GEOFFREY Hughes is about to inject his Scouse humour into Heartbeat.

He will help plug the gap left by the sick Bill "Greengrass" Maynard, in hospital partially paralysed by a stroke three weeks ago.

His signing is aimed at keeping the country cop series, set on the North York Moors, at the top of the ratings.

Geoffrey is best remembered as Eddie Yeats, Hilda and Stan Ogden's lodger. He was brought in as a long-term comic relief by the Street's late producer Bill Podmore, but Geoffrey decided to quit when the storyline gave him a wife.

Normally, actors leaving the Street have problems finding work, but Hughes quickly became a new star in Roy Clarke's comedy classic, Keeping Up Appearances. He was the slovenly, work-shy TV addict Onslow. Sadly it ended when his screen sister-in-law and star, Patricia Routledge (Mrs Bucket, pronounced Bouquet) decided not to do any more.

Bill Maynard was delighted when Heartbeat executive producer and line producers Keith Richardson and Gerry Mill gave him the news when they visited Bill in the stroke unit at Leicester General Hospital.

Last night, Bill said: "It's a good choice. Geoffrey has a great sense of comedy. He's also a great pal."

Bill, paralysed down his left side by his stroke, says he is recovering slowly. "I'll be back in Heartbeat, probably in a wheelchair. It could be a useful prop for comedy."

Hughes, who recently recovered from cancer, will appear as the younger half-brother of Aidensfield undertaker, the gloomy but funny-with-it Bernie, played by Peter Benson.