Martin Compston has revealed he stays in his Line of Duty accent for so long while filming that he even dreams in Cockney.

The Greenock-born actor adopts the London accent to play Cockney cop DS Steve Arnott in the hit BBC drama.

Compston, 34, is known to keep to the character’s accent for months, both on and off the set, while filming each series.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Stark Talk, to be broadcast on Wednesday, he reveals he even dreams in the accent.

He said: “I’m not (very good at accents)... but that makes me work my a*** off to do them.

“I’ve always had a good work ethic. I get so over-prepared so I’ve got no excuses on the day.

“You know you’ve nailed it when you wake up in the morning and you’re talking to yourself in the accent.

“Your mind just goes to it. You have dreams in it, for sure, because you’re doing it that much.”

Compston has become a familiar face on TV as well as the big screen since he was discovered as a teenager by filmmaker Ken Loach for the leading role in acclaimed movie Sweet Sixteen.

Recent film roles include Lord Bothwell in Mary Queen of Scots - alongside Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie - and Burnham in The Aftermath, with Kiera Knightley.

Now living in Las Vegas with American wife Tianna, whom he married at Mar Hall in Renfrewshire in 2016, Compston said he had fulfilled a lifelong dream, by buying a house with a swimming pool.

He said: “I’m under no illusions of how privileged I am.

“I’m lucky to be in a job that I love and I’m paid well to do it, but I’ve never been flash.

“I’m not in to big cars or fast cars or fancy clothes so I’ve kind of been lucky and saved my money, so we were able to buy our dream home.

“I’ve got a swimming pool out the back.

“It’s hard to say this stuff and not sound like a you know, but it’s been a dream.

“I’ve got family in Dunblane and they had a pool, in Dunblane, but we used to go and spend our bank holidays and stuff at their house and jump in their pool and I can remember growing up and thinking one day I want a pool.

“It’s always sort of been my dream.

“So my wife got everything else she wanted but that that was my one thing I wanted.”

The Scot said home will always be in Greenock, however.

He tells presenter Edi Stark: “I think being away so much you appreciate home a lot more.

“I’m very lucky where we grew up, and again I didn’t appreciate it while I was there, but that incredible view from the Lyle Hill across the water when you see the River Clyde at the widest, and on a beautiful day it’s unbeatable.”

The star revealed last month that he was thinking of starting a family which may see him spend even more time in Las Vegas.