HEARTBEAT star William Simons has died aged 79.
The actor played PC Alf Ventress in all 18 series of the ITV show from 1992 to 2010.
He is understood to have passed away yesterday.
His agent Bryn Newton told The Sun Online: "He'll be just terribly missed by anyone who ever met him.
"He was a much loved human, the word gentleman really applied to him. He was a gentle man.
"He worked every single year until about three years ago."
William also had roles in Coronation Street, The Sweeney and Minder in his impressive 60-year acting career.
But it was his beloved role in Heartbeat that fans will remember him most for.
RISE TO FAME
The show centred around a police force in Yorkshire in the 1960s, with William playing curmudgeonly PC Alf Ventress.
He would often be seen with a cigarette in his mouth alongside stars Nick Berry and Tricia Penrose.
Even when he was forced to retire from the force in the show, his character continued as a civilian member of the team.
William began his acting career aged just ten when he landed a role in Phyllis Hambleton’s book No Place for Jennifer.
ACTING ROLES
He also appeared in comedy Not So Dusty, and with Dinah Sheridan in the exotic adventure Where No Vultures Fly.
But he put his acting career on hold because of his acne – returning four years later in Coronation Street and a recurring role as a barrister in Crown Court.
As well as Corrie, William had a role in Emmerdale in 1976 and could also be seen as Patrick Malahide’s sidekick in the BBC’s Inspector Alleyn Mysteries.
Never short of roles, William also appeared in Last of the Summer Wine, Bergerac, Lovejoy and Yorkshire TV’s Hadleigh and The Darling Buds of May.
After Heartbeat, William spent a lot of his time in France with his second wife Jackie. His first wife died in 2002.
More to follow…
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