A LANCASHIRE actor will be appearing in the Christmas Day episode of Dr Who.

James Buller, from Brierfield, will star in Christmas special 'The Time of the Doctor' alongside Matt Smith, making his last appearance as The 11th Doctor.

Blackburn Rovers fan Smith, whose father is from Darwen, has been in the role since 2010, and announced he would be leaving in the summer.

The 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi, will also be making his first full appearance in the role.

Buller will be returning to the show as Clara's father, having played the part in 'The Rings of Akhaten' episode earlier this year.

The role of Clara is played by Jenna Colman, and Benidorm actress Sheila Reid will guest star as Clara’s grandmother. Buller, 43, who now lives in London, was a pupil at Edge End High School in Nelson, in the same year as his friend and fellow actor John Simm, before studying at Guildford School of Acting, then turning professional.

He has previously appeared in a number of stage shows, and has graced the big and small screens.

He has starred in a vTV shows, including Casualty, The Bill and Jonathan Creek, and BAFTA-nominated film ‘The Road to Guantanamo’.

The Christmas episode of Dr Who was filmed in September.

It was an emotional experience for the cast and crew, as it was Matt Smith’s last episode, and Buller said it was one he was proud to be part of.

The episode is the first Christmas special to feature multiple monsters, including the Cybermen, Silence, Daleks, and Weeping Angels.

‘The Time of the Doctor’ is the third instalment in a trilogy of episodes, following on from ‘The Name of the Doctor’ and ‘The Day of the Doctor’. The three episodes together will serve as the Smith's swansong. ‘The Time Of The Doctor’ will be shown on BBC One on Christmas Day at 7.30pm.