Coronation Street star John Saint Ryan won’t have a funeral after his sudden death aged 72. The actor played Charlie Whelan in 60 episodes of the ITV soap, known for his on-screen relationship with Rovers Return landlady Bet Lynch, played by Julie Goodyear. Charlie was later seduced by barmaid Tanya Pooley, running off to Germany with her only for her to dump him after getting her own back on Bet.

His heartbroken wife Joyce has explained that there will be no funeral for her late husband, confirming in a statement: “I and our family want to let our friends know that John had a heart attack the evening of Thursday 3rd of April. We were with him at the hospital where the staff did everything possible but unfortunately he did not survive. We are absolutely heartbroken. John wanted to aid medical research and donated his body, so there will not be a funeral.

“Later, we will arrange a celebration of his wonderful life. We are all fortunate to have known and loved this special 'Gentleman' as he has been described to me numerous times over the last couple of days.”

Anyone aged over 17 can choose to donate their body to science, though consent cannot be given by relatives after a person’s death. Those who do wish to donate their body to science have to make those wishes known in writing with witnesses present prior to their passing.

Bodies can be donated to local medical schools and institutions, and can be used for medical research, teaching anatomy and training new healthcare professionals. Some medical institutions also offer to pay for a simple funeral in return for the donation.

The University of Liverpool, for example, states on its website: “When the teaching or research programme is finished, we will arrange and pay for a cremation unless your family wants to arrange a private funeral.”

It includes “a simple coffin, transport to the crematorium, a short service led by a celebrant and all cremation costs”. The website states that most cremations in this way take place within three years, though some might be within six months.