DOMINIC WEST - WEST: 'CRIMINALS WATCH THE WIRE FOR NEW TIPS'

British actor DOMINIC WEST insists US crime drama THE WIRE is so realistic, criminals watch the show to learn new techniques. West, who plays cop JIMMY MCNULTY on the TV show, claims real-life gangsters keep videotapes of the programme to refer to when needed. He says, "A big New York drugs ring got busted a couple of years ago and during the trial the prosecutors revealed the gang members had been found with tapes of the show. "They'd used them to study police surveillance techniques to work out how to beat the wire taps!"

08/03/2007 17:49