ITV: "No plans" to cut back on 'The Bill'

Contrary to tabloid reports last week, ITV has denied that there are any plans to slash The Bill to just one episode a week.

The police drama, which is currently broadcast on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm, has seen its ratings drop to five million as well as losing a number of long-running stars, including Trudie Goodwin who, until recently, played Sergeant June Ackland since the show's pilot episode in 1983.

However, former EastEnders actress Louisa Lytton - who played Walford's Ruby Allen - joined the cast earlier in the year in a bid to boost the show's flagging fortunes, while ex-Hollyoaks actress Ali Bastian also landed a role in the ITV police drama after quitting the Chester-based soap after five years as troubled teacher, Becca Dean.

Despite the newspaper claiming that the broadcaster is "getting a bit bored" of the long-running programme, an ITV spokeswoman today dismissed the allegations.

She told DS: "There are currently no plans to reduce the number of episodes of The Bill to one per week. The Bill will, however, inevitably lose some episodes during the year due to ITV's other scheduling commitments such as major sporting events."