PARTICIPANTS in a Channel 4 documentary on Britain's surveillance culture are attempting to evade capture by hiding out in the Yorkshire Dales.

Television cameras filming new series The Search are following the progress of a group of ordinary members of the public aiming to disappear - as well as the expert 'hunters' trying to track them down.

The group attempting to hide stayed at Lindale Holiday Park at Newton-le-Willows, near Bedale, last week before leaving in a hurry on Friday shortly before searchers arrived.

According to social media, the group was seen the same day in Richmond and on a bus travelling towards Leyburn.

The hunters have produced wanted posters which have been circulated around the area.

A reward is being offered for information which helps find the hiding group, although the posters stress that they are taking part in a television show and have not committed a crime.

The show is attempting to explore the scale of the country's surveillance society, with everything from CCTV cameras to cash withdrawals, supermarket shopping, telephone calls and social media posts new being monitored.

Dom Bird, head of formats at Channel 4, said: “I’m fascinated to see if it’s ever really possible to just disappear in a world where we are under constant observation.

"It is a daring and ambitious social experiment which is hugely exciting for Channel 4.”

The show is being produced for Channel 4 by Shine TV, which also makes The Island with Bear Grylls and Masterchef.

Kelly Webb-Lamb, the company's managing director, added: “We are delighted to be working with Channel 4 on this bold and timely new factual format and look forward to seeing whether the British public have what it takes to vanish and outsmart not just the brilliant minds of our hunters but the weight of modern technology.”

The hiding group will film their own adventures themselves with producers saying they can take "extreme measures" in a bid to evade capture.

The Search, which is the working title and may be changed, is due to be screened later this year.