• Billy Murray claimed men approached his daughter and tried to kidnap her children

The star of hit crime drama The Bill, Billy Murray, has warned parents after claiming an Eastern European gang tried to ‘kidnap’ his grandchildren from the street.

In a video that has been widely shared on social media, the actor – who was friends with criminals the Kray twins as a child – told his fans as his daughter strolled through the village of Orsett, Essex near of Grays with her children and partner, a black Audi A6 blocked the way she walked.

Mr Murray, who played corrupt cop Don Beech in The Bill, claimed the driver of the car, ringing Eastern Europe, then got out and started talking to him.

He claimed the other three people in the car got out and started approaching his grandchildren. But then her daughter’s partner, Mick, yelled at the children to run.

The men then jumped into the car and rushed off, Mr Murray told viewers in his account. He said the police were notified, but said the police said they couldn’t do anything about it because they ‘didn’t touch’ the children.

Billy Murray got his first helping hand as an actor after being given £400 to attend East 15 Acting School by gangsters the Kray Twins, while boxing for the West Ham Boxing Club, which they owned. Reggie and Ronnie said they “loved his attitude”.

He is best known for playing Don Beech, who was a bad cop on The Bill from 1995 to 2004, as well as playing fellow villain Johnny Allen on Eastenders in 2005 and 2006.

Billy has four children, including his daughter Jaime Murray, who followed in his footsteps to become an actor, appearing as the charming Stacie Monroe in the drama scam Hustle in the first four series.

Mr Murray told his followers: ‘My daughter and two grandchildren and her partner were in a little village just around the corner from our little farm yesterday.

“And they were just walking and picking wildflowers or whatever and she kind of broke up because a phone call came in for her partner and she just took it and it stood there for a minute to speak.

“A black Audi pulled up in front of her, blocking the way she walked. The driver got out and she could see through the screen that there was a passenger and three other guys sitting in the back.

“And he walked up to her and he knew her very well or whatever, chatting with her. He was Eastern European. It was a black four-door Audi A6.

“They kept looking at the kids and she got this terrible scare, all of a sudden it came on top of her and she freaked out and she called Mick.

“He looked and saw exactly what was happening because the guys in the back and the passenger were getting out of the car to approach the kids.”

Mr Murray added: ‘They were going to kidnap my grandchildren, that’s what they assumed anyway.’ And as soon as Mick, his partner, saw him, he yelled and shouted at them to run and he ran.

“And as he was running, because he was on the other side of the road, they all jumped in their cars and screamed – tires were burning, everything.

‘Watch out, they’re outside. There are five guys in an Audi A6.

“I didn’t get the number but it was reported to the police. They said there was nothing they could do because they had never touched the children. But beware, they are over there.

“It’s happening in Basildon and Greys. People report it on Facebook all the time. Please could you pass this on, I would greatly appreciate it.

MailOnline has contacted Essex Police for comment.