A weekly newspaper editor has described his worries about being portrayed like TV boss-from-hell David Brent after a group of students filmed a fly-on-the-wall documentary at the title.

Three students on Bath Spa University’s creative media practice course have interviewed journalists and other staff at the Bath Chronicle as part of a project to make a film about a media company.

During their few days at the paper, the crew also filmed the main weekly conference meeting and accompanied reporter Siobhan Prideaux on an assignment.

But editor Sam Holliday wrote in his blog about how he feared when being interviewed about appearing like Ricky Gervais’ character in one of his favourite TV shows The Office.

Siobhan Prideaux is filmed interviewing a council official about wintry weather

He wrote: “The issue for anyone who is a ‘boss’ at any level is that as you watch David Brent, while other people are howling with laughter, you are thinking ‘oh my Lord, I’ve said/done that myself’.

“The problem is, you see, I think that there is bit of Brent in everyone. And a lot of Brent in nearly every boss.

“Personally, for example, I work in a tough industry but I believe it’s still possible to be quite a positive soul. And, in my experience, when you smile at the people you work with, you get far more out of them than when you scowl.

“The trouble is that’s exactly what David Brent believes as well – and the great joke is that he is totally self-deluded. So, you do worry.”

Ed Whicher, 23, was among the students filming the day-to-day life at the paper and he said he enjoyed finding out how the paper was put together.

He said: “It is interesting to find out how a newspaper works as I never really knew what went on and how it all comes together.

“You have an image in your head of what it is like but it is very different to how I thought it would be.”