TV personality Ricky Tomlinson has been visiting Shropshire in a bid to clear his name after he was jailed in the county for his part in a flying picket 35 years ago.

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The comic actor, best known for his character Jim Royle in the hit comedy series The Royle Family, was being filmed at the Shropshire Star offices in Telford for a forthcoming BBC documentary following his plight.

Ricky was seen revisiting his darker days as he flicked through archive copies of the Shropshire Star at our headquarters in Ketley.

The former plasterer was convicted by a jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court on a charge of conspiracy for his part in a flying picket during the builders’ strike in the summer of 1972.

But he has always protested his innocence of the charge. During his trip to the county over the weekend Mr Tomlinson also revisited the court where he was convicted and began a jail term in 1973.

He said following an appeal in the Shropshire Star people have contacted the BBC to speak about incidents surrounding his conviction.

“People will come along and knock me, but I would not have this documentary where everything is from my point of view,” he said.

The trip was being filmed by the BBC for the documentary series One Life. It is due to be screened later this year.

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