Donald McKillop was born in Carlisle on 15th February 1928 and died on 19th December 2005. He was an actor for some three decades appearing in many television shows such as The Likely Lads (where he had a regular role as Jack from 1964 to 1966) and Sutherland's Law where he played the role of Sgt. MacIntyre in 1972 and then Sgt. McKechnie in several episodes in 1973. He also had roles in Doctor Who, Z Cars, Dr Finlay's Casebook and When the Boat Comes In. On the big screen, he appeared in An American Werewolf in London in 1981.
In Coronation Street he appeared in April 1967 as Billy Thom and twelve years later was hurriedly recruited to play the role of RSPCA inspector Jack Walsh, who appeared in November 1979. The part and its actor had been Harry Scott as played by Anthony Pedley but was abruptly terminated by the 1979 ITV strike. When the dispute was over, Pedley was committed elsewhere and a swift rewrite to the storyline saw Scott's friend, Walsh, continue the plotline of a romance with Mavis Riley. He reappeared in the same role in August 1982.