BUILDER Tom Brown swaps the tools for the telly on Sunday appearing as guest lead actor in ITV's Heartbeat.

Tom, 23, of Backgate, Ingleton, is making his professional acting debut in the series.

The son of Tom and Jean Brown, founders of Brown and Whitaker builders based in Ingleton and Bentham, he first got involved in drama at Ingleton Middle School.

Tom later moved on to Settle High School where he took the lead in the play, The Local War.

He recalls: "I realised I wanted to be an actor after appearing in school productions and was inspired by teachers Pete Eastman, Peter Huby and Keith Reeves."

At the same time he was acting in sketches at Ingleton Methodist Church and a visit to the Hollybush Youth Camp with the church's youth group led to two years' travelling the country with the Christian theatre company, Activate.

Tom then spent three years at The Birmingham School of Speech and Drama.

After graduating in June, he worked as a labourer for the family firm, but was able to take time off to travel to London for auditions.

He won the part in the Yorkshire TV series Heartbeat last autumn and filming began in October featuring Tom as the eldest son of a farming family involved in a feud with a neighbouring family.

Tom told the Herald: "It was brilliant working with these well known people. They put me at my ease and it was great fun.

"It is much more minimalistic on television. On the stage you can do bigger expressions and movements, but for television you have to tone it down."

Tom added: "I think at first Dad would have liked me to enter the business, but now he can see it has been worthwhile and is totally supportive.

"The more jobs you get the more people see you and word spreads very quickly. Currently I am working on The Doctors and The Bill."

Eagle-eyed viewers will spot Tom is credited under his stage name Tom Lister.

He discovered another Tom Brown was already in the profession and so decided to take his mother's maiden name.