Nicola Sturgeon has paid tribute to Scots comedy legend Johnny Beattie after his death at the age of 93.
The veteran stage star and River City actor is said to have passed away peacefully today after a short spell at St Margaret’s Hospice.
Johnny, who has played Shieldinch’s loveable pensioner Malcolm Henderson since the BBC soap was launched in 2002, left the programme in 2015 after a bout of ill health.
Tributes have been flooding in since the sad news emerged, with the First Minister saying Scotland had "lost a national treasure".
Posting a picture with the comedian on Twitter, she said: "So sad to hear that Johnny Beattie has died.
"He was a hugely talented performer and a truly lovely man.
"The photo here was taken at the Govan Fair a few years ago - he had us in stitches.
"Today, we’ve lost a national treasure, and my thoughts are with his loved ones."
The former Govan shipyard worker first got into showbiz after joining an amateur dramatic show in 1951.
He went on to become a stand-up comic, panto dame and TV quiz show host on STV’s Now You See It in the 1980s as well as starring opposite Liam Neeson in the 1990 flick The Big Man.
He also appeared on cult shows including Scotch & Wry and Rab C Nesbitt.
His many performances over six decades of entertainment established him as one of the giants of Scotland's comedy scene alongside Rikki Fulton, Jack Milroy and Stanley Baxter and also earned him an MBE.
Johnny was married for 33 years to wife Kitty who passed away from cancer in 1993 following their separation in 1985.
The couple had four children including Maureen, who went on to star in Casualty, and Louise, who quit acting to become a solicitor, along with sons Paul and Mark.
