Meera's a dead ringer

Comedian and writer Meera Syal is a familiar face on our TV screens but in her latest role she is barely recognisable.

The Kumars At No 42 star has been cast in a BBC drama-documentary about City secretary Joyti De-Laurey, who stole more than £4 million from her bosses at the investment bank Goldman Sachs.

Syal, 43, reportedly wore padding to perfect the look of the heavy-set secretary.

De-Laurey, 35, stole almost £3.4 million from her former boss Scott Mead, and £1 million from husband and wife Ron Beller and Jennifer Moses.

With the spoils, the mother-of-one bought a £750,000 villa in Cyprus, nine houses in Britain, a £140,000 speedboat and trips abroad. Described as "duplicitous, deceitful and dishonest", De-Laurey was found guilty of 20 counts of deception at Southwark Crown Court in July, and jailed for seven years.

Syal's credits include writing and performing in Goodness Gracious Me and writing the script for the musical Bombay Dreams. This is not her first television drama role - she has also appeared in Murder Investigation Team and Fat Friends.