Derek Thompson: Casualty's Charlie Fairhead leaves after 37 years

Derek Thompson is to leave BBC drama Casualty after 37 years in the role of Charlie Fairhead.

He is the medical drama's longest-serving cast member and the only remaining character from the first episode in 1986.

Thompson said: "The time has come for me to hang up Charlie's scrubs after the most wonderful 37 years. "

The actor will be filming until the autumn, and his final scenes as Charlie will air next year.

The character of Fairhead was inspired by a real-life nurse - Pete Salt.

In a statement, Thompson said: "Together with the writers and producers, I have tried to bring to Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism and sound judgement that we all see and love in Pete.

"I want to say thanks to Pete and everyone else over that time who has inspired me in bringing this character to life."

Viewers have watched Fairhead experience plenty of drama over the years with the patients in the emergency department, as well as a few struggles of his own.

He has been shot in the chest with a handgun by a schizophrenic man and held hostage by an armed man and run over by an ambulance on his wedding day.

The character has also had two stress-induced heart attacks and a pulmonary embolism, and was once seen being driven off a pier.

Viewers watched him say a heart-breaking farewell to his beloved fellow nurse Duffy (Cathy Shipton), following a will-they-won't-they relationship which spanned 30 years.

Jon Sen, executive producer of Casualty, said they used to joke that after Fairhead's long and dramatic career in the NHS there was not much that he hadn't seen.

"It was an amazing surprise to me when Derek arrived with a brilliant idea for Charlie's exit as part of an upcoming storyline, which was too good to pass up," Sen said. "We will all miss Derek enormously. "

"Over nearly four decades, Derek has crafted an iconic character who is woven into the fabric of British TV history. We will miss his craft, his humour and his on-screen presence. We're also going to miss a friend, so for the next few months we're going to have a ball filming Charlie's final chapter."