'The Bill' finale will be 'compelling'

Executive producer Jonathan Young has promised a "compelling" last episode of ITV1 drama The Bill.

The long-running police series will draw to a close later this month with one final instalment, which will centre on the life of a young female gang member.

"The series will conclude this summer with a compelling contemporary story that tests our cops on the streets of London both physically and emotionally for one final time," said Young. "It's called 'Respect' and we hope it will respect the heritage of the show."

The Bill, which started as a one-off drama called Woodentop in 1983, has struggled in recent years with falling ratings. A revamp in 2009 failed to win back viewers and earlier this year the broadcaster confirmed that the show was being axed.

The final episode is expected to air on August 31 on ITV1.