Entente not so cordiale after TV's Emmerdale upsets French village

The small town, where the Union Jack flutters merrily alongside the French tricolore, is perhaps France's best example of the cheery interchange of two cultures where quiz nights and Yorkshire puddings are as much in evidence as foie gras and vin rouge.

Although no stranger to criticism, often disparagingly known as "Dordogneshire" or "Little England" due to the 900-plus English residents amongst an overall population of just 2,700, the townsfolk have, however, taken exception to an episode of Emmerdale recently filmed on location in the south-west French town, with many of the ex-pats among the most critical.

The Emmerdale storyline involves a visit to France to the villa of Charlie Haynes, the latest in a string of relationships for Diane Sugden

During the visit, after buying a baguette at the local bakers, Diane Sugden and her daughter Victoria both made their way to the local cafe, situated in the town square.

But no sooner had they ordered their coffees than a local young boy was depicted snatching Victoria's handbag. The thief ran off down the street hotly persuade by Charlie Haynes.

The petty crime sparked fury among the residents.

"Why is an English television company coming to France to show this uncharacteristic behaviour?" questioned one onlooker.

Some of the French were more philosophical. "It's only a film," said one onlooker but many of the English 'immigres' were less sympathetic.

An English woman who has been resident in the town for the past six years was one of many who remonstrated with the producer telling him he had chosen an inappropriate location for the crime.

"That does not happen here, we live here because it is safe," she fumed.

"That's one of the reasons we came here."

"This place is like Britain was 50 years ago," said another resident, Simon Wright.

"There is very little crime. Shopkeepers leave their displays outside their shops when they go for lunch and I can't count the number of times we've left wallets and phones in unlocked cars without having them stolen.

"We don't need this sort of bad publicity."

The television company's visit has also sparked an awkward recognition of the divides in the town.

Eymet's image is not always attractive to the French or for that matter to many of the "ex-pat" English who together worry it has become too Anglicised, with its cricket team and English shops supplying English-only goods. But while there may be some with private reservations about the influx of ex-pats, many think it is a step too far for an English television company to come to France and suggest petty crime is something to expect if you visit on holiday or to live.

Madame Bache, owner of the Pub Gambetta where the scene was filmed, said: "In Eymet we still leave the doors unlocked. This is not something visitors to the area should expect from this part of France.

"In the cities maybe but not here."

Her husband laughed at the thought that any customer might steal a handbag and run away with it.

"Most of our customers are over 50," he said. "Sometimes they might get a bit excited but that's all."

"We take great care to build up relationships with the local French residents but you have to be aware of the sensitivities that can exist between different cultures," said another English resident, who did not want to be named.

"What we do not want to be accused of is the English painting the wrong picture of life in the area."

An ITV spokesperson said: "This was an entirely fictional situation and we were not in any way intending to depict or represent the behaviour of the residents of Dordogne.

"We apologise if anybody has taken offence to the dramatisation of this fictional scene."

The episode is due to be aired later this month.