Dennis Waterman, who starred in shows like Minder, The Sweeney, and New Tricks, has died, according to his family. His age was 74.

“We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved Dennis passed away very peacefully in hospital in Spain,” according to a statement. They said he died on Sunday afternoon with his wife Pam by his side. “At this very difficult time, the family respectfully requests that our privacy be respected,” they added.

Waterman, who was born in London and attended the Corona Theatre School, began his career working for the Children’s Film Foundation before being invited to join Stratford’s Royal Shakespeare Company at the age of 12.

In his teens, he rose to fame as William, the BBC’s adaptation of Just William.

When he played Det Sgt George Carter opposite John Thaw in ITV’s police drama The Sweeney in the 1970s, he became one of the most well-known faces on British television.

Waterman went on to star in the comedies On the Up and Stay Lucky before returning to New Tricks, where he played another Cockney detective from 2003 to 2015.

He co-starred with fellow actors James Bolam and Alun Armstrong in the role of Gerry Standing.

Waterman became famous for singing the theme songs to many of his shows, and as a result, he was caricatured by David Walliams in Little Britain.

He continued to pursue his interest in music throughout his acting career, and had number one hits in Australia and New Zealand, as well as reaching number three in the UK charts with I Could Be So Good For You, the Minder theme song.Tributes have poured in for the actor, who has been described as a “brilliant actor who was a staple on our screens throughout the 1970s and 1980s” by broadcaster Kay Burley.

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