Heartbeat actor Bill Maynard dies aged 89

Bill Maynard, the English actor beloved for his portrayal of Greengrass in long-running ITV drama Heartbeat, has died aged 89. Maynard had been suffering from ill health in recent years and died in hospital after breaking his hip in a fall from his mobility scooter.

His daughter told the Press Association: "He was larger than life and he just loved showbiz.

"He was so proud of the fact that he had been working for 81 years. He leaves a son and daughter, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren."

During the Nineties, Maynard was a familiar face on British small screens as Claude Greengrass, a charmingly dishevelled poacher who won affection from his on-screen friends as well as the millions who tuned in to the North Yorkshire-based drama every week. 

But Maynard began his career four decades earlier, when he appeared on Henry Hall's Face the Music aged 12 – his first television appearance. Born Walter Williams in 1928 he took the inspiration for his stage name from a billboard for Maynard's Wine Gums.

Maynard took on a number of broadcasting roles; the early Sixties saw him regularly present the One O'Clock Show for Tyne Tees Television, and he came fourth in the British heat of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957, beaten by Eric Robinson, who came in seventh place overall. 

Maynard came into his stride as a comedy actor during the Seventies, when he worked with Ronnie Barker and appeared in a string of sitcoms made by Yorkshire Television, taking on the title role in Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt! and The Gaffer. He also had in Carry On Matron and Carry on Dick. By 1980, he had been cast as Sergeant Beetroot in Worzel Gummidge. 

There was a brief foray into politics in 1984, when Maynard stood as an Independent Labour candidate against Tony Benn at the Chesterfield by election purely to prevent Benn from winning the seat. It failed – Maynard came in fourth place, Benn won and re-entered Parliament. 

But it is as Greengrass that Maynard remains best-remembered. His friends and fans paid tribute to him on Twitter on Friday: