Actor Tony Caunter, who is best known for playing Roy Evans in the BBC soap EastEnders, died in October last year, aged 88. Now, the substantial fortune left to his children has been revealed.

Tony died just days after his wife of 63 years, Frances Wallace. Caunter played the car dealer Roy from 1994 to 2003, as the character struck up a relationship with Pam St Clement's character, Pat Butcher, culminating in their on-screen marriage. It has now emerged that the actor, who also featured in the series Juliet Bravo as DCI Jim Logan, left a considerable sum to his four children following both his and Frances's deaths. Documents have shown that Tony's estate was valued at an impressive £485,000 after debts and expenses had been settled. Confirming his death in October last year, his family released a statement: "It is with enormous sadness that we bring the curtain down on our wonderful and hugely loved father, Tony Caunter, who died peacefully yesterday evening, just eight days after his beloved wife of 63 years, Fran, also passed away. Dad was 88 years old.

The family continued: "We would like to thank the NHS staff at Eastbourne District General Hospital for their incredible care during his final hours, and to everyone at Eastbourne Gardens nursing home for the care and compassion they have given dad over the past two months."

They added that the family requested privacy "at this extremely difficult time." Meanwhile, in a statement, EastEnders said: "It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Tony Caunter.

"Tony will forever be loved and respected by everyone at EastEnders for his warmth, kindness and humour as well as being greatly remembered by all those at home who instantly took Roy to their hearts.

"Roy will always be remembered for his great love of Pat, despite him famously declaring his distaste in her choice of earrings, which gave us all one of Walford's greatest love affairs.

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"Tony will never be forgotten by all those who worked alongside him for many years, and everyone at EastEnders sends their love and condolences to Tony's family and friends."

Tony's character, Roy, died on the soap in 2003 after suffering a heart attack, leaving the actor furious that he had no opportunity of making a comeback.

Throughout Caunter's tenure as Roy, one of the headline-grabbing EastEnders storylines centred on Pat's affair with her former partner, Frank Butcher, portrayed by Mike Reid. His on-screen son, Shaun Williamson, who portrayed Barry Evans, expressed last year: "He was like a second father to me and taught me so much about acting and life. A great actor and a great man. I will miss him so much."

Caunter's career extended far beyond EastEnders, featuring in productions such as Pennies From Heaven, Tumbledown, Juliet Bravo, and the drama Boon.