CASUALTY legend Derek Thompson has been snapped up

by another drama after quitting his long-running role as Charlie Fairhead.

Derek, 75, became BBC medical drama Casualty’s longest-

running star after playing the doctor for a whopping 37 years.

However, the star confirmed his exit after Casualty’s number of episodes was drastically slashed owing to concern regarding costs at the BBC.

The news of his exit left fans flawed as they reeled from losing the drama icon from screens.

But they will all be glad to know that Derek has already signed on to star in a returning drama with his scenes set to air in weeks.

The actor will be appearing in series two of the BBC’s latest breakthrough drams Blue Lights.

It marks a huge change for Derek who has only made limited appearances in programme outside of Casualty over the last 37 years.

He will play the character of retired police officer Robin Graham in five episodes of the second series of the programme.

The show has seen Derek return to his home town of Belfast for filming and he will be thrown in right at the deep end for the role.

His character will face up to his past when a trainee solicitor investigates a decades-old case that is set to cause a commotion for Robin in the present day.