'Emmerdale' actor Stan Richards, who played the part of Seth Armstrong in the soap, has died at the age of 74, according to the show's producers.
Richards is reported to have died peacefully in his sleep at his home. He had been suffering from emphysema, and had been unwell since one of his lungs collapsed in 2003.
Richards played the part of Seth Armstrong on 'Emmerdale' for the past 27 years, after initially signing up to the show for just four weeks. He was one of the longest serving soap actors in the UK. He had previously appeared in 'Coronation Street' before joining 'Emmerdale'.
Richards' character had been absent from the show for the past 15 months but made a brief appearance on Christmas Eve 2004, when his character Seth sent a video message to his partner Betty Eagleton.
'Emmerdale' line producer, Tim Lee, said: "This is a tragic loss and we are all deeply saddened. Stan will be greatly missed by everyone who has worked with him on Emmerdale during the past 27 years."
