Commuters heading to work early on a Tuesday morning in London may not have been expecting to witness nuns zooming past them on mopeds.

But for some lucky people who happened to be out and about by some of the English capital’s biggest landmarks, that’s exactly what they got.

On May 23, a convent of nuns in traditional Catholic habits took to their vehicles to zoom by on the roads, riding vintage Vespas while led by actress Lorna Watson.

Pedestrians may be forgiven for thinking they were genuinely just a group of nuns heading out for a casual jaunt – as the stunt was actually tied to the release of a returning TV show.

In a few days’ time, the second series of Sister Boniface Mysteries is due to premiere, a comedy-detective tale which originally launched last year as a spin-off to Father Brown.

Set in England in the 1960s, the show follows Lorna’s Sister Boniface, a nun who also has a PhD in forensic science who uses her skills to advise the local police on investigations.

A surprising sight early on a Tuesday morning (Picture: Joe Pepler/PinPep)

Lorna looked poised for action on her moped (Picture: John Rainford)

Today, the nuns were transported forward six decades to galavant around London, leaving onlookers baffled by the scene before them.

Lorna, clad in her nun’s robes, explained that one of her favourite parts of playing Sister Boniface is her preferred mode of transportation.

‘Aside from the crime-solving and wine-making, my favourite part of playing Sister Boniface is riding her moped,’ she said.

Just taking in the sights… including a convent of nuns on mopeds (Picture: John Rainford)

‘It’s been such a hoot surprising fans of the show on the streets of London today, hopefully bringing some period drama sparkle to their morning.’

She previously appeared as Sister Boniface in an episode of Father Brown, an instalment titled The Bride of Christ which aired in 2013.

In the new upcoming series of Sister Boniface Mysteries, the protagonist finds herself in some extremely unconventional situations.

From facing off with a coven of witches, to taking on a murderer at a chess tournament and getting involved in pirate radio, it sounds like there’s plenty of suspense and intrigue round the corner.

She also has to cope with her reputation being placed under scrutiny, after her conviction of her greatest foe ‘The Good Samaritan’ is questioned.

Sister Boniface Mysteries returns on Friday May 26 at 9pm on Drama and UKTV Play, with all 10 episodes made available to stream on UKTV Play.

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The roads are alive with the sight of nuns!