Dad's Army star's son is no stupid boy

Britain's last line of defence is crumbling! The son of Captain Mainwaring - lead character in the classic 1970s BBC comedy series Dad's Army - is now a true blue Kiwi.

Stephen Lowe turned his back on mother England for the greener pastures of Timaru.

And he admits his father, the late Arthur Lowe, who played pompous and bumbling Home Guard captain George Mainwaring in the hit shows - his famous catchphrase: 'Stupid Boy! - would have been shocked by the defection.

"It would probably have caused Captain Mainwaring to turn in the grave," Mr Lowe says. His dad, who also had a long-running role in Coronation Street, died in 1982.

Mr Lowe says New Zealand has been his home for seven years.

"I love it here and I'm in for the long haul."

He confesses that he isn't an ardent fan of Lions rugby but he's seen plenty of All Black games. "We really enjoy watching the footage."

But he doesn't think New Zealanders need to "defend our coastline" against the Barmy Army. He believes the Lions' faithful will be focused on sandwiches and beer, and rugby. And, tackling speculation that the diminutive Captain Mainwaring might have made a good halfback, Mr Lowe observed: "Mainwaring wouldn't have lasted long against a Polynesian forward."

- NZPA