Threads: Man who played traffic warden sought by film-makers

Documentary makers are trying to track down the man who played a post-apocalyptic traffic warden in 1980s TV drama Threads.

The warden appeared as an extra in the 1984 TV film for less than 30 seconds – but his striking image was used to publicise its release.

The dystopian film explored the impact of a thermonuclear blast on Sheffield.

Craig Ian Mann, who is working on the documentary, said he wanted to know how the man felt about the role.

“He has become the iconic image of that film,” he said.

“He was on the front cover of the Radio Times, he was on the cover of every video, DVD or Blu-ray of Threads which has been made.

“People even dress up as him for Halloween,” he said.

“We went to Sheffield Horror Con at the weekend, and there was somebody dressed up as him.

“He has become an iconic character and if he is still around, I would like to ask him if he is aware of it, and how he feels about it.”

The film, written by Kes author Barry Hines, was shown at a time when nuclear war seemed a very real possibility, and shocked and horrified many who saw it.

The story focused around a young couple living in South Yorkshire when a bomb went off, and shows a society breaking down as nuclear winter sets in.

In the aftermath of the blast, a scene depicts increasingly desperate people trying to seek medical help or food, many of whom are herded into some tennis courts.

Mr Mann said: “Patrolling these courts is a traffic warden with a gun in his hand, and we would love to be able to track him down.