An Ashford actor will mingle with the stars at an awards ceremony in London tonight.

Paul Terry, 43, from South Willesborough, plays a kidnapper in new film The Newspaper, which is nominated for Best Independent Feature at the National Film Awards, being held in Porchester Hall, in the capital this evening.

The film is about an entrepreneur who has a negative experience with the media industry and decides to launch his own newspaper in order to change the face of journalism in Britain.

Mr Terry will attend the ceremony - which will be hosted by stars such as singer Caprice, magician Ben Hanlin and TV presenter Keith Chegwin - with his wife Vanessa and the cast and crew.

He said: “I'm looking forward to the event and buzzing that a film I'm cast in is nominated.

"If we win, I am sure the drinks will flow in celebration!"

Mr Terry says he beat 300 people to get the part of the menacing kidnapper after impressing director Jordan Kensington by jumping across the desk and pretending to strangle him during his audition.

He said: “This was improvised, but it clearly worked.”

Dad-of-two Mr Terry, a former plumber, swapped taps for movies two years ago.

He has since starred in several films, including He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege and Looters, Tooters and Sawn-Off Shooters.

He was also an extra in the Jude Law film, Black Sea, alongside his dog Plank.

Mr Terry said: “I met Jude Law, and he was a really nice guy.”

He has two films due out this year, Invasion of the Not Quite Dead and Christmas Slay, both of which were filmed in Kent.