A town has been left seething after characters in a TV soap branded it 'rough.'

Emmerdale on Monday night featured Whitley Bay in North Tyneside.

In the episode, character Diane Blackstock stood outside a relative's house in Brook Street in the town and said to her nephew Paul: "There's rough and there's rough."

The comment, about a house belonging to a disused pub, sparked outrage from residents.

Number One Brook Street has been derelict for 15 years and belonged to The Avenue Pub.

People living in the street were angered that the soap chose to focus on the building.

Local businesses fear that portraying the area in a negative light could have an affect on trade.

Mother-of-three Maureen Stothert (ok), 45, from Brook Street, said: "I was really disappointed to discover they used part of The Avenue Pub as the location and then called the area rough.

"That particular part of the street is by no means representative of the whole road - there is no way my street is rough.

"I would have to go as far as say everyone living here takes great pride in their property.

"I know it's only a soap, but even my sister-in-law Diane Clark, of North Shields, called me especially to say she didn't like the way the place had been portrayed.

"When an area is described like that people imagine unruly children which is certainly not the case."

The episode screened at 7pm centred around Marlon Dingle's entry in a cooking competition held in Newcastle.

And Diane, played by Stockton-born Elizabeth Estensen, tagged along to revisit her childhood in the North East.

Fellow Brook Street resident, scientist Susan Schamp (correct), 37, agreed. She said: "I think the wording of the producers should have been chosen more carefully because we don't want to tarnish Whitley Bay's reputation.

"It's nice when they show the lighthouse, but if people can identify some parts of the area as being unsightly then that's not good."

Jenny Scott, manager of Sandsbrook Guest House, on Brook Street, is worried the scenes may affect her business.

The 32-year-old said: "The tone given to the place has upset and angered me because there's a potential it could put guests off coming to the area.

It's important people know this end of town is nice."

Father-of-four Peter Swan, 40, said: "It's not right to describe the street in this manner as it was reflects badly on the North East.

"Places like the Avenue Pub do need to be improved and Whitley Bay is known as a stag and hen place but that makes it vibrant not rough."

Chef Duncan Ford, 31, said: "The house they showed on the TV, I admit might have looked awful but I think by saying the area is rough is knocking the people from the region."

During their time in the Toon, the crew shot scenes on Whitley Bay beach, at the Baltic, Malmaison and around the Quayside.

An Emmerdale spokesperson said: "We chose Newcastle ahead of other cities and we believe the episode on Monday (August 23) depicts Newcastle as the cultural and vibrant city that it is."