He won a place in the nation's hearts as a kindly Dales vet in All Creatures Great and Small, but actor Christopher Timothy will soon be giving Bradford audiences nightmares when he plays one of the scariest characters ever created - the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The fantasmagorical' family musical, featuring the spectacular flying car, lands at the Alhambra in February. Bradford is the only Yorkshire stop on the UK tour, following a smash-hit run at the London Palladium.

In the show the Child Catcher works for evil Baron Bomburst, kidnapping and locking up children. He wears a black suit and top hat and is pale and thin, with a long nose which he uses to smell children and find where they are hiding. He moves with spider-like speed and grace, using a large net to catch children, and drives a horse-drawn carriage equipped with a cage, which he disguises as a sweetie wagon to ensnare children. The character has been voted the scariest children's villain and came in at number 37 in Channel 4's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

The Child Catcher did not appear in Ian Fleming's novel, on which the 1968 film was based, but was created by Roald Dahl, who wrote the screenplay.

In the film he was played by ballet dancer Sir Robert Helpmann and in the stage version he has been played by Richard O'Brien, Paul O'Grady and Wayne Sleep. The Child Catcher's song, Kiddy Widdy Winkies, was created for the 2002 stage version.

Kevin Kennedy, who stars as Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Alhambra, has also played the Child Catcher. He said: "The Child Catcher has no redeeming features, he's pure evil. There's no panto element involved; he has audiences recoiling in terror! He's one of those scary characters from childhood that people never forget."

Christopher Timothy became a household name playing vet James Herriot in long-running TV series All Creatures Great And Small. More recently he has starred in BBC1 drama Doctors. Last year he appeared at the Alhambra in Noel Coward's Hayfever, co-starring with Stephanie Beacham.

He will be joined in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Kevin Kennedy and Ken Morley - the pair played Nineties double act Curly Watts and Reg Holdsworth in Coronation Street - and Crossroads actor Tony Adams.

The show features a cast and crew of more than 100 - including 10 dogs and 36 children - and an array of spectacular special effects, not least the flying car.

l Chitty Chitty Bang Bang runs at the Alhambra from February 11 to April 5. Tickets are available on (01274) 432000.