She's known as TV's action girl, throwing herself around burning buildings and SAS assault courses - and she's currently thrilling viewers of The Chase playing a murderous nurse.

But now Bradford actress Heather Peace is preparing to take on a different role - as a glamorous jazz singer fronting one of the region's biggest charity events.

Heather, 31, who plays troubled veterinary nurse Fiona in Kay Mellor's Sunday night drama, is organising a star-studded big band concert in aid of Leukaemia Research.

She will front a 17-piece band at the concert, due to get Leeds United's Elland Road stadium swinging.

The event, called Fly Me to the Moon, will feature other actors from The Chase cast as well as stars of Emmerdale, Coronation Street, London's Burning, The Royal and Where the Heart Is.

Leukaemia Research is a cause close to Heather's heart. "I was inspired by a lovely couple, Ken and Barbara Lomas, who lost their daughter Karen to the disease," she says. "They campaigned tirelessly for the charity but Barbara also had cancer and passed away earlier this year. I'm doing this for her - picking up the baton. It was the last thing I promised her I'd do.

"I've organised the concert with my friend Maria Bourke whose sister is ten years in remission from lymphoma."

Heather, a former pupil at St Joseph's College, Manningham, has been singing since she was 19 and is keen to get back on stage. "I've always been into soul and Motown and when I was a student I met a jazz guitarist and started doing gigs. I've been doing it on and off ever since but the acting has taken over. It'll be great to perform again with a live band.

"We'll be doing covers of songs by people like Frank Sinatra and Burt Bacharach. I've persuaded Gaynor Faye and Sunetra Sarker from The Chase to sing. People will see a different side to us!

"It's the first time I've done anything like this, it's a huge event to pull off and very nerve-wracking but I'm determined it will be a fantastic night."

A keen runner, Heather has run the London Marathon twice for Leukaemia Research and plans to run the New York marathon later this year. "I wanted to do more than just run so I thought I'd try my hand at throwing an enormous party evening and getting my vocal cords in training instead!"

She has enlisted the help of stars like Ian Botham, Amir Khan and the England and Liverpool football teams who have donated auction prizes.

"I've also had huge support from (cosmetics company) Jo Malone, who will pamper guests all evening," says Heather.

Originally from Wibsey, she started acting with the Bradford Youth Players. "I went to drama lessons at St Mary's Church hall, I loved it," she recalls. "I did a few plays at Bingley Arts Centre. Because I'd shown such an interest in drama my parents knew it was what I really wanted so I went to drama school. I was there with Debra Stevenson, who starred in Coronation Street, and Jeff Hordley who was Cain in Emmerdale. He's performing at my charity event." Heather's first TV role was in Emmerdale and she shot to fame playing a Blue Watch firefighter in London's Burning. She has also been in shows like Where the Heart Is, Down to Earth and Holby City. For her role as Sergeant Becca Gallagher in SAS drama Ultimate Force, alongside Ross Kemp, she learned to use a gun. And she took on army training for real in celebrity soldiering show Commando VIP.

"There aren't many action girls on telly but I love those roles," she says. "Ultimate Force and London's Burning were great because I did some of my own stunts. I'd love to do an action film - I don't care if it's bad, I just want to be in it!

"I wear my City away shirt when I'm training. I'm proud to be from Bradford and support the team. I used to play football all the time and was in a team until I was 13."

Now living in Brighton, Heather often returns to her home city to see her family who still live in the area. She recently opened a world jamboree event at St Joseph's School in Bradford, where her mother works.

Filming The Chase is great because it's in Otley so I get to see my family," she says.

In the series, filmed and set in Otley, Heather plays Fiona, a nurse who, although related to the bosses of the veterinary practice, has been left out of the family, leading to a growing resentment. The last series ended with Fiona's half sister discovering she'd had an affair with her husband - a storyline that went on to have sinister repercussions. Last Sunday's episode of the current series saw Fiona attack - and possibly kill - her cousin with a rock on Otley Chevin!

"Fiona has become a real psycho, if you think what she's done so far in The Chase is shocking you've seen nothing yet!" laughs Heather. "I had no idea at the start what she'd turn into. The defining moment has been her father betraying her, that tipped her over the edge.

"She's not all bad though. I try to find something sympathetic in the characters I play and in Fiona's case she's full of resentment because of how she's been treated by the family. Life's handed her a raw deal.

"Kay Mellor creates well-rounded characters with flaws, there's more to them than you see at first."

Fly Me to the Moon is at Elland Road football stadium on Saturday, September 15. Tickets cost £50 a head and include a champagne reception and a three-course dinner. Ring 0845 112 2555 to book.