'The Bill' stars film final scenes

The cast and crew of The Bill filmed the show's last ever scenes yesterday, bringing the ITV police drama to a close after 27 years.

All 17 of the programme's main cast members were present for the final day of filming at Merton Studios in South West London, The Sun reports.

In a statement, The Bill's executive producer Johnathan Young said: "It's been a highly emotional day for all cast and crew."

The long-running serial will bow out on screen later in the summer with a two-part finale focusing on a gangster storyline.

Young added: "It's called 'Respect' and we hope it will respect the heritage of the show."

The Bill was axed by ITV in March following falling ratings. The network has promised to fill the gap left behind by the programme by continuing to invest in new drama.