My Burnley: Actor and teacher who stars in retro horror film The Moors that could be aired on Netflix tells us why Burnley has his heart

David Anthony Cross plays a detective in the film The Moors, a horror story and dark comedy about a werewolf that takes a dim view of anyone fly-tipping on the Yorkshire moors. Currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Blu-Ray, the 30 minute film, known as a ‘short’ is causing quite a buzz. David, who is dad to Henry (five) and four-year-old Franklyn, said: “The film has a lot of interest in it. It has a real indie and retro vibe feel to it.”

The cast list for The Moors includes well known actor Danny Cunningham, who recently appeared in Coronation Street as Denny Foreman in a major storyline focusing on Motor Neurone Disease. Adam Probets, who has appeared in’ Emmerdale’ and ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ is also in the film. A former pupil at Park High School, Colne and Burnley College, David, who lives in Gisburn and has a partner Amy, studied at drama school before going on to university. His acting roles include a stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford. To win the part in ‘The Moors’ David, who teaches English and Drama, was asked to memorise lines given to him in just 20 minutes.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? My name is David Anthony Cross. I’m 40 years old and I’m currently a school teacher.

How long have you lived/worked in Burnley? I’ve lived in Burnley for well over 15 years, but moved away and have lived in Colne too, but I was born in Burnley and it will always be my home.

Why did you choose to live/stay/work in Burnley? Burnley is where my heart is really, I’ll always love the town.

What do you think are the best parts of the town? Burnley Football Club is the heartbeat of the community. The people are brilliant, always got each other’s backs and there’s a real community spirit everytime you go there.

Is there anything you dislike about Burnley? There’s good and bad parts of every town, I don’t really dislike anything.

How would you describe Burnley to a visitor who has never been here before? A friendly, family community place. Lots of people who aren’t from Burnley tend to say negative things, but I always put them in their place and say how nice it can be.