As Broadchurch slowly drowned in a shoal of red herrings any true critique of the show would have to address the bizarre casting.

I can only assume that the relevant scripts for Sarah Parish (Cath Atwood) and Julie Hesmondhalgh (Trish Winterman) must have crossed in the post. While the latter is a fine actor who has moved from strength to strength since her stint as Hayley in Corrie she would seem to have been miscast as a femme fatale in Broadchurch.

Despite the fact that her character was badly affected by the trauma of rape in the early part of the story, the wardrobe people seem to have done her little favours and her convict haircut merely accentuated her very large ears.

No doubt my comments will be dismissed as politically incorrect and insensitive but I know anecdotally that many people have commented on this strange casting.

VJ Connor, Bishop Auckland.