THE Bill’s actor Andrew Lancel has added his support to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s £2mHoylake Lifeboat Station Appeal.

The actor joined 250 other guests on board RFA Lyme Bay in Liverpool who heard a moving speech from the youngest crew-member, Daniel Whiteley, who has just complet-ed A-levels.

His father Dave is the Hoylake RNLI lifeboat coxswain.

The appeal for the new lifeboat and station began last year and will help fund a new lifeboat station and lifeboat at Hoylake.

The lifeboat station is now almost complete and replaces a small, ageing boathouse, designed for 19th Century rowing lifeboats and not big enough to house the next generation of RNLI all- weather lifeboat.

Andrew Lancel, who lives in Liverpool, plays DI Neil Manson in ITV’s The Bill and has been a supporter of the RNLI for many years. During the reception he was shown around Hoylake RNLI lifeboat Lady of Hilbre, which was moored close by.