Former EastEnder Larry Lamb has signed up for the hit crime drama New Tricks replacing outgoing star Dennis Waterman.

The actor, who played evil pub landlord Archie Mitchell in the soap, will make his first appearance in episode two of the new series playing retired policeman Ted Case.

Waterman, who will appear in the first two episodes of the next series before leaving, follows former co-stars Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong and James Bolam out of the show.

They were replaced by Denis Lawson, former EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite and Nicholas Lyndhurst.

Lamb, who also starred in Gavin & Stacey, said: "I'm thrilled to have been asked to join such a well-loved show. The writing and the cast are top notch and I'm really looking forward to getting started."

Producer Myar Craig-Brown said: "Larry is a fantastic addition to the show and Ted Case will slot in perfectly with Sacha, Steve and Dan in the UCOS team. The stories for series 12 are absolutely classic New Tricks - a mix of gripping whodunits solved by witty, likeable characters that the audience can root for and identify with."