A BLACK Country martial arts instructor and a campaigning Hagley doctor have told of their delight at being enlisted to play a part in bringing to life the realistic fight and force-feeding scenes in major new movie Suffragette.

The film by director Sarah Gavron and writer Abi Morgan, which stars Helena Bonham Carter, Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep, tells the inspirational true story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement who fought a dangerous game against the State to win the fight for equality and the right for women to vote.

Opening at cinemas across the UK this week, the movie could be the big break Stourbridge martial arts instructor Rob Lock has been hoping for.

The 55-year-old, who was the film's jiu jitsu instructor, has previously enjoyed TV work as a stunt choreographer on BBC spy drama Hunted but Suffragette is the first major movie he's had the pleasure of working on.

Rob, who takes classes at Stourbridge's Crystal Leisure Centre and Haden Hill Leisure Centre near Halesowen, said: "It was a brilliant experience. Helena Bonham Carter was amazing – she’s such fun and a great character. Carey Mulligan was amazing as well. I think she's going to get an Oscar for it."

Meanwhile - Dr David Nicholl, a 50-year-old consultant neurologist from Hagley, who has both gone on hunger strike and undergone force feeding in a bid to highlight the plight of British prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, was also drafted in to advise on the dramatic force-feeding scenes in the movie during rehearsals at Elstree Film Studios.

He said: "It was absolutely fascinating. It was great fun working with Helena Bonham Carter and Carey Mulligan. I don't think they realised I'd been on hunger strike and been force fed so they were absolutely intrigued by that. I did try to change the script and got in trouble, but if you ask an activist along what do you expect?

"If I had another life I'd love to be a film director."

The pair were both invited to a preview cast and crew screening of the film at the Curzon Cinema in London's Mayfair ahead of its official release on Monday October 12.