Olivia Colman, used to pop into Ellipse for coffee and some scenes were shot there.

The cafe is also running a quiz competition and a supper on the night of the final episode for Julia’s House. They have sold 52 tickets with just 20 left.

John May, of the westbay.co.uk tourism website, said visitors were still pouring into the area with many standing on the clifftop where Danny is shown at the start of the show as well as visiting the beach where his body was found.

He said that visitor numbers to the website built up every weekend before peaking during the show on Monday night.

Mr May added: “Broadchurch has to be good for West Bay.

“I would think certainly for this year it looks promising.

“At the moment it is looking good.”

Harbour News was used as the location for the shop in Broadchurch run by Jack Marshall.

Owner Richard Attrill and assistant Steve Travers have played along by putting posters in the window.

Steve said: “A lot of people are coming in and asking us who did it.”

PLUMBER Nigel Carter was the top suspect for the murder of Danny Latimer in Broadchurch in a poll on the Dorset Echo website.

The results were: Nigel Carter, 24 per cent The Rev Peter Coates, 13 per cent Susan Wright, nine per cent Mark Latimer, three per cent But 50 per cent of people who took part thought it was somebody else entirely.

The suspicion has changed on a weekly basis as the ‘whodunnit’` twisted and turned over episodes in the past weeks with the spotlight now on Joe Miller and his son Tom.

The eight-part drama nears its finale with the penultimate episode on Monday night, on ITV at 9pm.

Watch out for another poll on the Echo website on Monday as the net closes on the killer.