A FORMER actor born and raised in York, who starred in the TV soap Crossroads and a film with Elizabeth Taylor, has died at the age of 82.

Albert Shepherd, who lived in Crayke north of York for the last 45 years of his life, played Don Rogers in the original Crossroads, from 1972 to 1973.

He starred in a TV series called Rosie, which was filmed in Scarborough, from 1979 to 1981, and also appeared in the 1968 film Secret Ceremony alongside Elizabeth Taylor.

He was also the first person to speak on the 1969 movie Battle of Britain, and appeared in a number of other films and TV series.

Albert retired from acting in the mid-1980s following the death of his wife Rosaleen to look after his three children - Anthony, Jonathan and Gerard.

Gerard said: "Dad was very much a family man. He gave up acting in the mid-80s to look after us full-time after the death of my mother.

"He was both our father and mother, deeply caring and always there for us.

"Never met anybody else, a totally devoted husband and father." He added: "He loved acting but shied away from the high life.

"Dad was very well known in the locality by many people.

"When he was in Crossroads he wrote and directed many Crayke village pantomimes to great fun and success and was always helping around the village.

"He very much loved village life."

Albert was born in York in 1936 and attended the now closed St George's Roman Catholic Secondary School.

He worked as a metal machinist at the Holgate Road carriage works in York and was then called up for National Service and went to Egypt.

He was later accepted at Webber Douglas Drama School in London and after this landed roles in TV programmes and films.

Earlier this year, Albert and the family had to come to terms with the death of Anthony at the age of 49.

Albert died at York Hospital from lung cancer, just three weeks after he was diagnosed.

His funeral will take place on July 19 at Our Lady and Saint Benedict's Church in Ampleforth.