Roger Lloyd-Pack: Only Fools and Horses' Trigger dies aged 69

ROGER LLOYD-PACK, the actor best-known as the slow-witted road sweeper Trigger in Only Fools and Horses has died aged 69.

Well known for his "rubbery face and lugubrious delivery", Lloyd-Pack also made an impression as Owen Newitt in The Vicar of Dibley, the BBC says. His agent confirmed that he died at his home in Kentish Town in north London last night of pancreatic cancer.

While Lloyd-Pack was best-known for his work in TV sit-coms he also had film roles in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Fiddler On The Roof and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. In 2006, he featured as the Cyber-Controller in two episodes of Doctor Who, opposite David Tennant.

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Born in Islington, north London in 1944, Lloyd-Pack was the son of Hammer horror actor Charles Lloyd-Pack and the father of actress Emily Lloyd. He studied at the Royal College of Dramatic Art (RADA) before making his stage debut in Northampton.

The BBC says his "breakthrough" came in 1981 when he won the role of Colin 'Trigger' Ball in Only Fools and Horses. Trigger's slow-wit was underlined by the fact he constantly referred to Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) as 'Dave'.

Lloyd-Pack once described the role as "both a blessing and a curse" and expressed bemusement about his popularity with audiences, the BBC says.

"It's extraordinary to me as an actor to find oneself in a sitcom that's been successful and goes on being successful," he said. "I can't go anywhere without anyone going on about it."

Entrepreneur Sir Alan Sugar, who paid tribute to Lloyd-Pack on Twitter today, said Trigger was "one of my favourite TV characters".

Graham Linehan, creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd, tweeted: "Very sad news about Roger Lloyd-Pack. Trigger was an ancestor to [Father Ted's] Father Dougal and I'm glad I once had a chance to tell him so."

Lloyd-Pack was a committed socialist and activist who campaigned for nuclear disarmament and was a supporter of Left Unity, a recently formed "Radical Political Party of the Left", the BBC says.