Casualty star Derek Thompson has announced he is stepping down from the BBC drama after almost 40 years on screens.

Derek Thompson has been playing the role of Charlie Fairhead in Casualty on BBC One for 37 years.

The actor has appeared in almost 900 episodes and holds the title of the show’s longest-serving cast member.

He’s played a pivotal part in the drama since it launched in 1986, having been at the heart of multiple hard-hitting storylines.

Derek’s final scenes as Charlies will air next year in the culmination of an explosive exit storyline which will see the character at the front of the action.

Derek Thompson is leaving Casualty (Image: BBC)

Speaking about his decision, Derek said: “The time has come for me to hang up Charlie’s scrubs after the most wonderful 37 years.

“Charlie Fairhead was inspired by a real nurse – Pete Salt.

“Together with the writers and producers, I have tried to bring to Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism and sound judgement that we all see and love in Pete and I want to say thanks to Pete and everyone else over that time who has inspired me in bringing this character to life.”

Executive producer Jon Sen added: “Derek and I would often joke that, after such a long and dramatic career in the NHS, there was almost nothing that Charlie hadn’t seen.

Derek Thompson is Casualty’s longest-serving cast member, pictured here in 1991 (Image: GETTY)

“So it was an amazing surprise to me when Derek arrived with a brilliant idea for Charlie’s exit as part of an upcoming storyline, which was too good to pass up.

“We will all miss Derek enormously. Over nearly four decades, Derek has crafted an iconic character who is woven into the fabric of British TV history.

“We will miss his craft, his humour and his on-screen presence.

“We’re also going to miss a friend, so for the next few months we’re going to have a ball filming Charlie’s final chapter.”

Details of exactly how Charlie will say his goodbyes remain under wraps for now.

However, the character is no stranger to finding himself at the centre of some of the BBC drama’s most hard-hitting plots.

From being hit by an ambulance on his wedding day to a cardiac arrest, Charlie has been put through the wringer.