Corrie star Peter Baldwin dies, aged 82

Actor Peter Baldwin, who played endearing worrier Derek Wilton on Coronation Street, has died at the age of 82.

He first appeared as Derek in 1976 and went on to become the screen husband of the equally fussy Mavis Riley (Thelma Barlow) in 1988. Baldwin remained on the show until his character was killed off in 1997.

"It is with great sadness we've learned respected former Coronation Street actor Peter Baldwin has died," a spokesperson for Coronation Street said. 

"Peter passed away at his home in north London after a short illness. We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this sad time."

As Derek, Baldwin was at the centre of such comic storylines as a Christmas episode in 1989 which found him trapped on a warehouse roof while dressed as Santa Claus. There was also a local Weatherfield scandal in 1995 when his beloved garden gnome was kidnapped by business rival Norris Cole.

Baldwin was eventually written out of the long-running soap in 1997 when he had a heart attack after arguing with a motorist but Derek made a slight return in 2012 as a ghostly Derek for a Text Santa special in which Norris was haunted by ghosts of Weatherfield past.

After his time on Coronation Street, Baldwin ran a Victorian theatre toyshop in Covent Garden in London. He also continued acting on hardy perennial Last of the Summer Wine and BBC daytime soap Doctors.