BURNSIDE from The Bill has gone and got himself promoted! But that’s news to actor Chris Ellison who played the hard-nosed inspector in TV’s much-loved police drama, The Bill, writes JOHN ANSON.

It’s hard to believe that Chris left the series 17 years ago as a Detective Chief Inspector.

But now he’s back ‘on the job’ as Detective Superintendent Vetch in a new touring production of Ruth Rendell’s A Judgement in Stone which is heading to Blackpool and Manchester.

“Is that a promotion? I haven’t a clue,” he laughed. “I’m the wrong person to ask. I was never really an expert on the police.”

Chris is part of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company production of the best-selling novel.

“It’s not what I’d call a classic whodunnit,” said Chris. “It’s much more a psychological thriller which is what Ruth Rendell is so good at.”

In taking such a well-loved book to the stage creating tension for the audience is key.

“It has to be well written,” he said. “That’s the important thing in creating the tension. And you know with Ruth Rendell that it certainly is going to be well written. "Certainly the audiences around the country have been loving the show.”

Chris is a relative newcomer to the production which has been touring for most of the year, having joined at the beginning of September.

“We have got a great cast,” he said. “They have been together for a long time so it was a bit like being the new boy at school when I first joined, but they have been very welcoming.

“It was a bit hairy for the first week but I think I know what I’m doing now,” he laughed.

Now 70, Chris has appeared in a number of stage, TV and films since leaving The Bill - he most recently appeared as Magwitch in a West End production of The Pickwick Papers - but he will forever be associated with the character of Burnside.

“People still think of me as that and that’s a natural thing,” he said. “Audiences do get fond of a character; you become familiar to them and they get to know you. I quite liked that too.

“You can look at being forever associated with a character two ways. It doesn’t bother me. If I hadn’t been associated with Burnside, I probably wouldn’t have been doing a lot of other things.

“It’s funny because I was actually only in The Bill for five years really even though people think I was in it forever. I did return every now and then and there was a spin off series so I was associated with the show for about 13 years.”

Away from acting, Chris is an accomplished artist and is currently looking at staging an exhibition of his work in London.

“Painting is something I really enjoy but it’s not something I can do when I’m on tour with the show - I can’t really cart my easel around with me,” he said.

As well as an exhibition, Chris will also be starting work on filming the latest of a series of gangster movies early next year starring alongside Ian Ogilvie.

A Judgement in Stone runs at Blackpool Grand, from Monday, October 9 to Saturday, October 14, details available on 01253-290190 or www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk. The production also runs at Manchester Opera House, from Monday, November 13 to Saturday, November 18, details are available on 0844-871-3018.