BOLTON TV soap star Paul Nicholls got to grips with his latest role . . . with a little help from the boys in blue. The heart-throb EastEnders actor is currently filming a new drama for the BBC in which he will star as a police officer. And to ensure authenticity Paul, and fellow cast members, have been put through their paces by police instructors at Greater Manchester Police's Sedgley Park training school.

The actors spent two days at the training centre, on the outskirts of Bury, learning to use the new American-style police batons and body armour in addition to studying interview methods and how officers deal with riot situations.

Paul also "shadowed" uniformed officers on patrol on the streets of North Manchester.

The spell at the training centre was intended to ensure that the style of policing in the series reflects that of real-life officers.

The new BBC series, City Central, is described as a cross between Hill Street Blues and Casualty. It is the BBC's first police precinct programme since Z Cars in the 1960s

The series will be set in the fictional South East Lancashire Police Force and focus on the lives of officers in a typical city centre police station.

The BBC hopes to screen the first episode in April. One-hour episodes are likely to be broadcast on Saturday night after the National Lottery draw.

Paul will play a new officer, PC Terry Sydenham, who has just been transferred to the station.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.