Broadchurch season 3 trailer sees Olivia Colman and David Tennant tackle sexual assault case

These episodes will serve as the ITV series' final run

The first trailer for the third and final season of ITV crime mystery Broadchurch teases more doom and gloom for residents of the fictional town.

While the first two instalments focused on the murder of young Danny Latimer, season three will focus on a sexual assault investigation.

Olivia Colman and David Tennant are reprising their lead roles as Detectives Miller and Hardy alongside the supporting cast Arthur Darvill (vicar Paul Coates) as well as Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan who played the role of Danny's bereaved parents, Beth and Mark.

New cast additions include Sarah Parish, Roy Hudd and former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondalgh who will play the victim at the centre of the assault. victim. Sir Lenny Henry will play one of the suspects.

“Broadchurch's final chapter looks at the emotional cost to all of those involved and the irreparable damage to friendships and relationships,” said ITV.

Once Broadchurch ends, the show's creator Chris Chibnall will be departing ITV for BBC where he'll replace Steven Moffat as the head writer of Doctor Who; yesterday (30 January), star Peter Capaldi revealed that Chibnall's first series will see his tenure as the Time Lord draw to a close.

The first series earned smash ratings when it aired in 2013 and, despite the second series' dip in quality in 2015, Broadchurch continued to pull in healthy figures.

Hesmondalgh stated she was impressed by the way the scripts wrote her character Trish - an “ordinary middle aged woman” - as a rape victim.

“That for me is an interesting take on it," Hesmondalgh said. this isn't an act of sexual desire it is an act of violence.”

Broadchurch will begin on ITV1 this April.