UK & World News: EastEnders bad boy Jamie Foreman tells court he'll pay £47k ... - Scottish Daily Record

Nov 26 2011 By Tom Pettifor

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NEW EastEnders star Jamie Foreman yesterday promised a court he will pay off £47,000 he owes in child maintenance.

Foreman, 53, who made his first appearance as bad boy Derek Branning on Thursday, ran up the arrears in a four-year period in which he was declared bankrupt.

He has been repaying the cash at £50 a week but he told magistrates in Bromley, Kent, yesterday he would be able to increase that to £100 because of his soap salary.

He also agreed he would pay extra lump sums if his income increased again in the future.

The actor - son of the reallife former East End villain Freddie Foreman - owes money for his sons Louis, now 22, and Alfie, 20.

He was ordered yesterday to pay £15,750 owed for Alfie to his ex-wife Carol Harrison, who previously appeared in EastEnders as Louise, the mum of barmaid Tiffany.

He was also ordered to pay £1340 for Louis's support between 2006 and 2008. The identity of Louis's mother was not revealed in court.

The Child Support Agency, who took the court action, said the amounts are in addition to an existing debt of £30,000, meaning he owes more than £47,000 in total.

The magistrates heard that Foreman has signed a six-month contract with the BBC.

But his lawyer said he did not know if his character has a long-term future in the soap and he was therefore unsure of his long-term income.

Crispin Hayhoe, for the CSA, said: "Mr Foreman's financial affairs have been in something of a mess.

"But his career is on an up at the moment and his income circumstances have changed significantly.

"This is a matter in which the court has previously said Mr Foreman has been culpably neglectful."

Magistrates' chairman Ivor Barwin agreed to wait until April for another hearing to assess his financial position.

He told the actor: "Your career is going to be in the public eye.

"So if you were to turn up here in April not having made additional payments, the court would be able to say, 'Hang on, this guy has been doing pretty good recently' and that would count against you."