Only Fools And Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst denies claim he has retired from acting

Nicholas Lyndhurst has issued a statement denying claims he has retired from acting.

The Only Fools And Horses star - best known for playing Rodney Trotter in the long-running BBC sitcom - was left "grief stricken" by the death of his son, CBBC star Archie Lyndhurst at the age of 19 in 2020.

Now a friend of the New Tricks star, screenwriter Laurence Marks, has told the Daily Star Sunday that Nicholas, 60, plans to withdraw from the public eye.

Read more: Archie Lyndhurst’s girlfriend Nethra Tilakumara pays tribute to him

Goodnight Sweetheart writer Marks said: "Nicholas underwent tragedy. It must have broken his heart. It would break anyone’s heart.

“He has always kept himself to himself and now he’ll do that more than ever. Now he’s lost his son, he’ll never come out again. I doubt we will see him do any more acting.

“I would like to say we will see him act again, but I don’t think we will. We will have to live on the visual memories of him and we have loads of them. We have got to be grateful for that."

However a representative for Nicholas told Metro.co.uk: "‘It is complete nonsense that Nicholas Lyndhurst is retired or retiring.

"Of course he and his wife are devastated by the sudden loss of there young son but Mr Lyndhurst will continue his career with any parts and scripts that attract him."

Archie Lyndhurst died of a brain haemorrhage in his sleep in September 2020.

It was revealed he died from Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma/Leukaemia - a rare form of brain cancer which had gone undiagnosed.

Archie starred as schoolboy Ollie Coulton in CBBC sitcom So Awkward.

Nicholas' last acting role was alongside his son in a cameo appearance in So Awkward.

Nicholas - the grandson of film director Francis Lyndhurst - began his acting career as a child.

He rose to fame playing teenager Adam in family sitcom Butterflies alongside Wendy Craig, Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Hall.

He will forever be remembered for playing Rodney Trotter, brother of wheeler-dealer Del Boy Trotter, played by Sir David Jason in Only Fools And Horses.

Read more: Nicholas Lyndhurst says Only Fools and Horses revival can't happen

Nicholas is also well known for playing time-travelling bigamist Gary Sparrow in sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart and retired police officer Dan Griffin in New Tricks.

Watch: Nicholas Lyndhurst's son Archie Lyndhurst died of a brain haemorrhage in 2020