ACTOR Bill Maynard, who was born in Heath End and went on to play loveable rogue Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in ITV police drama Heartbeat, has died aged 89.

Born Walter Frederick George Williams on October 8, 1928, at the age of eight Bill was performing in working men’s clubs and after a brief career as a footballer, was forced back to the stage by a knee injury.

Adopting the stage name Maynard, inspired by Maynard’s wine gums, he got his first break on the small scene in the 1950s, starring alongside fellow comic Terry Scott in the show Great Scott, It’s Maynard.

After a brush with the Inland Revenue over unpaid taxes, Bill spent several years in obscurity, his acting career limited to bit-parts in repertory companies and programmes like Coronation Street.

But he bounced back with an acclaimed role in the 1971 TV adaptation of Dennis Potter’s play, Paper Roses, and went on to enjoy success in comedy shows such as Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggitt and The Gaffer.

However, it is his role as Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in TV series Heartbeat for which he is best known - appearing in 155 episodes of the hit show between 1992 and 2000, when he was written out of the show following several strokes.