BILL ROLE FOR TOSH'S SON (20/3/04)

From today's Sun.

THE son of The Bill legend Kevin Lloyd is joining the TV cop drama.

Hunky James Lloyd, 25 — whose dad was popular DC Alfred ‘Tosh’ Lines — will play young recruit PC Ryan Hunter.

Show bosses spotted his potential after he spent two years working as a production runner on the ITV1 show.

His character — the brother of DS Phil Hunter — will arrive in May, six years after alcoholic star Kevin died.

The actor was 49 and collapsed in a pub in May 1998, four days after being fired from his £130,000-a-year role for being too drunk to say his lines.

A show source added: “James is very good looking and he’s going to play a real heartbreaker. He is just chuffed. He sees this as a tribute to his dad.”

Kevin joined Sun Hill nick in 1988 and played Tosh for ten years.

James starts filming in a few weeks. His younger sister Poppy is also on the production team.