HORWICH director Chris Lunt has revealed he is planning a sequel to Prey - as the drama is nominated for five Royal Television Society North West awards.

The three-part crime thriller, which aired earlier this year, features Life on Mars star John Simm as hard-working detective sergeant Marcus Farrow, who goes on the run after being framed for the murders of his wife and son.

The show, which is based on Mr Lunt’s home town, is up for Best Scriptwriter, Best Single Drama or Drama Series, Best Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series (Male, John Simm), Best Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series (Female, Rosie Cavaliero) and Best Production (Craft). The awards will take place on November 15 at the Hilton in Manchester.

Mr Lunt said: “It’s a massive honour. It’s fantastic to know that people engaged with it so well.

“The other people who have been nominated are top flight writers, such as Sally Wainwright, who has worked on the likes of Happy Valley.

“There are no better awards than these. The standards are high, and it just shows how great the north west is for drama.

“If you look at the nominations in full, Red Production Company has pretty much cleaned up, so it’s great to be a part of their success.

“We are currently trying to crack Prey 2 – we have got an idea for a sequel, so it’s just a case of getting it right.”

Mr Lunt has also been busy writing a synopsis for a comeback series for The Saint, and an episode for BBC One drama Dickensian, which is due to air next year.

He said: “We’ve delivered the synopsis to ITV for The Saint, so all we are doing now is waiting.

“On top of that, I have also written for a series by Tony Jordan which features linked stories about all the Charles Dickens characters in one.

“Since the success of Prey, I haven’t stopped — and the nominations are the icing on the cake and a great end to a great year.”