[Scarlett.]

EMMERDALE actor Andy Devine is devastated after discovering his character is to be killed off.

The 67-year-old, who has played crusty drunk Shadrach Dingle for 12 years, asked to go into semi-retirement as he struggled to cope with the punishing filming schedule.


He was told he would be allowed to “dip in and out” of the Yorkshire-based soap and be brought back for big storylines involving the Dingles.


But in a cruel U-turn, they have decided to kill him off on Shadrach’s birthday. The exact circumstances of his death are being kept a secret. But a pal of the actor says he is gutted that the door has been shut.


He said: “Andy thought he would be able to come back every now and then, so to find out that Shadrach will leave Emmerdale in a body bag was a big disappointment.”


An Emmerdale spokeswoman said: “Shadrach will be leaving the village on his birthday but how he goes remains to be seen. However it’s not one to be missed.”

Daily Star