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Peter Benson (born June 13th, 1921) is a British actor probably best known as Bernie Scripps in the Popular ITV1` TV-series Heartbeat, a drama about the police in Aidensfield in the 60s. Benson has played Bernie Scripps in the series since 1995. In the TV-series `Bernie` Scripps is running Aidensfield Garage, and the local funeralservice. He`s often involved helping first Claude Greengrass (Bill Maynard), and half-brother Vernon Scripps (Geoffery Hughes) and last Peggy Armstrong (Gwen Taylor) with disastrous money-making schemes.

Benson`s other television and theatre work include the regional premiere of Stephen Sondheim`s Assassins. On television his credits include the Dauphin in Shaw`s Saint Joan, Richard III in Ron Cook`s production of Richard III, Henry VI in all three parts of Henry VI for the BBC Television Shakespeare Series, Reuben with Bill Maynard in Alan Plater`s Trinity Tales, Henry VII in Blackadder, Bernard in All Creatures Great and Small, Bor in Dr. Who episode Terminus, and recent roles in the made for TV movie Merlin and A Touch of Frost.
He had also parts in The Royal, Rumpole of the Bailey, Jeeves and Wooster, The Bill, Peak Practice, Doctor Who, Tenko, and Lovejoy, among others.

His film work include roles in Michael Crichton`s The First Great Train Robbery, John Boorman`s Excalibur, and Roman Polanski`s Tess.