BREAKING NEWS: South Yorkshire born Duty Free actor Keith Barron dies at 83

South Yorkshire born actor Keith Barron, who starred in hit 80s comedy Duty Free, has died at the age of 83.
Keith Barron.Keith Barron.
Keith Barron.

Mr Barron, who was born in Mexborough, has died after a short illness, it was revealed this morning.

He rose to fame in the 1960s as Detective Sergeant Swift in The Odd Man and played a number of roles in hit shows such as Coronation Street, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Benidorm.

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He has also starred in Coronation Street, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Benidorm.

But he is best remembered for his role in Yorkshire Television sitcom, Duty Free, where he played David Pearce, a hapless holidaymaker who falls in love with another hotel guest during a break in Spain.

Born in 1934, he was a familiar face on television throughout his career, also appearing in The New Avengers, The Professionals and A Touch of Frost.

He also starred in the sitcoms Haggard and All Night Long and was a regular character on the ITV Sunday-night drama Where the Heart Is.

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On the big screen, he appeared in Baby Love (1968) and the David Puttnam film Melody (1971) and also appeared as the guest celebrity in dictionary corner on several episodes of the Channel 4 words and numbers game Countdown.

In 2007 Barron joined ITV's Coronation Street as George Trench.

In 2014, he returned to the stage for a live version of his classic sitcom Duty Free.

The show saw the return of original cast members Keith and Gwen Taylor, who played working class duo David and Amy, and Neil Stacy, joined by Carol Royle, as the upper-middle class Robert and Linda.