THE last thing you would expect to see taking a stroll across the picturesque Somerset Levels is a crocodile casually devouring a human hand.

But production company Sabre Films chose the Levels as the perfect location to film its British comedy-horror, The Hatching, which promised to “do for the moors what Jaws did for beaches”.

Scenes from the film were shot on location around Somerset and pupils from King’s Hall School in Taunton acted as extras, along with headmaster John Broxup.

Director Michael Anderson described the film as a funny mix of Hot Fuzz and Jaws as two hungry crocodiles pursue the locals of an idyllic English village.

Speaking from the set, he said: “My friend Nick Squire wrote the story and as soon as he said it was about crocodiles on the Somerset Levels, I thought ‘brilliant!’ “I got married in Somerset and my brother lives here. The Levels are the perfect watery location for the film and local people love the idea.

Somerset County Gazette:

“We’ve filmed at a butcher’s shop in Westonzoyland and at the Railway Inn in Ashcott and the owners have been just brilliant. In fact, all the locals have been very helpful.”

Michael has previously made an award winning documentary about the Somerset Levels for Channel 4 called ‘Life on The Levels’, so he already had a firm idea of the best locations to shoot the film.

Sean Briffett, joint owner of Westonzoyland butcher S and E Briffett, said he was thrilled his shop was chosen as a location for one of the major parts of the film.

“The director mentioned my shop would make a great filming location around two years ago,” said Sean.

“I thought he’d forgotten about it, but I got a call asking if they could film here. “I think it will have about 15 minutes of screen time. I’m thrilled and I’m going to be an extra in the actual film!

“The idea of crocodiles in the Levels is really cool and I can’t wait to see the finished film next year.”

Somerset County Gazette: KING’S Hall School headmaster John Broxup with children Jordan O’Donegan, Joseph Pollock and Callum Deans.KING’S Hall School headmaster John Broxup with children Jordan O’Donegan, Joseph Pollock and Callum Deans. (Image: NQ Staff)

The film sees a man returning home to run the family business in Somerset after 15 years away from his childhood friends.

But there is a sinister undercurrent to the idyllic village setting that seems to harbour a dark secret – people have been disappearing, and it all seems to be centred around the old quarry.

Michael added: “I think horror is a very popular genre at the moment. British black comedies also allow the tension of a film to be released with a bit of dry humour. It’s not going to be slapstick or silly – just that typical British sense of humour.”

Primeval’s Andrew Lee-Potts starred alongside Laura Aikman (Casualty, Not Going Out) as the leads, while comedian Justin Lee Collins had a supporting role.