THE popular radio soap The Archers - which is inspired by the Worcestershire village of Inkberrow - broadcast its 15,000th episode last night.

But the day was not marked by a crowd-pleasing celebrity appearance, such as the visit by Princess Margaret in 1984. Instead the episode featured something far more controversial - the discovery of whether Ruth Archer consummated her adulterous relationship with herdsman and local Heathcliff, Sam Batton.

The affair has ruffled feathers among listeners of the programme, who believe the protagonists are being made to act in uncharacteristic ways. Vanessa Whitburn, the show's editor, was even brought in to defend the plot on the Radio 4 listeners' forum last month.

And those feelings also run strong in Inkberrow, the village that was the inspiration for the fictional setting of Ambridge.

Richard Hocknell, parish councillor for Inkberrow who has run a dairy farm in the village for 30 years, said: "We used to be honoured by our connection with The Archers, but now I have to admit that it's more of an embarrassment.

"We feel we've been labelled with an association to a world that has become rather dramatic and extreme. It is far less pleasurable than the one we live in here. I don't even listen to the programme anymore, which is rather sad."

The village attracts Archers addicts from across the world by the coachload. Real events from the village used to turn up in the soap on a regular basis, such as the time when the snow was so deep the post van couldn't get through.

Coun Hocknell added: "It was always rather fun trying to predict what would and wouldn't end up being broadcast to the nation."

Now fans complain that The Archers has lost this skill of writing brilliant drama without being overly dramatic.