Emmerdale serial killer has history with the police

Thomas Atkinson (second from right front row) with fellow members of the cast of Billy Elliot in 2010

Take a close look at the youngster second from right on the front row and certainly if you follow ITV’s Emmerdale, his face will be familiar.

It’s Thomas Atkinson, who has played Lachlan White on the soap for the last four years and whose storyline as a teen serial killer has come to a head in recent episodes.

Armed police swooped to bring his reign of terror to an end – and ‘the force’ was also out in numbers when this picture was taken in 2010.

Thomas, 11 at the time and now 19, was playing the title role in St Annes-based Clifton Academy’s production of dance musical Billy Elliot at Lytham’s Lowther Pavilion.

Then a pupil of St Michael’s School, Weeton, Thomas went on to Carr Hill High School, Kirkham and studied dance and musical theatre at Clifton before going onto the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.

Clifton Academy co-director Sarah Cosgrove said: “We are extremely proud of Tom and remember his time here fondly. He won the best actor in a musical NODA award as Billy, and the show won best overall production.

“Tom also came into the Academy last year to deliver an acting workshop and it was great to see him.”

Thomas was also a long-time student of The Dance Place in South Shore and returned there last year for the opening of a new studio.

After Billy Elliot, he was cast in the musical Matilda in the West End ahead of starting at the Sylvia Young School.