Frank Windsor 1928 - 2020

The actor Frank Windsor has died at the age of 92

Frank Windsor appeared in two Doctor Who stories in the 1980s. In 1983 he played Ranulf Fitzwilliam in the Fifth Doctor story The King's Demons. In 1989 he returned opposite the seventh Doctor playing Inspector Mackenzie in the story Ghost Light.

Windsor was best known for his regular role in the early Police series Z-Cars.

Frank Windsor studied speech training and drama at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He regularly appeared on television from the mid-1950s mostly playing historical characters in series such as An Age of Kings.

His big break came in 1962 when he was cast as Detective Sergeant John Watt in the gritty police series Z-Cars. The series was set in Liverpool and dealt with the realities of policing a large city. In tone it was very different to anything that had gone before and made stars of many of its regular cast, including Brian Blessed, James Ellis, Stratford Johns, Jeremy Kemp and Colin Welland. He played the role for three years before moving onto the spin-off series Softly, Softly and Softly, Softly: Taskforce from 1966 to 1976.

Other roles included a part in the pilot episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and a role in The Avengers. His lighter side came out in the pilot episode of the situation comedy The Dustbinmen in 1968, and as Scoutfinder General in an episode of The Goodies. other TV credits included 1960s sci-fi A for Andromeda, and a 1985 adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House. From 1987 to 1989 he starred in the comedy-drama, Flying Lady. 

He had regular roles in the BBC drama Casualty; the ITV drama Peak Practice; he played Major Charlie Grace in EastEnders

In  later years appeared in a number of television commercials advertising life-assurance policies for people over 50

Windsor died at his home in London on 30 September 2020. He is survived by his wife Mary. 

His death was announced by his agent. 

Windsor's son was killed in a car crash in 1987 at the age of 29.