DORSET TV drama Broadchurch was the big winner at last night's BAFTAs walking away from the prestigious awards ceremony with a hat-trick of gongs.

The West Dorset-based show was a massive hit on our television screens, averaging an audience of 9.1million viewers when it was screened in early 2013.

It has now picked up three awards at the BAFTA Television awards, to add to its already impressive haul of awards.

The show picked up the award for best Drama Series, beating competition from My Mad Fat Diary, Top of the Lake and The Village.

Olivia Colman scooped best leading actress for her performance as DS Ellie Miller in the show, meaning the popular actress has now picked up three BAFTAs in two years.

David Bradley, who played Jack Marshall, also won an award for Supporting Actor, meaning that Broadchurch was the most successful show at last night's awards

Its writer Chris Chibnall accepted the award for what he said was ''a huge team '' and praised the ''greatest cast I could ever hope for''.

Speaking backstage, Bradley said the show ''just became a kind of phenomenon'' and praised Chibnall for ''keeping all the plates twirling in the air''.

Chibnall himself said he had been ''pessimistic'' about the show's chances of winning and was already ''focused'' on the next series.