TV royalty Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (Ant and Dec) have paid tribute to Byker Grove co-star Dale Meeks following his death on Saturday. 

Meeks died from “heart failure” on Saturday evening at South Tyneside Hospital in Newcastle, his brother Philip Meeks told PA Media Agency.

Meeks starred alongside Ant and Dec in the BBC drama Byker Grove which ran from 1989 to 2006.

Meeks played the role of leader of Denton Burn, the rival youth group to the Byker Grove youth club.

In a statement on Twitter, Ant and Dec, who played PJ and Duncan, said: “We are so incredibly sorry to hear the very sad news of Dale’s passing.

“He was the loveliest of guys, even though he was a Denton ‘Burner’, the arch nemesis of the Byker ‘Grovers’!

“A sad loss at such a young age. RIP Dale. Sleep well bonny lad.”

Responding to the tweet, Philip told PA: “That’s absolutely lovely.

“I sort of remember meeting them as kids myself. He (Dale) was in Byker Grove, he made one of them blind, not in real life.”

Byker Grove cast

Actors and actresses to appear in Byker Grove alongside Meeks, Ant and Dec included:

  • Charlie Hunnam (Jason)
  • Jill Halfpenny (Nicola Dobson)
  • Donna Air (Charlie Charlton)
  • Andrew Hayden-Smith (Ben Carter)
  • Billy Fane (Geoff)

Meeks, also played Simon Meredith on ITV soap Emmerdale between 2003 and 2006.

His most recent role came in ITV's The Hunt For Raoul Moat where he played a cameo role as Andy McAllister.