Coles agent Derek Webster said: "It is with deep regret that I have to announce the sad death of one of our most loved and respected actors.

Minder Actor, George Cole as Arthur Daley and Dennis Waterman

Minder Actor, George Cole as Arthur Daley and Dennis Waterman

"George Cole passed away yesterday at the Royal Berkshire Hospital after a short illness. His wife Penny and his son Toby were with him at his bedside."

The long-running ITV drama show, Minder, ran for ten series between 29 October 1979 and 10 March 1994, and starred Dennis Waterman as Terry McCann, an honest and likable minder and George Cole as Arthur Daley, a socially ambitious used-car salesman.

Dennis Waterman as Terry McCann and George Cole as Arthur Daley
Dennis Waterman as Terry McCann and George Cole as Arthur Daley

George Edward Cole, was awarded an OBE, born on 22 April 1925 and passed away on 5 August 2015.

The actors career spanned more than 70 years in show business. Cole was married twice, first to actress Eileen Moore (1954-1962, divorced) and then to Penny Morrell (1967-2015, his death) and had two children.

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