Threads film: 'The Traffic Warden' who terrified an entire generation of Sheffielders says it was 'just a job'

The face of countless nightmares for Sheffield residents haunted by 1984’s ‘Threads’ has been found - and he says it was “just a day’s work.”

This morning, The Star published a filmmaker’s appeal to find ‘The Traffic Warden’ from the apocalyptic BBC2 drama.

Wrapped in bandages and brandishing both a rifle and a thousand-yard stare, the Warden appears halfway through the film brutally policing a detention centre as a sign law and order had broken down in the Sheffield following the nuclear attack at the heart of the film.

However, a ghoulish picture of the Warden became the face of the film after it appeared on the front cover of the Radio times.

Ahead of the picture’s 40th anniversary this September, a documentary crew appealed in The Star today (May 16) for Sheffield’s help to find The Traffic Warden for their upcoming featurette, ‘Survivors: The Spectre of Threads.’

They would not have to wait long.

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In an appearance on BBC Radio Sheffield this morning, filmmakers Craig Ian Mann and Robert Nevitt were speaking with host Ellie Colton when she revealed why they were in the studio.

“We’ve found him,” said Ellie, before introducing them to Michael Beecroft - who as they always suspected, was a real traffic warden in the 80s for 20 years.

“It was just a day’s work,” said Mr Beecroft, aged 84, who says he had no idea he had, as Craig put it, “terrified an entire generation.”

“There was no indication as to what the reaction to the programme would be at the time,” Mr Beecroft said. “I just did my job and then I sat on the bus waiting for any more instructions, which there weren’t.

“Then the photographer came around and shot loads of different photographs of us.

“In September, my agent in Leeds called me and said ‘Michael, is that you on the front cover of the Radio Times?’ I said ‘I don’t know, I haven’t seen it.”

“This absolutely blows my mind,” said producer Robert, who admitted how he and Craig had spent long nights up trying to track Michael down.

When asked what it felt like to be the face of the film, Michael said: “As far as I was concerned it was a day’s work. I’ve seen Christmas cards of it would you believe.

“After 40 years it slips into the memory... I never realised the impact it had.”

“There’s art of you all over the internet,” said Robert, to say nothing of the action figures and “countless nightmares” the pair of writers had heard from speaking to extras in the film for their documentary.

“I’m sorry, I never realised,” said Michael.

Now the hunt has come to an end, Robert says the search for a man whose only appearance famously sees his face wrapped in bandages as like “looking for Batman with only a chin to go on.”

Michael will reportedly appear on an upcoming episode of BBC Look North.

The 40th anniversary of Threads will be on September 23, 1984.