Dennis Waterman, who starred in Minder, New Tricks and The Sweeney, has died aged 74, his family have said.

       A statement released on behalf of his family said: "We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved Dennis, passed away very peacefully at his home in Spain, on Saturday evening, with Pam by his side.

       "The family kindly ask that our privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

       Born in London, educated at the Corona Theatre School, Dennis Waterman began his career in a starring role for the Children’s Film Foundation and, at the age of 12, was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford.

       A highly successful television series followed including the paramount crime detection series, The Sweeney, in which Waterman co-starred with John Thaw and whose worldwide popularity led to two film box office smashes, Sweeney I and Sweeney II.

       He went on to play a lighter role created for Waterman in a TV series, The Minder. This highly acclaimed comedy received public and critical adulation.

       Mr Waterman was probably best known, in more recent years, for his role as Gerry Standing in twelve series of the BBC’s hugely successful New Tricks which ran from 2003 to 2014 after which he semi-retired and lived between his homes in Berkshire and Spain.

       His last film role was in the Australian comedy drama film “ Never Too Late” which filmed in Adelaide, Australia in 2020.

       This is a breaking news story, follow for updates.