Former Coronation Street star Frank Mills has died at the age of 93. 

The actor was best known for playing Billy Williams on the ITV soap between 1995 and 1997. 

Frank died back on 11 February, with his death having now been publicly announced in an obituary in local paper the Maldon Standard.

It described him as a “much loved father to Paula and Ruth, grandad to Amy, Phil and Lizi, and great grandad to Kara and Jack”.

His funeral will take place on 8 March and will be a private event due to the current Covid-19 restrictions. 

“A full memorial service [is] planned for later in the year as a celebration of Frank’s life,” the obituary added. 

Frank – whose full name was Albert Frank Mills – made his first appearance in Coronation Street in 1976 when he appeared as guest character Ivor Mortlake in one episode. 

He returned to the cobbles 19 years later as Billy, a former flame of beloved Rovers Return bar maid Betty Turpin. 

The two characters tied the knot just months later, but their reunion wasn’t to last long as Billy suffered a heart attack and died less than two years after they wed. 

Frank’s other TV credits included Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, The Royal, Minder and Foyle’s War.