Fans, friends and colleagues have paid tribute to actor Dale Meeks, who has sadly died at the age of 47.
Meeks was best known for his role on 'Emmerdale', where he played the role of Simon Meredith from 2003 to 2006.
He also appeared in 'Byker Grove' and more recently, in 'The Hunt for Raoul Moat', which was screened on TV just last week.
A family member broke the news on Facebook, writing "So unbelievably sad. Brother-in-law, mucca, side kick and just the BEST friend a lad could have wished for. RIP Dale Meeks. So much less to laugh about now you’re not there to share it with. Thanks everyone for all the beautiful messages and memories you have been sharing. The support of Dale’s friends has been so incredibly strong over these chaotic, heartbreaking final hours, I can only stand in awe."
Dale's brother Philip later revealed that he had died of heart failure but had been 'profoundly unwell' and suggested that he had been suffering from mental health issues. "It will say heart failure on the death certificate. But we'll be collecting for @mindcharity ," he wrote.
Leading the tributes were Ant and Dec, who starred with Meeks in 'Byker Grove', calling him "the loveliest of guys, even though he was a Denton ‘Burner’, the the arch nemesis of the Byker ‘Grovers’!"
Irish actor Simon Delaney also paid tribute to him, revealing that he starred alongside him in 'The Blues Brothers' musical at Dublin's Tivoli Theatre many years back.
See some other tributes below:
