Actor Dean Sullivan has died, aged 68, his family and management have announced.

He was known for his role in Channel 4 soap Brookside where he played Jimmy Corkhill between 1986 and 2003.

Sullivan was also a director and his family have thanked Arrowe Park Hospital for their support, Sky News reports.

A statement from Hamilton Management and Sullivan’s family said: “To millions he was and very much still is remembered as 'Jimmy', to family and friends he was 'Dino'.

“Dean's family wants to thank Arrowe Park Hospital for their unwavering and consistent support. We ask that you respect their privacy in their time of grief.”

Sullivan was from Liverpool and first appeared in Brookside in 1986, four years after it launched.

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Viewers might remember he was the one to find the body of Trevor Jordache, a villain on the show, two years after he was murdered.

He was found under the patio alongside his dog Cracker.

The soap was axed in 2003 with Sullivan portraying Jimmy Corkhill until then, however, the original episodes are now available to watch on STV Player.

He's also appeared in Doctors, The Royal and a short film called Wings, on Netflix.