A SCRIPTWRITER is 'over the moon' after finally amassing missing episodes of his favourite crime show.

Russell Highsmith has been gifted with dozens of specially-made DVDs documenting police drama The Bill, after he appealed in the Oxford Mail for help to finish his collection.

The disabled Abingdon resident spent years searching for box sets for all 2,400 episodes of the discontinued show - but his detective work fell flat with a particular part of series 19.

The show's broadcaster ITV read his desperate plea in this paper in February, sparking staff to delve into their archives especially and burn the originals onto DVD.

Mr Highsmith, who has cerebral palsy and learning difficulties, could barely speak with excitement when the Oxford Mail delivered the good news.

The 31-year-old said: "It was totally out of the blue and took me completely by surprise. I really and truly thought this was never going to happen.

"I'm still coming to terms with actually completing my goal but would like to give my thanks to the Oxford Mail and its sister paper the Abingdon Herald for spreading the news of my mystery, as to why I couldn't get those particular episodes."

He has piles of DVDs dedicated to the show at his home in Thesiger Road, which he shares with his parents, but was missing parts one, two and three of series 19.

He said: "It's like trying to do a thousand piece jigsaw and you've only got 100 pieces.

"Those particular episodes were not available when most of the other series could be bought [online] easily - I believe there were two live episodes included."

Mr Highsmith also collects a variety of other shows, but said he particularly enjoys The Bill because it seems 'true to life' and inspires his passion for scriptwriting.

The show followed fictional tales of The Metropolitan police force and was broadcast between 1984 and 2010, starring iconic characters including as Reg Hollis and Frank Burnside.

ITV's director of audiences Neil Mortensen said: "When we heard about Russell's search for these missing episodes we decided to take this difficult case on and - channelling The Bill's legendary DI Burnside - we began to investigate, leaving no stone unturned in the hunt for the elusive first three DVDs of series 19.

"We are thrilled to have apprehended all 53 episodes, which will complete Russell's impressive collection."

Mr Highsmith's dad John said their efforts were 'absolutely wonderful' and said his son was 'over the moon' to have finally completed the collection.

Mum Christine added: "He was smiling from ear to ear - he's very excited."

Mr Highsmith, who volunteers at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the Information Centre in Abingdon, is expecting to receive the DVDs this week.