James Cossins was an English character actor. Born in Beckenham, Kent, he became widely recognised as the abrupt, bewildered Mr. Walt in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Hotel Inspectors". He played a magistrate in episodes of three different British sitcoms, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, The Good Life and Citizen Smith. After serving in the Royal Air Force, he trained at RADA where he won the silver medal in 1952, later he appeared in repertory theatre and played a wide range of characters throughout his colourful and extensive career on television and stage. He appeared in more than forty films, including The Anniversary, and The Lost Continent, Gandhi, and The Man with the Golden Gun. On the small screen, he appeared as a guest in a variety of shows, including Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Minder, Bergerac, The Sweeney, Shadows, All Creatures Great and Small, Citizen Smith, Just William, The Good Life, L for Lester, Neville Dennis in Callan "Rules of the Game", Z-Cars, and as the regular character Bruce Westrop in Emmerdale Farm. 

December 4th, 1933 in Beckenham  /  Died:   Feb 12th, 1997