TRIBUTES have been paid in Bournemouth to the actor Peter Byrne, who was involved in theatre in the town at the height of his fame in TV’s Dixon of Dock Green.

Mr Byrne, who has died at the age of 90, was in several plays in the resort and served as director of the Palace Court Theatre on Hinton Road.

He was Andy Crawford, the police officer son-in-law of Jack Warner’s George Dixon, in every episode of the BBC series from 1955-75, and told the Echo that Warner was “like the father I never knew”.

Pamela Harris, mayor of Bournemouth from 1995-96, knew Mr Byrne when they were young actors working in repertory theatre in Worthing.

They were both in Reach for the Sky, the 1956 biopic of Douglas Bader, though in different scenes.

“I’m sorry he’s died. He was ever such a nice chap,” she said.

Mr Byrne was busy in theatre even while appearing on television every week. He appeared in productions at the Pier Theatre and at the Palace Court, where he was director from 1965-66.

He also formed E&B Productions with Paul Elliott, who went on to become known as the “king of panto”, and the pair put on a production of Lock Up Your Daughters, with Poole’s Ann Sidney, who was Miss World in 1964.

Bournemouth councillor Nigel Hedges was working in Beales of Bournemouth when he became friends with Mr Byrne.

“I met Peter through the sports department of Beales in 1974. Somebody said ‘That’s Inspector Crawford of Dixon of Dock Green and he likes to play squash’," he said.

“I asked him for a game and we were friends for 40 years.”

He said Mr Byrne still had cousins in Broadstone and Branksome Park.

“He came to Bournemouth as often as he could,” he said.

“He had great affection for the town.

“He really was an extra special guy. He was huge fun, always dedicated to his family, although he had a terrible backhand in squash.”

When Jack Warner died in 1981, Mr Byrne was appearing at the Pier Theatre and told the Echo of his fondness for the star.

“We had a very close association and off the screen he was like the father I never knew,” he said.

Mr Byrne’s films included Raising the Wind and Carry On Cabby, while on TV he appeared in Blake’s 7, Bread and Holby City.

He had been in failing health for several years and had been living in the actors’ retirement home Denville Hall.

  • See the Echo's obituaries page on Friday.