Joe McFadden joins 'Heartbeat' cast

Scottish actor Joe McFadden is to replace Jonathan Kerrigan as the lead policeman in the next series of Heartbeat.

The 31-year-old will star as Joe Mason, a policeman who causes a stir in Aidensfield with his individual approach towards crime prevention.

Mason has previously appeared in TV dramas including Sparkhouse, The Trouble with Men and Women and Sex, Chips & Rock N' Roll.

Jonathan Kerrigan has played PC Rob Walker since 2004, but has decided to leave the show at the end of its current series.

McFadden said: "Heartbeat is a great show and I’m really looking forward to playing the new cop. I got to know Yorkshire while working on Sparkhouse and really love it, so I can’t wait to get there and start filming in the beautiful countryside.”