Bryan Mosley, who died on 9 February, 1999, aged 67, charmed 'Coronation Street' fans for almost 40 years as amiable shopkeeper Alf Roberts.

Mr Mosley, described by many as a good, honourable man, was perfectly suited to the role of the honest, dependable shopkeeper and remained in the role for 38 years.

He will also be remembered for his dramatic performance in gangster thriller 'Get Carter' and action roles in cult series such as 'Z Cars', 'Dr Who' and 'The Avengers'.

Mr Mosley will be dearly missed by millions of 'Corrie' fans, for whom Alf Roberts had become an irreplaceable part of The Street.

Bryan Mosley was born in Leeds on 25 May, 1931. He made his stage debut at the age of 10, as the rear end of a pantomime cow, but his acting career was interrupted by his national service as an RAF air traffic controller.

He trained at the Bradford Civic Theatre and Esme Church Northern Theatre School and made his first screen appearance in the 1962 film ' A Kind of Loving'.

He went on to appear in many films, excelling in gritty 1960s Northern movies including 'Charlie Bubbles' and 'Sporting Life'. Mr Mosley also worked extensively in television, taking roles in 'Dr.Who', 'The Saint', 'Z Cars' and 'The Avengers'.

Perhaps his greatest moment came in the cult Tyneside thriller 'Get Carter', in which his character, gangster Cliff Brumby, was famously thrown off a tower block by Michael Caine.

In 1956, Mr Mosley married childhood sweetheart Norma, with whom he had six children. The couple had known each other since the age of 12, when they met in their local youth club.

After several earlier appearances on popular soap 'Coronation Street', Mr Mosley became a permanent fixture on the Street in 1967, playing shopkeeper Alf Roberts. He stayed in the role for almost 40 years and became one of the soap's best-loved characters.

But Mr Mosley's heart started to trouble him in 1992 and Granada Television was forced to write his character out following several health scares. Alf Roberts made his last appearance on New Year's Eve 1998 dying, ironically, from a heart attack.

Despite claiming to feel better after a pilgrimage to Lourdes , Mr Mosley collapsed in the street in Shipley, Yorkshire on 9 February, 1999. He suffered a massive heart attack and died on the way to Bradford Royal Infirmary. He is survived by his beloved wife Norma and their six children.

Mr Mosley's memorial service took place in Salford's Roman Catholic cathedral and attracted more than 300 people. Tributes poured in from past and present cast members of the soap, and filming schedules were re-arranged to allow everyone to attend.

Mr Mosley charmed audiences and fellow cast members alike as the enduringly popular Alf Roberts. Former 'Coronation Street' producer, John Finch, attributed this success to Mr Mosley being so 'authentically northern'.

But beneath his rather holier-than-thou screen character, Mr Mosley was an accomplished stunt actor. He was highly skilled in stage fighting and a founder member of the British Society of Fight Arrangers. His swordsmanship was widely respected and he even trained Terence Stamp for his swordfight in 'Far From the Madding Crowd'.

Fellow Coronation Street veteran William Roache remembered how rehearsals with Mr Mosley would often end with the actors collapsing with laughter: "Bryan was a very funny man, warm and friendly. He was a rounded man - a good family man, a good actor, a stunt man, an artist."