Merchant: Slough was miffed by The Office

THE Office co-creator Stephen Merchant has revealed Slough council asked him and Ricky Gervais to portray the town in a better light.

- Emily Hall

The smash hit comedy was first broadcast on BBC2 in 2001 and followed the humdrum lives of staff at a fictional Slough paper company.

Merchant, who also wrote and directed with Gervais, said that Slough Borough Council got in touch after the first series aired to say it felt the show damaged the Berkshire town’s image.