John Simm is to star in a new drama series for ITV.

Prey - written by newcomer Chris Lunt - will see the Life on Mars actor play a cop suspected of murder.

When Simm's DC Marcus Farrow is found at the scene of brutal crime, he is forced to go on the run in Manchester.

His colleague DS Susan Reinhardt is soon tasked with catching the family man, sparking a high-stakes game of cat and mouse across the city.

"We're attempting something different with Prey," said Nicola Shindler of Red Production Company.

"It's very fast-paced and to enhance the high octane qualities of Chris's brilliant scripts we'll be shooting essentially from the back of a transit van.

"It's almost a guerrilla style technique, which will make Prey feel accessible and edgy with the 'real' factor."

ITV's Director of Drama, Steve November, added: "Chris Lunt is a very talented writer...