Paul Anderson pulls on a smart suit for a shopping trip as troubled star allays fears his well-being after he was pictured walking the streets topless – months before starting work on Peaky Blinders film

Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson appeared to be back on form as he ventured out in London on Wednesday, shortly after prompting fears for his well-being during an earlier appearance in the city. 

The popular actor, best known for his role as hard-living gangster Arthur Shelby Jr in the BBC drama, looked smart in a two-piece suit while calling into a local newsagent. 

Anderson, 46, rounded of the look with a white statement T-shirt and black Chelsea boots, while red tinted sunglasses served as his only notable accessory.

The actor’s latest public appearance was in stark contrast to his last, during which he looked pale, gaunt and disheveled while walking the streets close to his £1.2million mews home. 

It comes just months after he was caught with crack cocaine after a day in the pub. He was also found to have amphetamines, plus diazepam and pregabalin on him. 

The actor's latest public appearance was in stark contrast to his last, during which he looked pale, gaunt and disheveled while walking the streets close to his £1.2million mews home

Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson appeared to be back on form as he ventured out in London on Wednesday, shortly after prompting fears for his well-being during an earlier appearance, during which he looked disheveled and pale while walking the streets topless

The popular actor, best known for his role as hard-living gangster Arthur Shelby Jr in the BBC drama, looked smart in a two-piece suit while calling into a local newsagent

The popular actor, best known for his role as hard-living gangster Arthur Shelby Jr in the BBC drama, looked smart in a two-piece suit while calling into a local newsagent

One local shopkeeper, who counts Anderson as a friend, told MailOnline: ‘It’s heartbreaking. He’s a mess. But his erratic behaviour is causing real problems. He often seems dazed and not with it.

‘He’s had arguments with people locally. He walks around making a lot of noise. We are all very worried. He had a big argument in Tesco a few weeks ago.

‘He is living like he is on another planet. He’s been in public topless. He struggles to walk. It’s a great concern. He looks out of control. It’s tragic.’

Another said: ‘He has been slowly looking worse over the months. He really stands out in the area. It’s awful.’

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