Billy Elliott star Stuart Wells swapped ballet for bullets and biological weapons training as he helped his army regiment prepare for a possible war with Iraq.

While the film's hero Jamie Bell found Bafta success as ballet-loving Billy, Stuart turned his back on acting to join the army.

Mr Wells, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, enlisted with the Royal Regiment of the Fusiliers, who are set to become some of the first British soldiers to travel to the Gulf in advance of a possible military campaign against Saddam Hussain.

The 20-year-old played Billy's best friend, cross-dressing Michael Caffrey in the film about a boy from the north-east of England who wins a place at the Royal Ballet School.

Stuart with Jamie Bell in the film Billy Elliott

Despite being offered other roles after the success of Billy Elliott, Mr Wells said: "I'm not sure why, but acting wasn't for me.

"I had had enough so I copied my brother and it suits me much better here."

Mr Wells, who joined the Army in December 2001, has been training with his regiment on the windswept plains of Celle, Germany, in preparation for active service.

He added: "Sometimes, when I am sitting somewhere cold and wet think about what might have been - but not that often. It's very different."

Worried mother

Mr Wells and his younger brother John, 18, who is in the same company of the regiment and boxes for his battalion, will travel to the Gulf in the next few weeks as part of Britain's lead battle group.

They are part of the 36,000-strong British task force being assembled in the region, officially on exercise but ready to fight if they should be needed.

Mr Wells said his mother was worried about her only sons going to the volatile region.

Nuclear training

He said: "She doesn't like the idea of us going away, especially both of us together, but she tries not to think about it."

The Fusiliers have been undergoing intensive training in Germany, including nuclear, biological and chemical attack drills in case Saddam uses weapons of mass destruction.