Childs debuted in an episode of Coronation Street in 1968, after which he appeared on The Onedin Line, The Sweeney, Blake's 7, Return of the Saint, Rumpole of the Bailey, Bergerac, Juliet Bravo and Grange Hill. However, Childs will be best known for playing D.C. Rycott on Minder, Detective Sergeant Grant on Softly, Softly: Taskforce and Ron Gash on Public Eye.