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Ross Kemp has revealed filming his new two-part documentary in Birmingham was one of the toughest he has ever made.

The former EastEnders actor is famous for his behind-the-scenes, gritty looks on warfare and gangs.

But Kemp says filming in the West Midlands city gave him the biggest shock of his career so far.

He told the Metro in a new interview: "I am making a documentary about our armed response units and counter terrorist units – armed police across the UK – [and asking] do we have enough to meet the threat that is now posed to us?.

"Not only by terrorists but also by the increase in the use of hand guns by drugs gangs."

He even admitted that he has to "wear the same body armour that I wore in Syria on the streets of Birmingham".

The TV hard man was spotted at a Northfield branch of McDonald's and a burglary in the city filming with West Midlands Police’s armed response unit in December.

Kemp also posed for pictures with police during a Birmingham raid which recovered a handgun and sawn-off shotgun.

The one-time soap star and documentary TV maker joined members of the Operational Support Unit of West Midlands Police in the operation in Billesley.

Shocked onlookers took to Twitter after spotting Kemp in the area.

One user wrote: "Why is Ross Kemp in Northfield right now?!"

Another tweet read: "Have just seen Ross Kemp leaving Northfield McDonalds. Not joking. V bizarre."

Ross has been working with the West Midlands police force on the documentary as well as the British Transport Police, Northumberland police and South Yorkshire police.

It will air later this year.

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Crime-hit Birmingham has seen almost 100 shootings so far this year, chilling new figures have revealed.

The city has been in the midst of a deadly gangs war for the past 18 months.

The Office Of National Statistics confirmed in 2017 that the West Midlands had ‘the highest rate of non-air firearm offences per 1100,000 population’ across the country.