ITV4 has commissioned Zig Zag Productions to make Vinnie Jones’ Toughest Cops. The actor and legendary football hard man presents an action packed series investigating the extremes the world’s police forces have to go to maintain law and order on some of the toughest beats in the world.

The programme features exclusive access to forces’ operations, from drug raids to murder investigations, in places nobody has ever been so close to on British television. Each episode presents a police force from one of the world’s most severe crime hot-spots; locations where the death of a police officer is not unusual. The series includes Kingston, Jamaica which has one of the highest murder rates in the world with one committed every 9 hours, and El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, but one of the most dangerous in the world.

ITV4 is on the front line with officers, experiencing police work in action whilst discovering their motivations and fears behind undertaking such a dangerous career, and witnessing their courage at some shocking and precarious scenes.

Tune in to ITV4 to see a world where shootings, kidnapping and gang warfare are just part of the job.

The show was commissioned for ITV4 by ITV Commissioning Editor Diana Howie, for ITV4 Controller Dave Fewings.

Fewings says: “These exclusive shows reflect ITV4’s new remit – action packed programming for men. They all explore dynamic subjects, fronted by men who personify the channel’s direction.”

Danny Fenton, Managing Director at ZigZag says: “Zig Zag has a long track record of producing hard hitting content that appeals to a male audience and we’re delighted to be producing for ITV4’s first raft of original commissions.”

Monday, 8 September 2008, 10:00PM – 11:00PM ITV4