He died 'peacefully in his sleep'

The actor, best known for his roles in television and theatre, died peacefully in his sleep, his family confirmed in a statement.

His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West, said in a statement via his agent: "After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.

"Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.

"We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George's Hospital, Tooting and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days."

He was also known for the Channel 4 series Great Canal Journeys, in which he and Scales travelled together on UK and overseas canals.

West will be best known to many for his roles as Eric Babbage in Coronation Street and Stan Carter in EastEnders.

He also had roles in Lee Mack's hit sitcom Not Going Out and in 2019 he played Private Godfrey in Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes.

Along with his television appearances, West had a successful career in theatre and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for three seasons in the 1960s.