Doctor Who appears to confirm return of classic monster for series 13

And while those fans outside of Liverpool had to make do with a photographed version uploaded to the Doctor Who social media channels, that was enough for some to identify that the spacecraft was almost certainly a Sontaran ship.

This seems to suggest that the classic monsters will make a return for the new series, which is set to tell one serialised story across six episodes.

It comes months after fans had spotted what looked to be Sontarans on the set of Doctor Who series 13 alongside cast members Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill and newcomer John Bishop.

The Sontarans – a race of warlike clones hailing from the planet Sontar – first appeared in the original show in the season eleven serial The Time Warrior, during Jon Pertwee's time as the Doctor, and have been a regular foe of the Doctor ever since.

The last time a Sontaran was seen on screen was in the series nine episode Face the Raven in 2015 – the episode in which Clara Oswald died – although it's not since series four two-parter The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky that the species last took centre stage.

Meanwhile, the BBC has revealed that the reason for showing off the spaceship in Liverpool is that this is the location where series 13 will begin, and where we first meet new character Dan Lewis (John Bishop), as he becomes embroiled in the Doctor’s adventures.

A premiere date for the new series has not yet been revealed, but the first teaser trailer arrived last weekend – with a five-second clip showing Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor attempting to communicate with someone but struggling to get through.

Doctor Who will return to BBC One later this year. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub.