With only a couple of weeks until the long-awaited third series of Broadchurch comes to screens, ITV have released what appears to be the very first scene of the critically-acclaimed mystery drama – and it’s pretty harrowing.

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In the clip (which looks like it opens the series’ first episode), Julie Hesmondhalgh’s traumatised Trish Winterman sits silently weeping on the police station steps, before being greeted by a familiar face – Olivia Colman’s DS Ellie Miller.

After ascertaining that the near-catatonic Trish has been the victim of a sexual assault, Miller then leads her to a police car where her colleague DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) waits, ready to take her to a safe location and find out her story.

It’s a suitably downbeat opening scene for the returning drama, which is moving on from the Danny Latimer murder case and trial that characterised the first two series to investigate Trish’s rape at the hands of someone in the community.

And after mixed responses to the second series, creator Chris Chibnall (soon to take over Doctor Who) will be hoping that this new storyline can return the show to the critical acclaim it enjoyed for its first run of episodes – and based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s looking like he might just have pulled it off.

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Broadchurch returns to ITV on Monday 27th February

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