AMMANFORD actress Alex Roach has spoken of the “amazing script” which persuaded her to take the role of the young Margaret Thatcher in the hit film The Iron Lady.

And the irony of the role going to the daughter of a police officer who was on duty during the 1984-85 miners’ strike is not lost on the 24-year-old.

“I knew it would be quite a controversial film considering where I’m from,” she said.

“My grandfather was a miner and my dad was a policeman during the strikes.

“I grew up knowing her name, but not much about her politics.

“I think my parents were a bit shocked. I spoke to my dad first, as soon as I was awarded the part in a feature film.

“That was the first shock for him – the second that I was going to play Margaret Thatcher.

“But he’s behind me 100 per cent and all my family are so supportive.”

In order to prepare for the role, Alex carried out extensive research, hampered by the fact there were only two recordings of Thatcher speaking at the age of 33.

“So I studied for around three months to get the voice right,” said Alex. “She’s not from Ammanford!

“I also read a book called The Grocer’s Daughter about her younger years. I didn’t find it useful to know about her later life – I needed to keep the drive and ambition of the younger Thatcher fresh, so I could play her accurately.”

Alex’s next role will be playing the young Queen Elizabeth in A Girls’ Night Out, a romantic fictional tale based on the night the Second World War ended.