While most people look forward to spending their holidays lazing on a sun-soaked beach, David Ayres is dreaming of being beaten up and doing some dodgy dealing.

Because 22-year-old David, of Idle, Bradford, has landed a role playing a nasty piece of work in the BBC's gritty police drama The Cops.

But David, who works as a computer expert for North Yorkshire County Council, is delighted to be playing the bad guy.

He said: "I'm playing a right nasty piece of work called Emmet Caffrey.

"I'm the middle brother of a drug dealing family.

"I don't know why but I always get cast as the bad guy. It's probably the way I look.

"In the first scene which I'm filming next week, I'm getting beaten up. But I'm really looking forward to it!"

The actor is no stranger when it comes to appearing on TV.

Last year he appeared with David Jason on A Touch of Frost and he has also appeared on the Yorkshire soap Emmerdale and a controversial BBC play called Criminal.

However David says he was close to not getting the part on The Cops at all because when his agent had first asked him to audition, he was suffering from a severe bout of flu.

"I was disappointed when I thought I couldn't do it. But when I recovered my agent said that there was still a chance to have a go.

"The auditions were a lot different to the other ones. We had to do role playing and I ended up playing a drug dealer and that just stuck with me.

"I had to go through about four or five auditions to get the part so I'm really chuffed."

"I would love to be a actor full time.

"I'm having to take my annual leave to go and film The Cops so I'm not having much of a holiday, but it will be worth it. This will definitely be at the top of my CV."

The award winning series has never shied away from controversy and has often focused on issues including racism and drug-taking police officers.

A spokesman for the BBC said the cast was looking forward to working with David next week when filming began in Bolton.

e-mail: ian.midgley@

bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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