A FAMOUS set from a popular television comedy was recreated in a village community centre for the arrival of a special guest yesterday.

Veteran actor Frank Williams - who played the Reverend Timothy Farthing in Dad's Army - was made to feel at home when he visited Tudhoe, near Spennymoor, County Durham.

A parishioner from St David's Church, Jamie Oliver, decorated the stage at Tudhoe Village Hall to look exactly like Walmington-on-Sea Church Hall from the series.

Mr Williams agreed to host a charity event at the venue, in aid of St David's Church, Tudhoe, and St Bartholomew's Church, in Croxdale, as a favour to his friend, the Reverend Martin Wray.

Mr Wray joined the star on stage to field questions from the audience about Mr Williams' time on the show.

Mr Williams said: "I have fond memories of this region. We started the Dad's Army stage show in Billingham in the early 1970s and I've given this sort of presentation before and the people are very warm.

"Everyone always wants to know about Dad's Army, despite it being almost 30 years after it was made, because it was so popular and is now reaching a new audience with repeats and DVDs. I was very proud to be involved and knew we were doing something that would be popular but its success all these years on is fascinating."