Casualty, The Bill and Emmerdale star Ben Keaton has died

Tributes are flooding in for the actor.

Tributes flooded in for Keaton, who also played Father Austin Purcell in Father Ted from 1995.

He is also known for his roles in shows such as Casualty (over 50 episodes), Emmerdale, The Bill, Hububb, Doctors and Double Time, as well as films East Is East and Love Bite.

Keaton passed away unexpectedly at Lincoln County Hospital on Friday, March 20.

"Ben will be forever greatly missed, loved and fondly remembered by his ex-wife Polly, son Waldo and daughter Daisy, brothers Des and Thom, sister Jeanette," reads his death notice.

(Above) Ben Keaton in Father Ted.

The Dublin man was also well known in the theatre space having appeared at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester in productions of Animal Crackers, American Buffalo, Harvey, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Hay Fever.

He was also a finding member of the improv group South Of The River, and a director of the Creative Academy.

Furthermore, he also did work as a comedian and won an array of awards like the Perrier Comedy Award at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival, two Manchester Evening News Best Actor Awards and a prestigious Laurence Olivier nomination.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.