Actor Tim Henley is finally seeing his dreams come true after appearing in his first feature film, which could hit UK cinemas later this year.

Mr Henley, 48, of Quemerford, Calne, quit his job in IT five years ago in order to pursue a lifelong dream of acting but said he did not expect to be starring in a film so soon.

He said: “The ball is really starting to roll now and I am really living my dream.

“I might not be earning as much money as I did in my previous job, but I am so happy. I just love acting and I would encourage all children nowadays to just go for it and follow their dreams. Life is not a rehearsal, this is it.”

Mr Henley, who recently appeared in the BBC series Five Daughters, spent ten days filming in Bournemouth for the independent film The Harsh Light Of Day in which he plays “the head baddie, a dark, underworld sleazebag”.

He said the role allows him to express emotions which normally remain hidden and added: “My friends are often quite shocked when they watch me acting.”

He described the film as looking like a major Hollywood blockbuster, despite being shot on a budget of just £25,000. “Rumour has it that there are three major distributors who are fighting over the rights so it could get a cinema release,” he said.

Mr Henley, who is soon to be seen playing a social worker in Casualty, said: “I never thought things would move this fast. I’ve set myself targets each year and have just been chipping away at each rung of the ladder and things are going really well."