Actress, 56, who starred in EastEnders and is married to Downton star dies after being hit by a Tube train near her home

Agent confirmed death of 'well-loved' and 'vibrant' actress Briony McRoberts

She was married to Downton Abbey star David Robb



Her body was found at Fulham Broadway Tube station on Wednesday

Shock: Actress Briony McRoberts died at the age of 56, after being hit by a Tube train

Actress Briony McRoberts has died at the age of 56 after being hit by a Tube train near her home, her agent confirmed today.



McRoberts, who was married to Downton Abbey actor David Robb, appeared in Scottish drama Take The High Road for nine years and also starred in Taggart and EastEnders.



Her body was found at Fulham Broadway station in London just after 8.30am on Wednesday.

Her agent Katie Threlfall said the 'well-loved' and 'vibrant' actress had taken her own life, describing the death as 'unbelievably shocking'.

She said: 'It's just a terrible, terrible loss of a wonderful woman. Nobody had any idea it was going to happen.



'Her husband is deeply shocked.



'She was a wonderful woman who had troubles and she will be very much missed.



'She was so well-loved and was the most vibrant character you could hope to meet. It is just a tragedy.'

Born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire in 1957, her acting career took off when she was 19.

In 1976, she played Wendy Darling in a musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan starring Mia Farrow and Danny Kaye.

The same year she starred as Margo Fassbender in The Pink Panther Strikes Again.

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Grief: The late actress with her husband actor David Robb, who stars as Dr Clarkson in Downton Abbey

Well-loved: McRoberts in 1976 as Wendy in ITV's Peter Pan, one of her earliest acting roles

Her long television career included appearances in The Bill, Heartbeat and The Professionals.

She played counsellor Carol Nickleson in EastEnders in 1990.



However, she was most famous for her role as Sam Hagen in Scottish drama Take The High Road, which she starred in until the late nineties.

She went on to appear in Taggart, and her co-star Colin McCredie was one of the first to express his shock.



The actor who played DC Stuart Fraser wrote on Twitter: 'Devastating news. Such a brilliant lady, great company and a fine actress. I was very fond of Briony. I cannot believe it. She was so full of life and brilliant company. Poor David.'

Sudden: McRoberts' agent Katie Threlfall said: 'Her husband is deeply shocked'

Fellow actor Andy Cameron wrote: 'Sad sad news about the death of Briony McRoberts. I shared a thousand laughs with her on High Road. My thoughts are with David. RIP Briony.'

Gary Hollywood, who also appeared in the long-running soap, said: 'RIP to my 'lady Laird' Briony McRoberts xxx.'

British Transport Police said a file had been prepared for the coroner.

Her death is not being treated as suspicious.

Robb, who plays Dr Clarkson in Downton Abbey, has been a volunteer for The Samaritans in London for 25 years.

Popular couple: McRoberts' former co-stars have been expressing their sympathy for her grieving husband David Robb, pictured left as Dr Clarkson in Downton Abbey



One of her final theatrical roles was last month in a production of Sir Walter Scott's poem Lay of the Last Minstrel in Scotland alongside husband David and her long-time friend Joanna Lumley.

Outside her professional life, McRoberts was an active supporter of the Scottish Friends of the Earth's Fight the Fumes campaign.



Since 2004 She and David Robb ran every year in the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for leukaemia research.











