George Cole’s funeral to be held on Thursday

Tributes have been paid to Minder star George Cole who made his stage debut as a youngster in Blackpool.

The veteran actor passed away in hospital on Wednesday, with his family by his side, following a short illness.

Cole played the Cockney wheeler dealer Daley for 16 years, between 1979 and 1994. “His wife Penny and his son Toby were with him at his bedside”.

Waterman, who sang the Minder theme tune, left the show to be replaced by Gary Webster for the final two series.

George Cole’s estranged daughter has admitted the pair never mended their 45-year feud before the actor’s death this week.

With “Arfur” Daley spending each episode munching on cigars as he hatched another scheme to get rich quick, his long-suffering bodyguard McCann watching over his every step to shield him from the police, Minder was one of the most popular programmes of the 1980s, garnering around 17.5 million viewers at its peak.

Cole also played Flash Harry, a remarkably similar character, in four St Trinian’s films between 1954-66, starring alongside the likes of Terry Thomas, Joyce Grenfell and Sid James in the boarding school comedies. His big break in showbiz came at the age of just 15 when he was cast in the 1941 film Cottage to Let, the beginning of a career that would last a staggering seven decades.

Besides the St Trinian’s films, he also starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in “Cleopatra”, and gothic horror “The Vampire Lovers”.

More recently, Cole made guest appearances in Midsomer Murders, New Tricks and Agatha Christie’s Marple.

Penny, his wife of 48 years, said: ‘He was a wonderful father and husband whom we will miss terribly.