DITCHED STAR IN BLAST AT BILL (16/2/05)

From The Daily Record:

TELLY cop Mark Wingett has accused bosses on The Bill of running out of ideas.

The actor, who plays DC Jim Carver, leaves the ITV show next week after 21 years at Sun Hill.

He complained that romantic storylines had overshadowed the police action, saying: 'I am fed-up with love stories.

'And I'd like to see the police characters handle proper crimes, not crimes they commit.

'To be honest, I think they have a problem writing for middle-aged men - even though life gets more interesting the older you get.

'They called me in and said, 'We can't write for Jim anymore.' 'It was a shock, but if they can't provide you with stories when you are a major character, there's no point in being there.'

Viewers will see Carver's departure after he discovers wife Sergeant June Ackland has had an affair. He decides to leave to sort out his demons, including a gambling addiction.

But Wingett, 44, told TV Times: 'I wanted him to die!

'I wanted Jim to go out in a blaze of glory doing something noble or else drink himself to death, something horrible and dark like that.

'It would be quite shocking for a long-standing character to die an ignoble death and I would've liked it.

'I suggested to the writers that they kill him off but they said no.'

He filmed his final scenes with Trudie Goodwin, who plays June, before Christmas. She is the last of the original line-up.