Former ATV newsreader Bev Smith dies in panto

The former West Midlands TV newsreader Bev Smith has collapsed and died from a heart attack during a performance of Dick Whittington.

The 70-year-old was a familiar face for viewers in the 1970s as part of Birmingham's ATV team with Bob Warman, Chris Tarrant Gary Newbon and John Swallow.

Mr Smith, who leaves wife Pat, three children and two grandchildren, had been playing the dame in an amateur pantomime production in Curdridge, near Winchester.

He had the audience "in the palm of his hand" during the first scene and was about to go on again when he died, said Curdridge Amateur Dramatic Group secretary Geoff Appleby.

"His was the first performance, a solo, where he was ad-libbing and throwing sweets out to the kids," Mr Appleby said.

"He came off stage to huge applause and he had the audience in the palm of his hand – he did it superbly well.

"At his next entrance I was in front of him and as he was climbing on to the wings he collapsed.

"I thought he had just tripped and then fell into the curtain and I said, 'get up you fool', but he was not moving."

The 80-strong audience was asked if there was a doctor in the house and one came forward who tried to save Mr Smith.

The performance was cancelled as the cast of 30, including children, realised it could not go on. Mr Appleby said he had spoken with Mr Smith's family and further performances would go ahead in his memory.

"He was a man of many parts and a lovely man who was extremely well respected, but above all he was a family man," Mr Appleby added.

Central Tonight's Bob?Warman, said:?"He was a great character. I've got great memories of him, and he was a much-loved, terrific colleague."

Mr Smith moved from the Midlands in the mid 1970s to become a producer at TVS in Southampton before setting up his own production company.