Livingstone praises 'The Bill'

London mayor Ken Livingstone is praising The Bill for their first gay wedding.

In scenes to be screened in the New Year, PC Lance Powell and Sgt Mark Rollins decide to hold their marriage ceremony at London's City Hall, putting their relationship in the London Partnerships Register, which was set up by Livingstone in 2001.

The mayor told The Sun, "When it was introduced, the register represented a major step forward.

"The fact a peak-time series like The Bill is featuring a same sex couple formalising their commitment shows how far attitudes have come in accepting these relationships."