Todd Carty found fame in Grange Hill

Former EastEnders actor Todd Carty has been struck down with suspected pneumonia, forcing him take a break from filming his new role in The Bill.

The star, who played Mark Fowler in the BBC soap for 12 years, was taken to hospital after falling ill.

He was kept overnight while he underwent tests to determine if his illness was pneumonia but is thought to be responding well to treatment.

After being axed from EastEnders Carty has begun filming on ITV's police drama The Bill.

His first scenes as PC Gabriel Kent are due to be aired in June.

A spokeswoman for the show said: "We believe he's suffering from pneumonia.

Well wishers

"He's obviously going to be standing down from filming for a good couple of weeks."

She added: "We wish him well and hope he'll be back on set soon."

Producers are now working plots around his illness but say it is not proving too difficult.

Carty was last seen on screen as he bid farewell to EastEnders' famous Albert Square after bosses believed his character had run its course.

The actor found fame as the rebellious Tucker Jenkins in Grange Hill and had his own spin-off series Tucker.

He recently made a brief return to the children's series to play the grown-up Tucker whose nephew was a new pupil at the fictional school.