A long-standing Emmerdale actor has died. Andy Devine played Shadrach Dingle on the soap between 2000 and 2010.
Andy, who was 79, died in January, it has emerged today. Publicly available records have confirmed his death on January 27.
The cause of death has not been confirmed as yet, reports the Mirror. Andy's character was killed off at the conclusion of an emotional alcohol abuse storyline after more than a decade on the soap.
Away from Emmerdale, Andy also starred as a Draconian Guard in several episodes of the Doctor Who story Frontier in Space, as well as Bernard in Channel 4's Queer As Folk. Tributes have poured in for the late actor since the news of his death was made public today.
One Twitter user penned: "Gone too soon. What a legend. RIP Andy Devine."
"So sad to hear about Andy Devine," another added.
Meanwhile a third penned: "When I think of Emmerdale, I think of him."
He brought the character of Shadrach to life, the down-and-out was a favourite with the ITV show's fans. He was the husband of Faith Dingle and father of Chas Dingle and Gennie Walker, and was often involved in near-misses in nearly a decade on the soap.
Shadrach, a heavy drinker most of his life in the programme, eventually died in 2010. His beloved character was killed off in an emotional July episode which saw him drown in a stream on the Dales as part of a harrowing alcohol abuse storyline.
An autopsy later revealed Shadrach would have succumbed to a ruptured liver within hours because of his drinking problem had he not drowned first. The actor had a long career, which saw him serve in the Royal Navy in the 1960s.
Later, he becoming a classical actor before turning his hand to the soaps.
