Actor Frank Windsor was one of the longest-service officers on the TV beat, starring in a string of BBC police dramas for more than 15 years.
He was best known for playing Detective Sergeant John Watt in the 1960s series Z-Cars, which was set in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in Lancashire.
Later, he appeared in spin-offs Softly, Softly and Softly, Softly: Taskforce from 1966 to 1976.
Z-Cars offered an alternative to the police procedurals of the time, with a darker tone and a northern setting, when many were based in southern England.
It ran for more than 800 episodes and featured a cast of stars including Stratford Johns as Detective Inspector Barlow and Brian Blessed as “Fancy” Smith.
Windsor attended Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Walsall, before going on to study speech training at the Central School of Speech and Drama, then based at the London’s Royal Albert Hall.
He worked mostly in television across his five-decade career, securing roles in Casualty, EastEnders, ITV drama Peak Practice and two appearances on sci-fi family favourite Doctor Who.
He appeared on the show This Is Your Life in December 1975 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews to revisit highlights from his career.
His final film role came in 2000 as Mr Walker in Between Two Women.
In 1997, Windsor’s son David was killed, aged 29, in a road crash alongside a female companion, Denise Rothwell, 32.
Three years later he appeared in ITV drama Anchor Me, portraying a man whose family refuses to admit their feelings over the accidental death of his character’s son.
At the time he said: “In Anchor Me, the mother has kept the cork in the bottle and I recognised that, personally.
“When our son died my wife took counselling – I didn’t. I’m not that sort of person. I can’t unburden myself to a total stranger, it doesn’t work for me.
“I think these things do need to be talked about and they need to be shown on television.”
Tributes were paid by his Casualty co-star Julia Watson, who said she was “honoured” to have played his daughter on screen.
BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg posted his own piano cover of the Z-Cars theme and tweeted: “He was one of the first TV policemen I ever saw. Sad to hear that Frank Windsor has died.”
He was one of the first TV policemen I ever saw. Sad to hear that Frank Windsor (star of BBC TV’s Z Cars & Softly Softly) has died aged 92. Here’s my musical tribute to a great actor. @BBCNews @BBCNewsEnts pic.twitter.com/JK7mHKwwj8
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) October 2, 2020
A statement from Windsor’s agent to the PA news agency said: “Frank passed away peacefully at his home in London on Wednesday, September 30 2020.
“Frank is survived by his daughter Amanda and his wife Mary, who was by his side until the end.”
