Long before he retired to Oxford and started driving a Mk2 Jag, actor John Thaw was best known for his role as Detective Jack Regan in seventies crime caper The Sweeney. Regan and partner George Carter would regularly hare around London in their Ford Granada collaring crooks and muttering such classic lines as "Get yer trousers on - you're nicked!" or "We're the Sweeney son, and we haven't had any dinner!"

Well for the 2013 film version of The Sweeney Regan and Carter will no longer have to worry about missing their dinner as instead of a Granada the duo will have a 2.0-litre, 246bhp Ford Focus ST at their disposal. The new film, directed and co-written by the man behind The Football Factory, will see eternal East-Ender Ray Winstone take on the role of Regan alongside music 'star' Plan B as Carter. We all know the real star of the film will be the car though and as Anthony Ireson, Ford Britain marketing director, explains: "The new Focus ST is a hugely exciting car for Ford with terrific dynamic credibility. It will be a car for real driving enthusiasts, so Regan and Carter won't be disappointed."

Last month six early-build Focus STs were delivered to the set of the movie where they joined Mondeos, Galaxys and Transits that will be used as unmarked vehicles. The Ford Focus ST goes on sale next summer, before the film is released in September.

Paul Healy - 24 Nov 2011