LONDON'S Burning could be brought back to the screen - and relocated to Middlesbrough.

The writers have been secretly considering Teesside's industrial setting as the perfect back-drop for a new series.

ITV bosses hope Boro's Burning would breathe new life into a show that slumped from 16m viewers as its peak to 5m when it was axed last year.

A spokeswoman from Cleveland Fire Brigade said: "We have been liaising with the script-writer about the possibility of such a project and have had initial talks about Middlesbrough being the setting.

"He spent a lot of time with us at HQ and visiting Middlesbrough to get a feel for the place. He also spent some time looking at stations and talking to firefighters.

"We are a very diverse community here because we cover costal, country and urban areas and have one of the biggest petro-chemical sites, so there would be plenty for them to go at."

A Middlesbrough show would have the perfect star waiting in the wings.

Big Brother's Jonny Regan, 30, is a former fire-fighter and hopes to start an acting carreer alongside Burning regulars like Glen Murphy.



Jonny even has the right accent. He was born in Trimdon, Co Durham, on the edge of Teesside.

ITV has began formulating a new show as soon as London's Burning was taken off the air.

Drama controller Nick Elliott said: "We're talking about doing a different fire show.

"We probably spent too much money on it, because it's shot in London."

Middlesbrough starred in the return of Aug Wiedersehn Pet last year.