BURY'S town centre conservation zone has been turned into a haven for Manchester's criminal underworld!

Granada TV has transformed Silver Street into a seedier setting for its new comedy series, starring John Thomson.

John, Cold Feet's lovable Pete Gifford, is the eponymous hero of Stan the Man, a six-part series to be shown next year.

It follows the misadventures of Stanley Tully, a would-be "entrepreneur" with his fingers in one too many pies.

After failing to make it in the "big smoke", Stan heads home to Manchester, pursued by an angry gangster and leaving a trail of bad debts.

Prepare for a catalogue of comic low-lifes, bent coppers, blue movie makers and even sword-wielding shopkeepers!

In the meantime, the old furniture and fire appliance shops on Silver Street have been turned into Sharma Electrical and Gupta's 24-hour food store, while Lily's bar has temporarily become Ghandi's restaurant.

Stan The Man is written and produced by Jeff Pope and Bob Mills, the men behind the ITV series Bob Martin, starring Michael Barrymore. It co-stars Gaynor Faye and Joe Absolom.