And the Whitby Gazette can exclusively reveal that the long-running show's line producer Mary Owens says it's not coming back, despite ITV chiefs saying filming had only been suspended indefinitely.

The Whitby Gazette has also learnt the 1960s drama's film set at Farsley's Sunny Bank Mills studio is to be destroyed when the cameras stop rolling this week after the final studio scenes are shot.

The set, which has taken years to build up, includes Aidensfield's Hospital, the Aidensfield Arms, and Aidensfield police station and its cells.

The revelations came as Whitby Gazette chief reporter Alex Fredman and photographer Robert Townsend were invited onto the set to see the final take.

You can see previous stories and videos about Heartbeat by clicking here.

The crew were at Lowthers Quarry near Grosmont where PC Joe Mason (Joe McFadden) and Sgt George Miller (John Duttine) find a dead body in the quarry, played by Whitby's lotto millionaire mum, Jane Surtees.

The final scene in the whole of North Yorkshire was shot on the moor road from Blue Bank to Grosmont where searching was being carried out and a temporary red phone box was erected.

Guest actor Pip Torrens who appears in the final episode plays the character Moncrieff and was filmed making a phone call.

But although these were the last ever scenes, they will not be shown in the same sequence.

The last episode – episode 24 of series 19, which will be shown next year – ends with one of the show's principle characters in a life-threatening condition.

Ms Owens who has worked on Heartbeat since it started and has lost her job, said: "Because we only found out very late in the day it was too late to totally re-adjust our scripts.

"At the moment they say it's not coming back – that was the official jargon.

"This big bombshell hit us in February. We learnt about it through the press to a certain extent.

"Heartbeat was top of the ratings last Sunday like it was before. It beat the BAFTAS and yet they are cutting it. It seems extraordinary.

"I might have lost my job but I'm not bitter.

"I feel extremely sad. I think everybody feels extremely sad. I'm happy for the time I've had on the show. You do get close to each other when you are away from home. It's like being at boarding school."

On Wednesday a big party for villagers and Heartbeat cast and crew was held at Goathland's Inn on the Moor.

"A few hundred attended," added Ms Owens. "They were all wishing us all the best."

Ms Owens said they would like to thank everyone in the Whitby area for their support over the years including the Whitby Gazette.