Lennie shocked by police racism

Lennie James has revealed how shocked he was by the racial discrimination in the police force he learned about researching his new show Line Of Duty.

The Walking Dead star plays successful and popular police boss, Detective Chief Inspector Tony Gates, in the new BBC drama, also starring Neil Morrissey, Vicky McClure and Gina McKee. He revealed he was intrigued to play a black police chief.

Lennie said: "If you see a black DCI who's about my age, you should shake their hand because they will have gone through some serious stuff.

"The stuff they went through I could never have put up with, I would have hit somebody. I wouldn't have thought the job was worth it."

The 46-year-old actor is keen to keep working on both sides of the Atlantic. He recently appeared in the film The Next Three Days alongside Russell Crowe and is planning a return to US zombie drama The Walking Dead.

Lennie said: "I was going to come back in this season but I was doing this instead. The producers are constantly phoning because I think the fans of the show keep asking about my character.

"I'll come back if they come up with more scripts like this but at the moment America's been really good to me.

"If I can navigate both sides then I will navigate both sides and when I don't have to be there any more I'll come home."

:: Line Of Duty begins on BBC Two on Tuesday, June 26