Gavin & Stacey Christmas special filming is underway in Barry

Christmas has come early in Barry as the stars of hit comedy Gavin & Stacey return to film a one-off festive special.

Christmas decorations were spotted going up on Uncle Bryn's house ahead of filming, which got underway on Friday afternoon.

Filming is expected to take place throughout Friday afternoon and evening

Crowds of people gathered at the scene of filming on Trinity Street, with many taking to Twitter to share their snaps of the sitcom's well known faces.

Christmas trees were also spotted near Marco's cafe, where the character Stacey worked during series 3.

Co-creator James Corden announced in May that the Bafta-winning sitcom would return for a one-off Christmas special.

In a joint statement, Corden and Ruth Jones - who play Smithy and Nessa in the show - said: "Over the last ten years we've talked a lot about Gavin and Stacey - where they might be today and what their lives might look like.

"And so in secret we took the plunge and wrote this one hour special.

"We've loved revisiting Barry and Essex again, and bringing the characters back together has been a joy".

Over the weekend there will be road closures around Trinity Street to allow for outside filming, which will take place mainly during the hours of darkness.

The closure will be from Jenner Road down to Princess Street, while filming taking place on Trinity Street, through to Wenvoe Terrace, Montgomery and Porthkerry Road.

The production company told local residents: "It will be when many residents will be sleeping. There will be a cherry picker with a high platform carrying a large lamp on it to light a section of Trinity Street.

"There will of course be a certain amount of noise, but rest assured, we will do whatever we can to ensure that disturbance is kept to a minimum."