A HORWICH writer told of his delight after it was revealed gripping television drama Prey is returning for a second series.

Chris Lunt scored a hit with the three-part series last year and ITV confirmed there will be a second instalment starring Life on Mars actor Philip Glenister and Rosie Cavaliero, reprising her role of DS Susan Reinhardt.

Filming will start next month in Horwich, as well as parts of Manchester, Salford and Blackpool.

Mr Lunt, aged 43, said: "It's absolutely fantastic.

"I have known about it since last year and I have been writing the script for almost six months.

"The hardest thing has been keeping it a secret."

The father-of-two's cop-on-the-run thriller, which starred John Simm, had 5.5 million viewers on the edge of their seats last April.

It was announced on Wednesday it has been nominated in the 2015 Bafta Television Awards mini-series category, up against Cilla, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies and Our World War.

The second series will feature a new story with Glenister taking the role of prison officer David Murdoch.

His life becomes complicated when, on a routine visit to a Manchester hospital with female prisoner Jules Hope, events spiral out of control.

David takes a phone call which will change his life forever and suddenly sees him on the wrong side of the law.

With the life of his heavily pregnant daughter, Emma, threatened, David has no alternative but to go 'on the run’ and inadvertently becomes ‘the prey.’

Unaware of the danger to Emma, DS Reinhardt — the no-nonsense, hard-working cop whose personal happiness seems forever blighted — tries to unravel why David is suddenly behaving totally out of character.

In what promise to be amazing chase sequences, DS Reinhardt and her police colleagues go in pursuit.

David handcuffs himself to Jules in desperation, as she is his only bargaining tool, and he sets out to move heaven and earth to find his beloved daughter.

Mr Lunt said: "Philip Glenister and John Simm are my two favourite actors and I went for those guys.

"When I created the character of David Murdoch, I said to them, there's only one person I can see doing this and it's Philip Glenister."

He added: "I said very early on I think what we should do is bring in a new prey.

"The connecting tissue is Rosie Cavaliero's fantastic character who was so popular last year."

Steve November, ITV's director of drama, said: "Prey keeps you guessing every step of the way and I admire that about Chris Lunt’s scripts.

“They are beautifully written, unpredictable and with real pace.

"Prey is a refreshing twist on the crime genre."

Prey is expected to be screened on ITV later this year.