The actor and writer Arnold Yarrow, who has died aged 104, made an impact on a number of popular television programmes.
He achieved the unique distinction of both starring in and writing for EastEnders, joining the long-running soap opera in 1988 as the recurring character Benny Bloom, a retired bricklayer. He was briefly engaged to Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) until his refusal to accept her pug Willy into his home ended their relationship. Benny subsequently died off screen, but Yarrow returned to the programme to script 10 episodes between 1992 and 1994.
