Heartbeat actor William Simons has passed away at the age of 78

He was best known for playing PC Alf Ventress.

Heartbeat actor William Simons has passed away. As well as portraying Alf, he also starred in numerous shows such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Doctor Who, The Sweeney, Minder and Crown Court. His agent, Bryn Newton made a statement, saying that he was loved by everyone and worked incredibly hard in his career until a few years ago. Speaking to The Sun Online, Bryn said: "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 was in Heartbeat from the beginning, starring in all 18 series from 1992 to 2010, and appearing in over 350 episodes of the 1960s show.