BBC axes Will Mellor's White Van Man

In a decision bound to surprise and dismay fans, BBC Three has axed Will Mellor sitcom, White Van Man.

Adrian Paynton, the show's creator and writer, revealed the news to the British Comedy Guide: "We honestly believe we made the second series bigger, bolder and stronger than series one, and audience reaction seemed to back that up. Sadly it seems BBC Three wants to take its comedy output in another direction."

Centring on the adventures of a handyman who takes over the family business, the first series rated well on BBC Three, with an average overnight audience of over 850,000 viewers per episode.

White Van Man's success hasn't escaped notice across the Atlantic; the show is being recreated for American audiences by Bobby Bowman, producer of Channel 4 import My Name Is Earl and Sky1's Raising Hope.

However, the comedy's popularity dipped during the second series, dropping to an overnight average of nearly 407,000 viewers. There will not be a third on BBC Three.

Will Mellor isn't having the best of luck with his BBC Three sitcoms; Two Pints of Lager and A Packet of Crisps was also axed, but at least that enjoyed a longer shelf-life than White Van Man.

A BBC spokesperson has confirmed the axing of the show, but did not make any further comment.